Caring Times, October 2024

10/2024

October Edition

A business

built from

scratch

From arriving in the UK

without speaking English, to

running five care homes

Legal & regulatory

Sector experts forecast the future of

the Care Quality Commission

Leader’s spotlight

Orchard Care Homes’ Hayden Knight

on five years as chief executive

Reaction

Social care’s biggest names analyse

the Darzi review

caring-times.co.uk

business

20 LEADER’S SPOTLIGHT

Sam Lewis interviews Hayden

Knight, chief executive of Orchard

Care Homes and new member of

the Care England policy board

12 LEGAL & REGULATORY

Sector experts give their take on the future

of the Care Quality Commission

14 SURVEYS & DATA

The UK’s top medium-sized care groups

ranked by social media presence

16 LEGAL & REGULATORY

An overview of health and safety duties for

providers

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

No-comment

Commission

I know it’s somewhat in vogue to criticise

the Care Quality Commission right now,

and I don’t have half as much reason to

complain as most Caring Times readers,

but I’ve got a bone to pick with the

regulator.

I emailed the CQC press team recently

to ask for more details on the handbook

it is developing for providers. The only

news I could find was a rare interview

with interim chief executive Kate Terroni.

It also happened to be behind a paywall.

So, I politely ask for “more information

and quotes”, a typical journalist’s request.

“What is it you’d like to know?”

comes the response. This is when I get

a sudden wave of déjà vu – I’ve had this

conversation with the CQC press team

before, months ago, about a different

story. And they responded in exactly the

same way.

So, I suggest, again politely, that a

full press release announcing the plans

for the handbook would be helpful.

The response, similar to the last time:

they “don’t have a press release” and I

am “welcome to use anything from the

[online interview] piece”.

Now getting slightly frustrated, I reply

that the thousands of other companies,

organisations and government bodies

I’ve dealt with as a journalist all tend

to announce news such as this in press

releases and send it to journalists, and

that the CQC might think about doing

the same. I was not surprised when the

conversation ended there.

Looking back over my interactions

with the inspectorate over the last couple

of years, they have all been like this. I’ve

offered interviews and on-stage panel

sessions on a number of occasions, to

no avail. I’m pretty certain I can say,

without exaggeration, that the CQC is

among the top three least cooperative and

communicative organisations I have ever

worked with. It could easily be number

one.

Browsing cqc.org.uk, it does have a

‘press releases’ section; that page is full

of nothing but press releases with titles

like ‘CQC rates Sheffield care home

Inadequate’, which it publishes with

great frequency. Look a little further

and its ‘news’ page is where it publishes

announcements about the Commission

itself. At the time of writing, the most

recent post, from the beginning of

August, is titled ‘CQC statement on

riots’.

So, the regulator can find the time to

comment on current events that have

very little to do with it; it can find the

time to shout about its ratings, good or

bad, of providers; but it cannot find the

time to interact with journalists covering

the sector, or even churn out a 300-word

press release on important changes it is

making.

For a body that receives a fair amount

of criticism for its poor communication

with the providers it aims to serve,

working with the press would – as I said

in my last, ignored email to the CQC

– go a long way to keeping providers

informed and up to date. If the CQC

is happy being a ‘closed culture’, as its

inspection reports often accuse health

and care services of being, then I suppose

it should keep going, business as usual.

If it truly wants to make amends for the

past several years, then transparency will

be a key part of that.

Sam Lewis,

Editor-in-chief

Caring Times

4 | OCTOBER 2024 CARING-TIMES.CO.UK

Great Tasting

Coffee in Seconds

-

\

From americanos to creamy cappuccinos, Cafitesse has

everything you need to bring a smile to residents faces.

Easy to use touch screen

7 sec per cup

30 sec per pot (1L)

Only 6 minutes cleaning

twice a week

Treat your residents to nutritious

coffee beverages fast!

Email us for more details: UK-Sales@JDECoffee.com

business | news

News in brief

POLICY & POLITICS

Scottish health secretary Neil Gray

has denied trying to buy Oasis tickets

during a dementia panel at the Scottish

National Party conference. Gray

chaired a discussion on Alzheimer’s

disease, during which the Sunday Mail

said he looked up from his mobile

phone and said: “I’m in the queue

to buy Oasis tickets… on multiple

devices.” The paper also claimed

he made a joke about being “Half

the World Away” from buying the

tickets. Via social media he called the

accusation “total nonsense”.

The number of Health and Care

Worker visas granted by the UK

government has seen an 81% drop. This

is indicative of the changes made by

Rishi Sunak’s government in March,

which banned health and social care

workers from bringing dependants

to the UK. Data shows 89,095 visas

were granted in the year ending June

2024, a 26% decrease over the previous

year. The figure for the last quarter of

that 12-month period, however, was

Neil Gray

81% lower than April-June 2023. Care

England’s chief executive Martin Green

called the situation “untenable”.

English local authorities spent

around £1.5 billion more on adult

social care in 2023-24 than in the year

before. Government data also showed

that spending on children’s social

care was up £821 million in the same

period, an increase of 6% for a total

annual spend of £14.5 billion. Adult

care spend was up 7% year-on-year, for

a total of £23.3 billion. Overall, local

authorities’ total net current service

expenditure was £123.4 billion in

2023-24, £2.8 billion (2.4%) higher

than in 2022-23.

HOME CARE

The Homecare Association has

revealed “critical failures” in the Care

Quality Commission’s regulation of

home care services in England. This, it

claimed, is putting home care recipients

at risk and harming providers. It

identified issues allegedly undermining

CQC performance, including:

resource constraints, a dysfunctional

funding model, ineffective IT systems,

misalignment with local authorities,

and poor leadership at the CQC. The

association also claimed that “the

CQC is prioritising care homes over

home care”.

LEGAL & REGULATORY

Westminster will make sprinklers

mandatory in English care homes

beginning in March next year.

This comes “in response to the

Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s phase one

recommendations”, as revealed by

building safety and homelessness

minister Rushanara Ali. She confirmed

in a written statement to Parliament:


news | business

“Sprinklers enhance fire protection

where residents may be reliant

on others for help and assistance,

especially if a building evacuation

is needed. Care home owners and

developers will benefit from a sixmonth

transition period until the

guidance comes into effect, and will

then have a further six months to

enable work on current development

projects that are under way, or about to

start, to continue.”

Care Quality Commission

prosecutions are at their highest level

since the regulator’s introduction 15

years ago. The CQC’s prosecution rate

of health and care providers is up 700%

according to law firm Shakespeare

Martineau. When comparing 2009-

2013 with 2019-2023, prosecutions

surged 700%, from 11 cases to 88. They

also more than trebled compared to

2014-2018. Total fines have also seen a

dramatic rise. Between 2009 and 2013,

prosecuted providers were fined a total

of £650,973. In the five years to 2023,

the figure reached more than £10.6

million.

FUNDRAISING & EVENTS

The event formerly known as the

Care Managers Show announced its

new name: the Care Management

Show. This comes as part of a broader

commitment to reflect the evolving

nature of the sector and the pivotal

role of care management professionals.

The change signifies a renewed focus

on collaboration, innovation and

comprehensive patient-management

strategies. The event takes place 29

and 30 November at ExCeL London,

with tickets available now.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Investment manager Octopus

Investments has entered the European

market for the first time. Octopus

Investments Spain opened an office

in Madrid’s financial district, its first

permanent location in mainland

Europe, as it looks to build a more

global footprint. Ed Clough, managing

director of Octopus Real Estate, has

temporarily relocated to Madrid to

support the growth.

CARING-TIMES.CO.UK OCTOBER 2024 | 7

business | real estate & development

Property news

Care homes, plots of land and a swimming pool owned by

Bradford Council are being auctioned to avoid the council’s

bankruptcy, The Telegraph & Argus has reported. The council

also requested “exceptional financial support” from the

government to balance its budget. Assets for sale include the

former Valley View House care home, which was recently

closed by the council, and has a guide price of £950,000. If all

properties up for auction meet their guide price, the council

will raise £2.66 million.

The Welsh Government has awarded Pembrokeshire County

Council a further £6.5 million towards building a new

integrated health and social care hub. The grant was awarded

through the social care integration and rebalancing capital fund

for the works under way at the Pembroke Hwb regeneration

project at the South Quay site next to Pembroke Castle. The

Hwb will be a modern, accessible, social care, health and

community hub to support the region’s aim to build active,

resourceful, connected, sustainable and creative communities.

Family-owned care provider CHD Living has begun

building its latest development in Elstead, Surrey, a 60-bed

care home opening in autumn next year. It is CHD Living’s

third development this year and will provide long-term

nursing care, post-operative care and reablement services. The

development will occupy part of a larger residential site which

completed last year, comprising 69 houses and apartments.

The approved planning permission covers a 3,000 square

metre area for the home, set in one acre of grounds.

Healthcare real estate investment trust Aedifica has acquired

four care homes with a total capacity of 264 residents for

£61.5 million. The homes are located in Sayers Common,

Sussex; Broadstairs, Kent; Southampton, and Midsomer

Norton near Bath. Three properties have been recently

completed, while the property in Midsomer Norton is

expected to be completed by the end of the year. All homes

are operated by Oyster Care Homes, controlled by the LNT

Group.


real estate & development | business

Property developer Zephyr X has secured £20 million in loans

from Puma Property Finance for two new-build care homes

in Southeast England: an 80-bed, all-electric care home in

Reigate, Surrey, on the site of a former independent hospital;

and a 45-bed care home in Whitchurch-on-Thames, Berkshire.

Mysa Care, backed by investment manager Downing, has

completed three acquisitions. In Greater Manchester, Mysa

acquired EAM Group, a residential care business with three

specialist care units for adults with learning disabilities and

complex needs. In South Wales, it acquired two residential

properties, Parc Farm and Britannia House, which it will

convert into supported-living services providing a home for

people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs.

Muller Property Group has acquired a 1.35 acre site in South

Normanton, Derbyshire. The proposal for the site is a care

home development (Class C2), featuring approximately 75

en suite bedrooms spread over two and a half storeys. Each

room will be equipped with modern wetroom facilities.

Additionally, the development will offer car parking and

landscaped external areas.

A joint venture between property developer Barcroft Estates

and an unnamed investment company has purchased a 70-bed

care home scheme in West Malling, Kent, for an undisclosed

sum, from investor and developer Barwood Capital, and

Perseus Land & Developments. The scheme has been prelet

to a not-for-profit care provider which supports older

people through care homes. The facility is intended to offer

residential care and dementia-specific care.

Adult social care provider National Care Group has

expanded its supported living services in Wiltshire with three

new developments opening in the past six months. The newly

refurbished houses are home to 11 people with learning

disabilities. The new specialist services have created 20 new

jobs.

Kennedy Sabapathy, who owns four care homes, has acquired

a fifth, Glendale Court care home in Teignmouth, Devon,

from vendors Glenn and Gloria Taylor. The home occupies

two interlinked period properties that have been extended

and modified over the years to provide accommodation for

up to 37 residents across 34 en suite bedrooms. The Taylors

extended the building by acquiring a neighbouring property.

Sabapathy owns three care homes in neighbouring Dorset

– The Hyde in Bridport, Fairfield House in Weymouth and

the Ferndown Nursing Home in Ferndown – and one in

Shropshire.

Care Home

wanted

Fully funded existing operator looking

to purchase a profitable, compliant

care home from someone looking to

retire or sell.

• Up to 30 beds

• Located in the South East, South West

(as far West as Dorset), Midlands

(South of Birmingham) or London

• Price range of £1m- £3m

• Scope to extend desirable but not

essential

If you are interested in an initial

confidential conversation, please

contact Joseph Joyce on 07816 168150

or joseph.joyce@hotmail.co.uk


business | personnel

People moves

in association with

Vic Rayner

Vic Rayner chief executive of not-for-profit social care

association the National Care Forum has been appointed chair

of Care Provider Alliance, a coalition of adult social care

providers in England. The role rotates annually across each

of the 10 associations. Rayner follows Jane Townson, chief

executive of the Homecare Association. Rayner’s many roles

include her more than eight years at the helm of the National

Care Forum.

New Care's new Adel Manor senior team

national and international organisations as a finance director

before joining Guild Care.

New Care has made a trio of senior appointments at Adel Manor

Care Centre in Leeds, a 74-bed care facility. Marsha Tuffin has

been appointed as home manager. She has more than 30 years’

experience in the health sector, starting work in residential care at

18 years old. Keegan Hutchinson has been appointed as deputy

manager. His responsibilities include fulfilling staff training,

completing audits, monitoring the quality and effectiveness

of procedures, as well as maintaining relationships with

stakeholders, residents and their families. Finally, former care

assistant Matthew Bee becomes head of care.

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 graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in

electronics engineering before becoming a chartered accountant

with KPMG. He spent more than 20 years working in large

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. Taracido Ruiz


personnel | business

started his career in environmental chemistry and pivoted to

business and management consulting. Later he was appointed

as managing director of e-commerce marketplace Groupon

Spain and vice-president of sales for Groupon UK. Taracido

Ruiz also worked at troubled office space company WeWork

where his role “required navigating complex business landscapes

and fostering collaboration across diverse teams and cultures”.

In addition, he worked at beauty treatment booking firm

Treatwell.

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.

Healthcare Homes Group has appointed experienced

healthcare professional Sarah Collins as the new manager of

Barking Hall Care Home in Barking, Ipswich. The home,

nestled in vast gardens, is a 49-bedroom facility offering a range

of services including nursing care, residential care, respite care

and specialised dementia care. It is rated Good by the Care

Quality Commission.

New Care has appointed Darren Molyneux as registered home

manager at Wilmslow Manor, its luxury 63-bed care facility

in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Molyneux joined New Care in 2018

as team leader and has since taken on the roles of head of care

and deputy home manger, as well as achieving a diploma in

Level 5 leadership and management in adult social care with

distinction.

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 mixed-use

redevelopment project. Sumner specialised in real estate

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 its

new 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


business | legal and regulatory

Reform the watchdog

William Walter, managing director of Bridgehead Communications, sits down

with care leaders to discuss the biggest areas of concern the sector has with the

discredited Care Quality Commission what it must do to rebuild trust with providers

During the general election

campaign, which already

feels like an eternity ago, Ian

Trenholm announced he was stepping

down from his role as the head of the

Care Quality Commission. While a

shocking move, it did little to prepare

us for what followed: the publication

of a report into the operational

effectiveness of the CQC, which

proved nothing short of scathing.

The findings of this review led

current health secretary Wes Streeting

to declare that “the CQC is not fit for

purpose” – a stunning statement, but

not without reason. The review found

that one in five services, including

new care providers, had never received

a rating; providers hadn’t been reinspected

regularly – with the latest

care assessment for one care provider in

2015; and some inspectors were found

to have had no previous experience in

dealing with dementia patients.

In fact, the scale of failings uncovered

at the CQC continues to grow. The

Homecare Association has found in a

report of its own that poor leadership,

failing IT systems, and insufficient

resources have all compounded the

regulator’s lacklustre outcomes, leading

to almost two-thirds of home care

providers being either unrated or not

having been rated in over four years.

CQC failures

Those with first-hand experience in

the sector echo these failures, most

“The findings of this

review led current

health secretary Wes

Streeting to declare

that “the CQC is not fit

for purpose.”

particularly inspection failures.

Karolina Gerlich, chief executive of

The Care Workers Charity, notes: “The

main concerns I’ve heard about include

inconsistency in inspection standards,

often due to inspectors’ varied

backgrounds and personal biases.”

Care providers have felt this point is

especially damaging. James Tugendhat,

chief executive of HC-One, says that

“the time between inspections is too

long”, which means that often “a home’s

CQC rating may not reflect the home’s

current performance”. For Tugendhat,

this has ramifications for not just care

groups, but also for staff.

He says: “[Infrequent inspections]

can be misleading for current and

prospective users... and can impact

confidence in care homes. It misses an

opportunity to value and recognise

teams that have improved their care,

which can be frustrating and impact

morale amongst the home’s team.”

Although inspections are also noted

as a chief cause for concern by Anchor

chief executive Sarah Jones, she expands

on the role that a greater reliance on

technology has had. “We have seen

the consequences of moving to the

digitalised system without adequate

testing and ensuring that the system was

fit for purpose”, she notes, adding that

Karolina Gerlich

William Walter

“What’s needed is

“more clarity on

what matters most

to the CQC” and

“clear definitions of

what outstanding

care looks like.”

the move to remote assessments has

been made without “assurance on the

tools necessary for its implementation”.

This is something that Gerlich also

felt relevant to the problems with

the CQC and its poor reputation in

the care sector, saying: “The CQC’s

response during Covid-19 and its

struggles with technology have further

eroded trust.”

Lessons for the future

Given the current state of the CQC,

an essential question is how the

organisation can rebuild trust and

become fit for purpose once more.

Tugendhat sees the immediate priority

as fixing the problems that have arisen

in the Single Assessment Framework


legal and regulatory | business

(SAF) since its introduction.

He notes: “[The framework]

represents an opportunity to further

demonstrate the kind of care we

provide.” Still, he stresses, what’s needed

is “more clarity on what matters most

to the CQC” and “clear definitions of

what outstanding care looks like”.

Jones is more critical of the CQC,

arguing that the public body needs to

change its image fundamentally and

build bridges with the sector once

more. She says: “We need a regulator

that supports transparency and a drive

James Tugendhat

“Nonetheless, a

fundamental, detailed

review of the CQC

appears paramount in

signaling the intent

to change.”

to improve safety and quality across

health and social care, and timely

ratings prepared on a consistent basis

are key to that.”

Central to this is the matter of

trust, she believes, adding that “it is in

everyone’s interest to improve public

trust and confidence” in the care

system, which requires regulators to

ensure “that ratings are an accurate and

up-to-date reflection” of the care being

provided.

Building a new relationship to

further trust between the regulator and

providers resonates with Gerlich, too,

who finds it “crucial to focus on clear

communication and working together

to improve care standards, rather than

just imposing penalties”.

Part of this means that the CQC

“should be more supportive”, which

can best be done by “offering [more]

guidance and education on compliance

and best practices [as well as] shifting

from a punitive approach to one that

fosters improvement”.

Is a new regulator required?

Having discussed the scale of

dissatisfaction with the CQC, we

ended our conversation by asking

whether the CQC’s reputation had

fallen sufficiently that a fundamental

change, such as a new regulator,

was needed in the sector to restore

confidence.

Most were skeptical of the idea.

Gerlich believes that the “significant

issues” that have “eroded trust in the

CQC” are not grounds for such a

change in the regulatory landscape, a

view both Tugendhat and Jones share.

Nonetheless, a fundamental, detailed

review of the CQC appears paramount

Sarah Jones

in signaling the intent to change.

“A thorough review and a substantial

transformation of the CQC are

needed,” remarks Gerlich. She says

that the CQC must become “more

transparent and [engage] better with

care providers and workers”. This is

repeated by Jones, who asserts that the

review must be “thorough” and “consult

widely [while] looking closely at the

failures within social care regulation as

closely as health”.

The specifics of how to move forward

are known, but it remains uncertain

how well these can be achieved. As

Tugendhat said, delivering a more

effective SAF is essential, while fixing

the technology problems, as Gerlich

implored, remains paramount as well.

It’s clear that the CQC must rebuild

trust by addressing these issues and

prioritising clear communication

and consistent inspections. Only by

demonstrating that commitment

to improvement can it restore its

reputation and deliver the oversight

that the care sector urgently needs.


business | surveys & data

Social media battle

Bridgehead Communications’ managing director Will Walter reveals the results of the

firm’s analysis of care groups that are dominating the social media landscape

Care PR consultancy Bridgehead

Communications has unveiled

the second report in the 2024

edition of its social media power list,

ranking the UK’s mid-size care home

groups and individual homes based on

social media following.

The consultancy launched its now

annual survey last year with the

publication of three reports ranking the

UK’s top 20 small, mid-size and large

care home groups respectively by social

media following.

Using carehome.co.uk’s list of the

top 20 mid-size care groups, the report,

titled: ‘Social Media Power List 2024

– Top 20 Mid-size Care Home Groups’,

ranks each group 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 (Twitter), and

TikTok. The report was compiled using

follower data recorded in July this year.

As with last year’s report, the study

also investigated 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.

Care groups and homes

combined

In terms of the combined social media

followings of each of the care groups and

their individual homes, Carebase topped

the charts, with 41,460 followers spread

across Facebook, X, LinkedIn and

Instagram. Its X following accounted

for half of this total and was the highest

of all groups, in fact constituting nearly

two-thirds of the combined total of the

top 20 on the platform. Despite this, it

appears that Carebase no longer uses its

accounts on the platform.

Carebase’s social media following was

around 10,000 followers higher than the

second-ranked care home group, Berkley

Care.

As with last year’s report, Facebook

accounted for the largest proportion of

followers (56%, or 153,902) among the

care groups and their homes. LinkedIn

accounted for 20% (54,985), an eightpercentage-point

increase compared to

its proportion of followers among care

homes in Bridgehead’s investigation last

year. X accounted for 13%, Instagram

for 10%, and TikTok for less than 1%.

Compared to its peers, Berkley

Care Group had the most significant

Facebook following, which came from

a combination of group and individual

home accounts.

Commenting on the findings of the

report, Berkley Care Group’s sales and

marketing director, Kat Clayton, said

that Facebook has proven a “great tool

for highlighting the unique, luxury

experience we offer to our residents”. The

platform, she continued, also offers an

Will Walter

opportunity to “share moments of joy

and celebration” in homes, as well as

“sharing the stories and celebrating the

achievements of our fantastic staff team”.

On LinkedIn, it was Signature

Senior Lifestyle which boasted the

highest following (9,410), which came

exclusively from its group account. On


surveys & data | business

Instagram, Future Care Group

dominated with 16,670 followers,

providing more than half of the total of

all the top 20 groups combined.

Individual care homes

The analysis also compared the social

media following of the individual homes

belonging to the top 20 groups.

Cumnor Hill House, part of the

Berkley Care Group, topped the charts

for the second year in a row, with its

total following (more than 7,000)

coming exclusively from Facebook.

Following behind on 4,300 followers

came Carewise Homes’ Dryclough

Manor, whose following also came

exclusively from Facebook.

Bridge House Care Home, part of the

Carebase group, ranked in fourth place

with 3,230 followers. It reflected a more

diverse use of social media platforms

compared with those in first, second and

third – its following divided across three

platforms: Facebook, X and Instagram.

Facebook accounted for approximately

80% of the combined following of all

individual care home groups within the

analysis.

Care groups

Lastly, the report ranked each care

group by its own social media following,

excluding those of individual homes.

On group-specific accounts, LinkedIn

proved the most-used platform, with

William Walter said: “It is a pleasure

to launch the second report in this

year’s series of social media power list

insights. Launched last year, the power

lists proved incredibly popular across the

sector, offering marketing teams insights

with which to inform their digital

marketing strategy.

“These investigations offer fascinating

insight into how care groups are using

these platforms to grow their industry

and public presence, with knock-on

effects on occupancy rates, reputation,

and staff recruitment and retention.

“Our 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.

“Given the larger presence of mid-sized

groups on social media versus the smaller

groups assessed in our previous report,

the findings also offer an interesting

demonstration of how social media use

in social care is changing over time. The

growing prominence of LinkedIn, for

example, is an intriguing development.

It will be interesting to see how these

figures have changed when we turn to

our third and final report, which covers

the top 20 large care home groups.

“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 teachin

to discuss how care groups can optimise

their social media outreach.”

its tally (52,712) providing nearly half

of the combined total of the groups

(116,120). Facebook (22,223), X

(29,951) and Instagram (11,230) also

proved popular.

As a result of its significant X

following, Carebase topped the groupspecific

account leaderboards with

17,150 followers. In close second,

though, came Oakland Care, with

its 15,450 followers coming from a

more diverse range of platforms. Its

LinkedIn following (9,365) proved

most prominent, though both

Instagram (4,136) and Facebook

(1,300) followings provided a relatively

significant part of their total.


business | legal and regulatory

Comply with the law

Sam Lindsay, principal associate at law firm Mills & Reeve, provides an overview

of general health and safety duties for providers looking to avoid prosecution

Healthcare regulations are

so often at the forefront

of regulatory compliance

discussions in the sector, but care home

operators and care providers also need

to be aware of their statutory health

and safety duties.

Why it’s important

Effective health and safety

arrangements keep people safe and

prevent avoidable harm.

If that isn’t reason enough, providers

that breach their duties commit an

offence, regardless of whether any

harm results from the breach. Where

harm does result, or where a breach is

particularly egregious, then a provider

may be prosecuted. Upon conviction, a

provider faces an unlimited fine based

on turnover, and individuals guilty of

offences may face prison time.

In July last year, providers operating

an inpatient hospital were fined a

combined £400,000 for failing to keep

staff safe from violence.

What are the health and safety

duties?

General duties in the Health and Safety

at Work Act 1974 require employers

to take steps to, so far as is reasonably

practicable, ensure:

• The health, safety and welfare of their

employees while at work, and

• The safety of others affected by their

undertaking.

The Act also requires those in

control of premises to ensure, so far

as reasonably practicable, that those

premises are safe.

A provider is therefore responsible

for the health and safety of not just its

workforce and the people it supports

but also visiting third party staff, family

members and other persons who may

be affected by its activity, or who come

onto premises under its control.

Who regulates health and

safety?

The Care Quality Commission is the

English enforcing body for health and

safety where it concerns the provision

of regulated activity by a registered

provider, but the Health and Safety

Executive or relevant local authority are

responsible for enforcement otherwise.

Following a fatal accident the police will

investigate suspected homicide offences.

What about fire safety?

Fire is a particularly high-risk area for

care providers, particularly residential

services.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)

Order 2005 is the main piece of

legislation concerning fire safety for

premises.

The order requires persons in control

of commercial premises to arrange for

a competent person to complete a fire

risk assessment and ensure premises

conform to relevant standards.

Guidance on fire safety for premises,

including residential care premises, is

published online at gov.uk.

You’ll also need to assess and control

the risk from fire for individual people

you support and in connection with

activities too.

Fire safety enforcement is typically

the responsibility of the local fire

authority.

What does compliance look

like?

Providers need to take all reasonably

practicable steps to ensure people’s

health and safety in an organised and

sustainable way. This means:

• Having an overarching health and

safety policy.

Sam Lindsay

• Establishing an effective system for

health and safety governance and

oversight.

• Staying up to date on health and

safety developments.

• Completing suitable and sufficient

risk assessments to identify hazards,

quantify risk of harm and identify

the control measures necessary to

mitigate the risk so far as reasonably

practicable.

• Implementing safe working

arrangements based on the risk

assessments, and

• Documenting the arrangements and

keeping them under review.

Your workforce will need to know

about the arrangements relevant to

their role, so consideration needs to

be given to how information will be

disseminated. Staff will also need rolespecific

training and refresher training

to maintain competence.


Your Business

is Our Priority

SOLD

SOLD

ENDERBY GRANGE

Leicestershire

SOLD

A L A CARE GROUP

East Midlands

118 beds 3x Residential

care homes

Purpose

-built

WHETSTONE GRANGE

Leicestershire

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

FOXBY HILL

Lincolnshire

SCALFORD COURT

Midlands

ORCHARD HOUSE

Lincolnshire

GET IN TOUCH

Due to huge demand, we urgently

require care homes throughout the

country, contact our Managing Director

Nick Greaves in confidence on:

07943 107 887

nick@ngacare.co.uk

ngacare.co.uk

business | opinion

Find your supplier

Bridgehead Communications’ latest care tech map has landed, an

infographic detailing suppliers providing software and digital solutions

dedicated to transforming the social care sector

The care sector is served

by dozens of different

software suppliers, offering

products that cover a range of

functions – from recruitment and

staff rostering to medicationsmanagement

and the handling of

medical records.

While this breadth of options is

undoubtedly a good thing, the care

tech landscape can be a confusing

one, even for experienced care

home managers. What’s more,

with the government now strongly

encouraging care providers to go

paperless, it has never been more

important to know your Birdies

from your Nourishes.

To help choose the most

appropriate offers from the

sector’s suppliers, Bridgehead

Communications has unveiled

Version 2.0 of its comprehensive

care tech map, featuring more than

50 providers. It has compiled an

infographic detailing the activities

of key players providing software and

other digital solutions dedicated to

transforming the social care sector.

The initiative aims to highlight a

wide range of innovative solutions that

enhance the consumer experience for

residents, their families and friends,

Supported Living and Home Care Management

Clinical operations

Care and Nursing Home Management

Clinical operations

Patient Communication Platform

W: www.bridgeheadcommunications.com/social-care

NON-Clinical operations

Care Matching

optimise care management for providers,

and support efficiency and productivity

across the sector.

The sector map includes 51 companies,

representing a broad spectrum of

technological advancements in social

care. Around half of the solutions covered

(49%) provide digital tools for better

NON-Clinical operations

Compliance and Auditing Specialists

Care Tech map 2024

Screening, Monitoring &

Telecare

Family Carers (Support

and Care Management)

A: Bridgehead Communications, Temple Chambers, 3-7 Temple Avenue, London EC4Y 0HP

T: +44 (0)203 4888 963

management of home care and supported

living, while around two-fifths (43%)

support management in care and nursing

homes in the UK.

The inclusion of seven non-UK

companies underscores how innovation

in the field of technology targeted at

the care sector is a global initiative, with

Will Walter

Commenting on the infographic, William Walter, managing director of

Bridgehead Communications, said: “I am excited to introduce version 2.0 of

our in-depth map of the care technology sector, which categorises 51 prominent

players in the field. At Bridgehead Communications, we are striving to establish

ourselves as the go-to partner for PR, marketing and thought leadership for social

care.

“The adult social care sector is set to become increasingly crucial in the UK

and across the developed world, with the demand for care services on the rise. It

is essential that we adopt solutions that not only enhance care outcomes but also

boost efficiency.

“Our map showcases the wide array of technologies available and by offering a

detailed snapshot of the leading companies and their solutions, we hope to help

care providers and policymakers in navigating this intricate ecosystem.”


representation from the US as well as

parts of mainland Europe, ranging from

the Netherlands to Norway.

Notably, the companies covered in the

analysis varied significantly in size and

the scope of their operations, ranging

from the likes of CareBuilder, which has

21 employees, to Alcove, which has just

under 100.

One of the companies featured most

extensively is Cera Care, which operates

in the home care field. Its platform’s

primary offering is its ability to match

clients with carers and to facilitate easier

and more direct communication between

care workers, clients and family members.

Another is the service Found by Lottie,

a cloud-based customer relationship

management software designed

specifically for the care industry. Found

by Lottie offers modular solutions

for managing enquiries, customer

relationships, occupancy, finance and

billing. It also partners with close to

1,000 care services, including Care

Concern and the Orders of St John

Care Trust.

Sam Lewis

Adding his insight, Caring Times editor Sam Lewis commented: “Bridgehead’s

care tech map is an invaluable asset for care providers across the UK, both in

domiciliary and residential care.

“I have been writing about social care for more than two years and have

developed relationships with many of the companies included in this map.

Nevertheless, it can still be difficult to keep track of the exact remit of each player,

and how they distinguish themselves from their competitors, due to the sheer

volume of companies in the sector and the many different functions they can have.

“Even the most seasoned care executive could no doubt use the map to find a

new partner to help them navigate the at times choppy waters of running an adult

social care business.

“Caring Times extends its thanks to Will and the team at Bridgehead for

distilling this information into such a digestible guide.”


business | leader's spotlight

A life in care

Caring Times editor Sam Lewis sits down with Hayden Knight, chief executive of Orchard

Care Homes, to discuss his five years at the helm of the dementia specialist care provider,

his 28 years in care, and his new appointment to the Care England policy board

Passionately good-willed, laidback

and open are not always

phrases that can be applied to

chief executives, especially when you

put them in a room with a journalist.

It comes as a very welcome relief, then,

to find Orchard Care Homes boss

Hayden Knight mercifully devoid of the

usual forced formality and corporatespeak

one might associate with most

business executives. Not to say he isn’t

professional or effective at his job –

quite the contrary – but in many ways

he seems to be the anti-chief executive:

relaxed, personable, opinionated and,

above all else, human. You could say that

speaking with him, compared to most

business leaders, is like Knight and day.

2024 has been something of a

milestone year for him. Knight joined

Care England’s policy board in August

– Martin Green’s approval marking a

greater testament to his character than

I could ever give – and in September

celebrated the fifth anniversary of his

becoming chief executive at Orchard.

When one takes a look at Knight’s

CV, his self-assured nature begins to

make sense. He entered the care sector

on 1 October 1996, 28 years ago this

month. The way he tells it, he had just

finished an engineering degree and

was working a “well-paid” but not

particularly satisfactory job in that field

when he decided to quit. Having worked

part-time in a care home while studying,

Knight knew where his heart really lay,

and he quickly found a role with Priory

Group, a company he would ultimately

stay with for 23 years, rising from a

humble support worker to managing

director, a title he assumed in 2017.

“I went back to care because it was

something I actually enjoyed,” he says.

“I think I was on about £3 an hour at

first, but I loved the job. That’s how my

adventure started. From there, I took

advantage of all the qualifications I was

offered and I progressed through the

ranks.”

Knight expresses his gratitude to

Priory Group for his time with them,

and for their willingness to “invest” in

him, without which he might never have

landed the Orchard role, first becoming

chief operating officer in May 2019, and

soon after chief executive in October of

that year.

Talking to him, it’s easy to see why he

was able to climb the ladder. His passion

for all aspects of care and business

shines through as he discusses Orchard’s

current health as a business, and how he

envisions its future trajectory.

“We’ve 23 homes currently,” he

explains, “but obviously our endeavour is

to be bigger.”

In describing Orchard’s current

position in the market, he says: “We

are a specialist dementia organisation,”

adding that “about 95%” of its residents

have some form of the condition.

On how it became known to the

Hayden Knight

public as ‘the dementia specialist’ in

social care, he reveals the company’s twopronged

approach. “One is our dementia

promise,” he reveals. “It’s not just a

dementia strategy that sits on a shelf. It’s

all-encompassing. It changes values and

behaviours, even in the way we articulate

how we support residents.”

Secondly, he cites Orchard’s

‘Reconnect communities’, designed

for those with more severe cases of

dementia. The company’s website says

the communities “allow for a more

“I think I was on

about £3 an hour

at first, but I loved

the job.

Fun at Thornton Hall


Art at Green Park

“I’d love to be

able to say all our

homes are rated

Outstanding.

That’s my dream.”

tailored, personal approach to dementia

care”, and “as the name suggests, help

people reconnect with their lives”.

“Sadly, sometimes there’s just nowhere

for people with high-acuity dementia

needs to be supported,” Knight says.

“Some of these people come to us from

failed placements. These communities

have really become the bedrock of

our dementia support system, and

the outcomes they are achieving are

phenomenal. We’ve just recently opened

our tenth Reconnect community, and

we’ve got plans to open far, far more in

the future.”

But expanding its dementia support

is not Orchard’s only goal. Knight is

keen to evolve into a business that caters

for other kinds of specialist elderly care

too. “If you look at the data,” he reveals,

“there is a great requirement for elderly

mental health provisions, for example,

because there’s just a lack of them.”

He goes on to mention that there is a

similar scarcity of services dealing in

older adults with Down’s syndrome and

learning difficulties. That passion shines

through when he says: “I really want to

move into that specialist space. There’s

a lot of specialist support for younger

adults, but not so much for the elderly.”

Sector struggles

It's not all looking to the future for

Orchard, though. Unfortunately,

the present is laden with the kind of

challenges that face most companies in

the sector.

“Obviously, people recruitment is a

challenge,” says Knight, “but fortunately,

when I say challenge, we’re actually

making good headway on that front.”

He goes on: “I’ve worked in the sector

for 28 years. In that time, recruiting and

retaining good staff has always been a

challenge. Always. Social care jobs are

seen as hard work, long hours and low

pay.” He laments: “It’s not recognised for

the skilled job it is, nor for how much it

gives back to the community.”

However difficult staffing has been in

the past, the last few years have proved

to be some of the worst ever for care

providers, and now the concern is the

lack of international staff coming to

the UK, a demographic upon which

the sector had heavily relied. In March,

changes to the Health and Care Worker

visa system meant that migrant workers

can no longer bring ‘dependants’ (family

members who rely on the worker

financially, such as children) to the

country, cutting the number of visas

given to health and care staff by more

than 80% year-on-year in the first three

months under this new stipulation.

“Yes, we have unfortunately seen

quite a drop-off in those applicants

from overseas,” says the chief executive.

“That has reduced quite a lot in the

last few months. We are still attracting

them, but not in the quantities we were

before.” Luckily, Knight says, Orchard

doesn’t have high staff turnover, and it is

managing to keep vacancy rates low.

The other thorn in his side has been

the much-publicised turmoil at health

and care regulator the Care Quality

Commission, but this is an area he

believes is improving slowly. “This

morning we had another inspection

report come in for one of our homes,” he

reveals with a smile. “We had been quite

concerned about how things would go

under the new inspection framework

– everybody was – but so far we’ve had

three inspections come in and all of our

homes remain Good-rated under the

new regime. The group is 100% CQCcompliant,

which is something we’re

really, really proud of.” Without missing

a beat, though, he goes on to add: “But >



> Good isn’t good enough, you know?

Now we are embarking on the road to

Outstanding. That’s our next endeavour.

I’d love to be able to say all our homes

are rated Outstanding. That’s my dream.

“Obviously that will take time,” he

concedes, “but if we’ve hit Good across

the board, I don’t see why every home

can’t attain Outstanding. Quality and

governance is very much the priority at

Orchard.”

When asked how the company

goes about not only maintaining but

improving its inspection ratings, Knight

says: “We have a very robust governance

structure and framework. We’re fully

digital, so we have access to numerous

kinds of data and information which

can prove very helpful. Perhaps most

important of all, we have some incredible

individuals in the business, not least the

specialists in our quality team.”

QMOs (or quality monitoring

officers), Knight explains, “go out to the

homes and do our mock inspections” in

a bid to prepare them for the real thing.

“For me, though,” he adds, “the silver

bullet, the reason we’ve achieved such

remarkably consistent ratings across

the board, is because we have a culture

of transparency, of trust and honesty.”

Without that transparency in business,

he claims, “you don’t always have

visibility of what’s going on, and where

improvements can be made.” Orchard’s

managers, he says, “know to speak up

when things aren’t quite right, and then

we get in there and rectify the problem

before it has a chance to escalate. It’s

all about trust and being a learning

organisation, because things do go

wrong in business – that’s a given – but

what’s important is how you act when

these things happen. It’s about having

the desire to admit your mistakes and

“We have 23 homes…

in the next five years

I’d like to double that

number.”

Professor Martin Green of Care England visits Middleton Lodge

Green Park intergenerational group

use them as a means to improve.”

On whether the CQC has been, at

times, frustrating to work with, Knight

admits: “Yes, towards the latter stages of

the previous CEO’s tenure it was getting

to be more and more challenging.

When they brought the portal out it

was disruptive to say the least. That

particular issue is starting to ease now,

but there’s a long way to go.”

Regarding the regulator he adds:

“They are making a lot of promises. I

suppose only time will tell if they can

deliver on them.” He remains sceptical,

however, adding that “if history tells

us anything, it’s that the CQC hasn’t

always been able to deliver on what

they’ve promised”.

Of course, the disorganisation and

lack of communication from the

inspectorate is often discussed in the

health and care sectors. What isn’t so

often talked about is the effect this has

on providers. Knight explains: “We need

to make sure that this regulator is futureproofed

and fit for purpose, because

at the moment it’s not delivering. This

also hampers our growth. We have to

respond to market demand, and right

now we are seeing a lot of demand for

nursing homes with clinical support. If

we wish to move forward and support

the community, we have to register a lot

of our properties as nursing homes and

we were getting pushed back and pushed

back by delays on the CQC’s end. It

was a completely fragmented process.

Urgent registration should be taking


leader's spotlight | business

Music therapy at Lofthouse Grange

place in nine to 12 weeks; we were

looking at nine to 12 months, which was

horrendous.

“Fortunately, things are settling. The

portal seems to be ticking along and

we are getting some responses back.

However, it was not a good time, and

it pulled us away from doing what we

should be doing, which is to focus on

outcomes for individuals.”

Care England

Fortunately, Knight is now in a position

to wield some influence at a legislative

level within the care sector thanks to

his new “supportive role” on the Care

England policy board. At the time of our

conversation, he is still keen to get stuck

into his work with the organisation,

but mentions that the areas he wants

to focus on in particular are “staffing,

regulation and funding”. He adds: “The

role is a privilege.”

As much as he relishes the work, he

knows that it will be an uphill battle.

No one knows better than Knight the

glacial pace at which politics can move.

Discussing the still relatively new Labour

government, he says: “I’ve been in the

sector, like I say, since 1996. I remember

Tony Blair coming in and he made all >



>

“I suppose in my work

here I’ve been giving

Orchard an identity.”

these promises about the care sector.

That was 28 years ago. Since then, we’ve

had seven prime ministers and we’re

still in exactly the same position, so

you’ll have to excuse me if I feel a little

sceptical towards any new government.

“I think the only person who made

some sort of strides, actually, was Boris

[ Johnson],” he goes on. “Not enough,

but he did start to move things forward.”

Looking back to the current Labour

administration, and justifying his

scepticism, he continues: “The reforms

were scrapped on day one. I knew that

was going to happen. We all did. If you

look at their policy around social care,

for example the National Care Service,

they’re making some big pledges but

there are no numbers in there, there’s

nothing to back it up. So everybody in

the sector is right to be a little dubious

and confused about exactly what

Labour’s intent is.

“Politicians just don’t seem to take

it seriously,” he adds. “It’s just wilful

blindness at this point, isn’t it? They

always want more for less. They want

higher quality and better outcomes,

like we all do, but they’re not giving us

anything with which to achieve that.”

He also laments what he labels a “lack

of consistency in approach” across the

country, claiming that working with

the many different local authorities and

integrated care boards up and down

England can be a challenge.

Knight also decries the recent

scrapping of the Winter Fuel Payment.

“That’s just going to drive up ill health

and drive more people into care homes,”

he says. “I understand that we have

some wealthy pensioners, but it should

be means-tested. It can’t just be a

blanket approach. Many of these older

people will get ill and will end up on

a hospital ward or in a care home, and

aside from anything, that won’t save the

government money.”

Regarding what, in an ideal world, he

Eckington Court - Nurse Jasmine

would like Labour to do about the sector,

Knight believes that there’s not enough

recognition for the role social care plays

in the overall health and care system. He

concludes: “Ultimately, I want equality.

Yes, the NHS is important, but without

our sector there is no NHS.”

Five years

When we discuss the fifth anniversary of

Knight’s taking over as chief executive at

Orchard, he looks wistful. “It’s gone very

fast,” he says. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

“Obviously we had the pandemic a

few months into my tenure, which really

tested my mettle. I suppose it tested all

of us – those that were new and those

who had been at the company for years –

but I’m very proud of what the company

did during those years.”

He adds with conviction, “I’ve got no

ambition or plans to move anywhere else

for the foreseeable future,” something

about which Orchard shareholders will

no doubt be happy.

Shareholders certainly cannot accuse

the chief executive of not dreaming big.

Looking ahead to the next five years,

he confirms: “It’s all about growth,

and further diversification into other

specialisms. Right now, we have 23

homes, but in the next five years I’d like

to double that number, if not more.”

Certainly not resting on its laurels,

Orchard has just opened its latest

dementia-specialist Reconnect

community at Langfield Care Home in

Middleton, Greater Manchester. “That’s

absolutely flying,” enthuses the chief

executive.

When asked if he has any other news

or announcements to share, Knight

once again bucks the trend of most

chief executives and corporate types.

Rather than mentioning another home

that Orchard has in the pipeline, or else

some new ESG programme, he chooses a

much more personal topic.

“There is some sad news for us,” he

reveals with genuine emotion. “Cheryl

Baird, our group director of quality,

has been with us for some time, but

unfortunately she will be leaving us

towards the end of the year.”

On Baird, who joined Orchard at

the outset of the pandemic, he goes on:

“She’s been absolutely instrumental in

the growth of Orchard and the stability

and quality we have achieved today,

as well as the specialism we deliver. It’s

truly a very sad day for Orchard, and

I wish her all the success in the world

moving forwards. She leaves a real legacy

behind.

“So, the search for her replacement is

ongoing, but we’ve got a fantastic team

I know I can rely on.” It is this sort of

sentiment, said with genuine feeling

behind it, that shows how Knight was

able to rise up the ranks at Priory and

later Orchard.

As we come to the conclusion of our

conversation, the chief executive says: “I

suppose in my work here I’ve been giving

Orchard an identity. Now Orchard is

known for being the specialist business

in dementia. You asked about my biggest

achievement in care, and I suppose you

could say that, in my 28 years, Orchard

itself is my biggest achievement.”



How much is spent on care?

New government data has revealed a 7% year-on-year increase

in adult social care spend by local authorities, a £1.5 billion rise

English local authorities spent

around £1.5 billion more on adult

social care in 2023-24 than in the

previous 12 months.

This comes via new UK government

data, which also showed that spend

on children's social care was up £821

million in the same period, an increase

of 6% for a total annual spend of £14.5

billion.

Adult social care spend was up 7%

year on year, for a total of £23.3 billion.

Including adult social care, children's

social care and housing services, local

authorities’ total net current service

expenditure was £123.4 billion in 2023-

24. In real terms, this was £2.8 billion

(2.4%) higher than in 2022-23, the

government revealed.

It also noted that local government

expenditure accounts for just under a

fifth of all government spending.

With regard to adult social care, the

government was able to reveal that the

spend increase was "largely due to a realterms

increase of £514 million (10.3%)

in physical support for those aged 65

and over, and of £434 million (6.8%)

in learning disability support for those

aged 18–64".

Total local

authority

expenditure

2022/23

- £120.6 billion

2023/24

- £123.4 billion

Up 2.4%

Sam Lewis, editor, Caring Times

Total adult

social care

expenditure

2022/23

- £21.8 billion

2023/24

- £23.3 billion

Up 7%

Total children’s

social care

expenditure

2022/23

- £13.7 billion

2023/24

- £14.5 billion

Up 6%

Caring Times editor Sam Lewis

commented: “How Keir Starmer's

incoming autumn budget will affect this in

2024-25 remains to be seen, as the prime

minister continues to hint that public

spending may take a hit.

“Nevertheless, these rising figures do

illustrate the difficult situation in which

the government finds itself, as increasingly

unrealistic sums of money are needed to

fund public services every year.”


Rising dementia costs

The Alzheimer's Society has shed light on the rising need for

dementia treatment and resources in society

surveys & data | business

A

series of reports commissioned

by the Alzheimer’s Society

has set out the economic and

healthcare effects of dementia.

The first part of the research showed

that the annual costs of dementia in the

UK, which stand at £42 billion today,

could rise to £90 billion by 2040.

The document also shows the role

that early diagnosis and symptomatic

treatment play in reducing system

pressures and decreasing the likelihood

of crisis for people living with dementia.

A post on the Alzheimer's Society’s

website says: "Suboptimal diagnosis,

treatment, care and support results

in a worse experience for individuals

and means that dementia has a

disproportionate impact on the

healthcare system, with its impact set

to increase significantly as prevalence

grows."

It goes on to explain that the rise of

dementia means that, by 2040, there

will 6.9 million additional primary

care contacts associated with dementia,

requiring an estimated 1.7 million more

hours of primary care time.

People with undiagnosed dementia

attend A&E on average 1.5 times a year,

which is higher than attendances for

diagnosed mild, moderate and severe

dementia patients, and three times

higher than attendances for patients

without dementia.

Early diagnosis, treatment and

support is essential to help people with

dementia navigate the health system

better. However, spending on diagnosis

and treatment is equivalent to just 1.4%

of total dementia healthcare costs. By

contrast, unplanned hospital admissions

make up almost a third of all dementia

healthcare costs.

Meanwhile, almost one in six hospital

beds today are occupied by someone

living with dementia, with the number

of bed days for dementia patients

expected to increase over time, growing

from 20,500 beds this year to 29,400

beds by 2040.

By 2040, 6.9 million additional

primary care contacts, such as GP

appointment, will be required each year,

representing a 43% increase on current

2024 activity.

The report showed how, through

early intervention and treatments

such as cognitive stimulation therapy,

AChE inhibitors and memantine, many

people with dementia could lead more

comfortable lives, and the health and

social care system could save a significant

amount of its annual dementia

expenditure.

£42

billion

The annual cost

of dementia to

the UK

£90

billion

The projected

annual cost of

dementia to the

UK in 2040

One

in six

Number of hospital

beds occupied by

someone with dementia

20,500

- number of beds needed

for dementia in 2024

29,400

- number of beds needed

for dementia by 2040



Care must be more data-savvy

Claire Smout, Skills for Care’s head of digital skills, discusses the organisation’s

‘Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care’ and how it is using data to support

better learning and development outcomes

This month I will talk about

how the ‘Workforce Strategy

for Adult Social Care’, which

launched in July, is using data to

help us push for better learning and

development outcomes across the adult

social care sector.

Data is crucial to enabling us to

understand and frame the challenges

that our sector faces. One of those

challenges is that we are living longer

– the number of people aged over 65

is expected to grow by almost a third

in the next decade. This means we may

need 540,000 new social care posts by

2040. The number of people aged 18

to 64 with a learning disability, mental

health need or a physical disability is also

projected to increase over this period.

In addition to this growing need

for social care services, we also have

difficulties attracting and retaining

staff. In 2023-24, there were 131,000

vacancies on any given day, which is a

vacancy rate of 8.3% – around three

times the average for the economy. Over

a quarter of people leave their jobs in

care each year and around a third of

them leave the sector altogether. The

high attrition rate in many social care

jobs greatly compounds the challenge of

a growing demand for services.

What does this data mean for our

learning and development requirements

in the near future? Well, we know

that people with a relevant social care

qualification have a significantly lower

turnover rate (26.5% versus 37% for

those holding no relevant qualifications),

while those receiving regular training in

their role also have a lower turnover rate

(31.6%) than those who don’t (40.6%).

This makes learning and development

one of the key levers for driving the

change we need to see in retention rates

to address the forecasted increase in

need for social care services.

The strategy has a huge amount to

say in terms of what can be done to

offer people the training opportunities

they need to remain within the sector

and provide us with the highest

standard of care, with more than 20

recommendations made within its ‘train’

section.

However, the strategy recognises not

only the crucial nature of data in helping

us understand our needs for the future,

but in the development of the sector

in general. Data skills are noted as an

important area of growth for adult social

care, with multiple recommendations

highlighting that we need to bring more

data and digital talent into our sector if

we’re to deliver the best care possible.

These include:

• The Association of Colleges and the

Association of Employment and

Learning Providers should support

the higher education sector to offer

programmes on the use of digital, data,

technology and artificial intelligence

in social care (plans should be

developed early next year).

• Develop a strategy to improve

continual professional development

and supervision to grow the workforce

through degrees, enhanced and

advanced apprenticeships, and

maximising the benefits and impact

of assistive technology, data and AI

through innovation, leadership and

training.

The strategy leans heavily on data

to illustrate how critical learning and

development opportunities are if

we’re to shape a positive future for our

sector, in addition to recognising the

importance of growing adult social

care’s current data skillset. I’m excited

to see the benefit that an increased use

of data and development of data skills

within adult social care will bring to

those working in the sector and being

supported by it.


care

34 REACTION

Social care leaders react to

Lord Darzi’s review of the

healthcare system

37 LEADER’S SPOTLIGHT

Charlotte Goddard interviews Oakminster

Care founder and chief executive Sunita

Poddar

42 MANAGER’S GUIDE TO…

The importance of monitoring

temperatures in care settings

44 EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Meet Adrian Riley, head chef at Boutique

Care Homes’ Suffolk-based Brampton

Manor

care | activities news

Creative Caring

As always, carers have been demonstrating their creativity

through fun and innovative events for their residents

Delightful donkeys

Residents of dementia care home

Camelot House and Lodge in

Wellington, Somerset, were delighted

to receive a visit from donkeys Charlie

and Flora, accompanied by handler Kelly

Baker of Kelly’s Donkeys. “Many of the

ladies and gents who live with us have

farming connections, and they were so

happy to be able to be so close to Charlie

and Flora, to stroke them and smell their

lovely smell,” said Sam Paddon, head of

care at Camelot House and Lodge. The

donkeys wear specially designed nappies

and are trained to use the lift or stairs.

Wall of sound

Ashlynn Grange Care Home in

Peterborough has introduced a Musical

Wall. Ashlynn Grange’s lifestyles team

transformed an old wooden pallet,

adorning it with a variety of instruments

crafted from unconventional materials

such as metal pans, bells and a washboard.

Residents contributed by painting the

pallet in bright, cheerful colours.

Beautiful game

Cardinals in the Community, the

charitable arm of Woking Football Club,

is delivering weekly exercise and team

building sessions to residents at Friends

of the Elderly’s Bernard Sunley care home

in the town. Activities include skittles,

bowling, throwing bean bags magnetic

darts and of course football. The exercises

and games are tailored to help with hand

and eye co-ordination, dexterity, balance

and flexibility.

Global grub

Residents of The DurhamGate care

home in Spennymoor, County Durham,

and their families and friends have been

‘visiting’ different countries from the

comfort of their home, by taking part in

themed cuisine and cultural experiences

from around the world. Head chef Karl

Aylward’s dishes from across the globe

have included French crêpes, Italian

lasagna and tiramisu, Spanish tapas, and

Greek beef stifado and spanakopita.

Peaceful painting

Residents of St George's Court

Care Home in Cambridge enjoyed

a multisensory painting session

accompanied by soothing sounds of

nature, floral scents from a diffuser, and

drinks and snacks. The event, which

started with a short breathing exercise and

guided hand movements, was held during

National Relaxation Day. A practice

painting aimed to ensure everyone could

test out the different brush types and

techniques before starting on their larger

canvas piece.

Dog days

HC-One’s Victoria Mews care home in

Coventry celebrated International Dog

Day by honouring year-old Shorkie (Shih

Tzu and Yorkshire terrier) Geraldine, who

frequently visits the home. Geraldine,

who’s owned by manager Michael David,

has a positive effect on the wellbeing of

staff and residents alike. “When staff are

feeling stressed or low, they will often take

five minutes out with the dog, and this

picks them back up,” said David.

Nailed it

Wendy Benson, wellbeing co-ordinator

at HC-One’s Silverwood care home in

Rotherham, has been learning how to do

manicures, to the enjoyment of residents

who love to try out her colours and

designs. Those using the home’s hair and

beauty salon also benefit from the skills of

hairdresser Pam Hawksworth. A record

player provides background music, with

residents picking the songs they enjoy.

Classic cars

MHA Ty Gwyn in Penarth arranged a

classic car show for residents, with four

cars brought to the care home including

a Morris 1000 Traveller (1967) and an


activities news | care

Austin 1300 (1972). Mary- Anne Rawle,

activities coordinator, said: “Some of our

residents are very knowledgeable when it

comes to cars and they were very happy

to see them. The cars would have been

very popular when our residents were car

owners.”

Volunteer vehicles

Haughgate House Care Home in

Woodbridge, Suffolk, part of the

Healthcare Homes Group, hosted a

visit from Service by Emergency Rider

Volunteers Motorbikes, a charity that

transports blood, medical supplies, and

equipment to hospitals. Residents had the

chance to get up close to vehicles which

play a crucial role in saving lives. A local

police office also attended the event with

his police motorbike.

Wedding bells

Daniela Danciulescu, manager of

Hamberley Care Homes’ Brookwater

House in Enfield, London, acted as

officiant for team members Mihai and

Lavinia Marcu, who ‘got married’ at the

care home. The couple’s official wedding

took place in Romania, but the care

home celebration event included a cake

prepared by the home chef, bridesmaids

and residents lining up with flower

hairbands.

Canine capers

Lofthouse Grange & Lodge Care Home

in West Yorkshire, part of the Orchard

Care Homes group, invited members

of the local community bring along

their talented dogs to take part in a fun

canine obstacle course. Residents cheered

each dog through the tunnels and over

obstacles, and made treats to reward them

for their efforts. The dog show was part

of a summer fete which included musical

performances, stalls and fun activities.

Fun in the sun

Residents at Valentine House care home

in Silver End, Essex enjoyed a sunny

afternoon for their annual Garden Party

and Fun Day. Residents and guests

entered the large, secluded garden at the

rear of the home through a balloon arch

and enjoyed a barbecue, party games,

entertainment and an opportunity to

meet and chat with other families and

friends of relatives plus the staff from the

home.

Meditation in motion

Meadowbrook, a new Connaught Care

luxury care home in Bishop’s Stortford,

Hertfordshire, has launched a tai chi

and mindfulness programme to boost

the physical and mental wellbeing

of residents. During weekly classes,

participants learn workouts aimed at

improving their balance, flexibility and

resilience. In the first class, residents were

taught basic exercises including neck

rolls, shoulder shrugs, ankle rotations, leg

stretches and other low-impact activities.

Food for thought

Kind-hearted residents at 21 care homes

across the South helped gather food items

to support families in need. All Colten

Care homes took part in collections and

other activities to mark National Food

Bank Day on Friday 6 September. As he

helped sort through and pack items at

Avon Cliff in Bournemouth, resident

Derek Parker said: “I’m so pleased to

be able to support a very worthy cause.

I’m hoping all will go well and our

contribution will make a difference.”

Firefighter

Milton Grange Care Home in Carluke,

Lanarkshire, has a new fire warden,

90-year-old Jenny Wilson. Jenny, who

moved into the Popular Care home last

year, has quickly become an integral part

of the community, bringing her warmth,

cheerfulness, and a passion for knitting to

the home. Home manager Alice Karran

said: "Jenny's appointment as fire warden

is a testament to our commitment to

empowering our residents and making

them feel valued and integral to our

community.”

Alice in Wonderland

Residents at Butterfly Lodge Nursing

Home in Plymouth enjoyed an Alice in

Wonderland themed ‘dementia day’ put

on by popular local pub The Anchorage.

Sarah McCaffrey, deputy manager

of the Camelot Care home, regularly

brings a group of residents to the pub for

drinks and lunch. She said: “We really

appreciate being able to make a booking

for our group and know that they will be

able to relax and enjoy themselves, with

their special needs being catered for in a

friendly and caring fashion.”


care | manager in focus

10 questions with…

We speak with Alex Teixeira, home manager at Four Seasons Health Care’s

Kingston Care Home in Surrey

ensure the ‘golden years’ of our elderly

population are lived to the full. With the

right levels of care and support in place,

every day can be fulfilling.

What in your opinion makes a great

care worker?

Someone that takes the time to really

get to know their residents so they can

deliver truly individual care. They are

compassionate, professional, creative,

enthusiastic, relish a challenge and

are a ray of sunshine who brightens

up everyone’s day. They are up to date

with all the training provided and

support other team members to deliver

outstanding care.

Alex Teixeira

Why did you join the social care sector?

Because of my mum. She inspired me

to become a nurse and her kindness

towards others made me the person I

am today. In addition, I felt inspired to

pursue management due to my dad. He

has worked in management since his early

career and his dedication, persistence and

resilience when facing problems makes

him one of my role models.

I joined Brighterkind, part of Four

Seasons Health Care Group, in 2014

and worked in Scotland as a registered

nurse. I later moved to London and

started working at Kingston Care Home,

as deputy manager and progressed to be

the home manager in 2022.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Making a difference every day. My door

is always open and what makes my day

the best is when a relative visits and

tells me that their loved one looks so

well since they moved into our home,

and that the team are doing a great

job. I also love seeing the joy on our

residents’ faces when they get involved

in the activities we arrange as part of our

‘Magic Moments’ programme. Whether

it’s an exercise session, a visit from our

local school pupils, a trip out and about,

or a good old-fashioned singalong on a

wet afternoon, getting everyone together

for fun and friendship always makes me

happy.

Who is your social care hero and why?

I’ve got so many. When I joined Four

Seasons, my manager was an inspiration

and invested trust in me to develop and

become my best. My regional support

manager, who supported the blossoming

of my management skills and my

regional manager who always points me

in the right direction. Everyone is a hero

in this industry, and I wouldn’t be who I

am without the support of everyone who

I’ve had the pleasure to work with over

the years.

What’s the one thing you would

change about social care?

I would change the investment and

importance placed on social care. It

needs more funding so we can help

everyone who needs our support and

What do you do when life all gets a bit

too much?

I would enjoy some quality time with

my family or go for a walk with my dog.

If the weather is awful, we’d cuddle up

on the sofa with a nice film and a fleece

blanket.

What advice would you give your

younger self ?

Don’t overthink too much and enjoy

the ride. Life can be hard at times, but

you will remain resilient after every

challenge.

Which three famous people would you

have to dinner and why?

I would say Meryl Streep, Nicole

Kidman and Jane Fonda. I adore their

roles as actresses and we would have fun

chatting over dinner.

What three items would you bring

with you on a desert island?

A knife, a rope and a flashlight. This

would put my survival skills to the test,

for sure.

What is your secret talent?

I would say my ability of having

conversations in my head in two

different languages (I’m Portuguese). I

also do my own French manicures, and I

can mimic a kitten calling out.


The clock is ticking

care for tomorrow | care

Stephanie Nimmo, communications and engagement lead for the Digitising

Social Care programme, explains how to make the most of your digital care tech

– and to make the switch while funding is still available

My favourite thing about

my job is getting out and

about and hearing from

the amazing people who work in

adult social care. We launched our

‘Clock is Ticking’ campaign in spring,

highlighting the benefits of switching

from paper to digital social care records

(DSCRs) and the need to secure

funding while it lasts. This month we’re

on the road again at the Care Show

in Birmingham, and we’ll be asking

delegates two questions: have you made

the switch, and are you making the

most of it?

We weren’t all born into a world

where we touched the screen of a

digital device before we took our first

step. When I got my first smartphone

I was pressed for time, juggling work

and family and, frankly, bamboozled.

I didn’t have the time or energy to

make the most of it. I used to liken it

to having a Michelin-starred chef in my

kitchen and asking for beans on toast.

But eventually I started to explore the

phone’s functions and uses and now,

like most of us, go into minor panic

when I can’t locate it within about 30

seconds.

Judging by the conversations I’ve had

with many of the leaders and colleagues

in adult social care, their experience

with setting up digital social care

records is not dissimilar. Once they

have researched, selected and adopted

a digital social care record solution,

and then trained staff to get it up and

running, they don’t always have the

time or resource to explore each and

every function available.

Of course, the majority of suppliers

will guide providers through their

solution and all that it can do. You can

find the Digitising Social Care (DiSC)

programme’s list of assured solutions

on our website. But it can take time to

explore how the additional functions

can offer additional support to you,

your team and, most importantly, the

people in your care and their families.

Using a ‘family portal’ function

allows families to stay up to date on

everything, from personal care and

medical support, to daily mood and

emotional wellbeing. Recent research

has shown this is one of the biggest

priorities for registered managers, staff

and families. Keeping in touch with

care delivery digitally, for example

through a mobile app, means family

members can check in at any time and

from anywhere, to see how their loved

one is doing.

Access to vital medical information

through digital social care records

has also been revolutionary for care

teams. The GP Connect function

allows appropriate staff in Care Quality

Commission-registered care providers

access to a restricted view of a person’s

GP record, ensuring they have up-todate

information to support the delivery

of safe, person-centred care and includes

real-time information about medication

changes. It’s been nothing short of

“amazing” according to one care home

owner and registered nurse manager.

Staff have started using the voice-totext

function in many digital social care

record solutions. This offers a double

benefit: up-to-the-minute, on-the-spot

record-keeping and care planning, as

opposed to a pile of paperwork to deal

with at the end of a shift, with extra

time saved from not having to type in

the information. This has also proved

to be hugely valuable for care staff with

neurodiversity, allowing them to dictate

observations and plans directly into

their mobile device instead of trying to

structure a written update.

Introducing digital champions into

your organisation can be a great way

not only to support the wider team to

work with new digital solutions, but to

explore those tools to make sure you’re

using them to their fullest potential.

See DiSC’s guidance on digital

champions on our website.

Wherever you are on your journey

to digital, as well as making sure you’re

getting the best out of the technology,

make sure you’re getting the best out of

funding and support. Funding won’t be

around forever, so make the most of it

while you can. Reach out to your local

team to find out how the process works

in your area.


care | nhs investigation

Industry reacts to Darzi

In the wake of the Darzi report, or ‘The Independent Investigation of the National

Health Service in England’, the health and social care sector has come out in full force

to back many of the document’s findings

Martin Green, chief executive of

Care England

“Ministers must recognise that investing

in and reforming social care is not just

a separate issue. it is integral to the

survival and success of the NHS. Right

now, 13% of NHS beds are occupied

by patients awaiting social care support.

These delays are not just numbers; they

represent people who deserve timely care

in the right setting. Until we address this

backlog in social care, we will continue

to see pressure mount on hospitals and

the NHS.

“We are ready to engage with the

government and offer solutions. The

expertise exists within social care to

contribute to reform for both the NHS

and social care, and we are ready, able

and willing to be part of the solution

development and not just participate

in a box-ticking consultation. Now is a

critical moment for change.

“Instead of excessive oversight that

has failed to deliver, the focus should

be on front line care for individuals and

communities. We need to streamline,

remove barriers, and prioritise real

solutions – not layers of ineffective

bureaucratic regulation.

“With unprecedented transparency

in the analysis provided in [the] report,

the path forward is clearer than ever.

If the government and its departments

can work at this speed to produce such

comprehensive data, they can certainly

accelerate the changes we urgently need

for social care. Now is the time for bold

decisions and meaningful action.”

Vic Rayner, chief executive of the

National Care Forum

“As Lord Darzi has highlighted, it will

be impossible to fix the broken NHS

without high-quality social care. He

rightly points out that social care ‘is a

vital service in its own right, helping

people with disabilities, and all of us we

age, to lead full and independent lives

for as long as possible’, but this value has

simply not been recognised, nor has it

been invested in.

“Without high-quality adult social

care, it will be impossible to sustain

economic growth, tackle inequalities or

deal with wider issues in public services

– and ultimately, enable people to live

their lives to the full.

“We now need to see positive action

on adult social care. In the past few days

we have heard some welcome statements

from the government about the need to

grapple with the immediate challenges

as well as the long-term ones. There is

time, political capital, and the expertise

of a united social care sector to make

this happen. We urge the government

to chart a course with adult social care

at its centre and we stand ready to

help transform adult social care for the

millions who work in it and most vitally,

draw upon it.”

Jane Townson, chief executive of

the Homecare Association

“Lord Darzi’s review starkly illustrates

the challenges facing our healthcare

system. The findings resonate deeply

with what we in the home care sector

have long observed and advocated for.

The shift towards community-based care

is not just desirable; it’s essential for the

sustainability of our health services and

the wellbeing of our nation.

“Home care plays a key role in

preventing hospital admissions and

readmissions, and reducing delayed

discharges. With 13% of hospital beds

occupied by people waiting for social

care, it’s clear that investing in our sector

can contribute directly to reducing

waiting lists for NHS treatment. Our

report offers suggestions for improving

the hospital discharge process, from the

perspective of home care providers.

“We urge policymakers to

pay attention to Lord Darzi’s

recommendations and invest in

community services, particularly

home care. By doing so, we can help

to reduce demand for costly NHS

services, increase efficiency and improve

outcomes.”

Sarah Woolnough, chief

executive of The King’s Fund

“This review is an authoritative and

sobering articulation of what patients

have been telling us for some time –

services are stretched to breaking point

and people are losing faith that support

will be there when they need it.

“The review is more than just a gloomy

assessment of how long it will take to

recover services, it is a mandate for

government to take bold, decisive action.

“The biggest improvements to health

and care in this country will come from

prioritising services outside of hospital.

That means greater investment in the


nhs investigation | care

primary and community services that

support people before they end up

needing hospital treatment. It means

political focus on public health strategies

that keep people healthy and prevent

illness in the first place. And it means

finally getting to grips with the muchneeded

reform of adult social care.

“Lord Darzi’s review also underscores

the need to move beyond past lazy

criticism regarding the value of NHS

managers and instead recognise that

implementing major improvement to

the health service requires investment in

high-quality leaders.

“Ministers now face tough tradeoffs

between tackling immediate NHS

pressures or prioritising reform of the root

causes of the crisis. [The] review makes

clear that incremental improvement

will not do – radical change is needed.

The task is not simply to prop the NHS

back up; it is to create a new approach to

health and care in this country.”

Thea Stein, chief executive of the

Nuffield Trust

“Lord Darzi’s damning report underlines

the stark realities experienced across

almost every corner of the health

service. Wide-ranging problems have

been growing in plain sight for years

and Darzi’s impressively comprehensive

assessment will be familiar to anyone

who has studied or experienced the slow

deterioration of health care provision in

England.

“While not surprising, the report’s

findings are deeply troubling. As our

research work has repeatedly shown, too

often the NHS is not able to provide

people with the timely care they need,

despite steadfast public commitment

to the core principles of the health

service. The impacts of this are not felt

equally: people in the poorest areas

are particularly struggling to access

healthcare.

“The big question now is what

happens next.

“The government has an early

opportunity to make good on longargued

points on dysfunctional NHS

funding in its first budget. The health

service is staring down the barrel of

a significant shortfall in funding this

current year and the chancellor will need

to set out clear plans to tackle this, ahead

of a longer-term funding settlement.

“Rightly, the report repeatedly

references the interrelated,

compounding pressures of the desperate

state of social care and cuts to public

health provision. But by design it does

not dig into those issues. In future,

we hope to see serious work by the

government to address those broader

societal issues that determine population

health and impact health care access.

“Ultimately, Lord Darzi’s diagnostic

report sets out important aspirations to

be delivered in the forthcoming 10-year

plan to treat – and fix – the NHS. But

the improvements we all hope for – and

that patients desperately need – will take

time, commitment and major financial,

practical and system-wide support. There

will be no quick fixes.”

Kathryn Smith, chief executive

of the Social Care Institute for

Excellence

“Although focused on the problems

facing the NHS, the Darzi Review

strengthens the case for acting on social

care reform sooner rather than later. The

Review lays bare the critical and longstanding

issues facing both the NHS

and the social care system, from service

fragmentation and underfunding to

inefficiencies and an ageing population.

To resolve the NHS’s long waiting times

and improve healthcare outcomes, we

need to consider patient pathways across

health and social care systems as a whole.

“Lord Darzi’s analysis recognises

that health and social care cannot

function effectively in silos; they are

interdependent. Enabling people of

all ages, not just older people, to live

independently, manage long-term

conditions and relieve the pressure on

finite NHS and emergency services

are goals of both systems. Without

a coordinated approach, people will

continue to face under-met and unmet

care needs, and family carers will remain

overstretched.

“Waiting for government action and

investment on social care may prove to

be a false economy. Social care must be

treated as an equal partner to the NHS,

and we must leverage opportunities now

for upstream prevention, new models of

community care and digital innovation.

The NHS 10-year plan has an important

role to play in reimagining both our future

national health system and social care.

“This is a vital moment for the future

of care in the UK – one we cannot afford

to miss. We look forward to working

closely with government and health

and care partners as future plans for the

NHS and a National Care System take

shape.”


care | care for tomorrow

Put the ‘social’ into social care

Rob Martin, managing director of care services at later-life care and housing

provider Anchor, explains the benefits of digital social care planning

We can talk about change

in terms of evolution and

revolution, and digital

technology has been a revolution for

industries across the board – arguably,

none more so than social care. When

you dig deeper into this revolution, one

of the key ways digital care planning

is changing the face of social care is

through its ability to bring the ‘personal’

back to care.

We know the incredible people that

make up our industry are passionate

about their jobs because they truly care.

I’ve experienced this personally, having

started my career in care as a registered

manager after serving in the Royal

Artillery for almost seven years.

Rolling out a digital care planning

programme enables carers to spend more

time doing the part of the job they love

the most – building relationships with

residents and providing exceptional faceto-face

support that helps them live life

to the full.

Moving to a digital system and

capturing information in real-time, as

opposed to filling out paperwork after

the event, not only unlocks more time

for person-centric care, but also the

ability to build a deeper understanding

of residents, with this knowledge being

readily available for all team members.

We can instantly access and log their

likes, dislikes, wellbeing, what’s going

well and what hasn’t been so successful,

as well as the health-related details, so

that we can create a stronger connection

with our residents.

Having access to this vital information

at the touch of a button makes social

care seamless, eases the burden on

colleagues, and ensures targeted care

for those who need it. By implementing

electronic administration systems,

medical records can be updated, accessed

and shared efficiently. In doing so, the

risk of human error is minimised and

the inefficiencies associated with paperbased

systems are effectively reduced.

Remote monitoring tools and

wearable technology can also be used

to detect noise levels, alert colleagues,

and monitor a patient’s health data in

real-time. Vital signs like heart rate,

sleep patterns and mobility can be

continuously monitored and flagged

for any concerning changes. These

technologies can even identify patterns

and trends in a person’s health, which

could help predict future requirements

and allow carers to put in preventative

measures, particularly when it comes to

things like falls prevention, monitoring

dementia symptoms and maintaining

dignity with less intrusive care

throughout the night.

Crucially, embracing technology

in social care locations will

strengthen relationships with

hospitals and GPs, as well as

with loved ones.

By being able to use tech

with the resident’s consent,

loved ones can access real-time

information and stay informed

about how they’re doing. The

beauty of this is that face-toface

visits then don’t need to

include extensive time getting

an update from a carer but

can provide more quality time

with their loved ones.

At Anchor, we’ve seen a

transformational change by

moving from an analogue

Rob Martin

approach to digital – both for residents

and colleagues. Our revolutionary

digital care planning project enables

colleagues to capture key information

more quickly and efficiently on handheld

devices at the time of delivering care

to residents. This ensures much more

detailed information on residents and

their wellbeing is recorded to enhance

the quality of care.

It also enables us to see trends in the

organisation on a micro and macro level

as we can capture a much richer level of

data than ever before. We have a clearer

oversight of what’s working on a broader

scale across the organisation and can

adapt accordingly.

Another benefit is that it’s more

environmentally friendly as it

significantly reduces the amount of

physical paperwork.

We’re at the beginning of what will

be truly possible with digital innovation

in social care. As tech in care continues

to evolve, the potential applications

are boundless. By adopting the right

technology, the sector can enhance

accessibility, improve communication

and offer personalised, data-driven care.

Digital technology is not simply a

tool for improvement in the social care

sector, it’s a pathway to transformation.

I’m certainly excited to be part of that

journey and to see where it takes us.


Charlotte Goddard talks to Oakminster Healthcare founder and chief executive

Sunita Poddar about the family business she now runs

leader's spotlight | care

A business built from scratch

Newly married to her structural

engineer husband, Sunita

Poddar arrived in the UK

unable to speak English and with no

qualifications. Today, she is the founder

and chief executive of a group of five care

homes in the Glasgow area, employing

more than 350 staff and caring for more

than 380 residents. She has achieved

this, she says, while consistently being

underestimated as a professional woman.

“I came to this county in 1977 as

a very young bride,” she says. “It was

challenging, as people would not take

me seriously, as a young girl in a sari

running a business.” Poddar learned

English by working in a grocery which

was owned by her brother and sisterin-law.

Her entrepreneurial streak was

evident from the start, as she moved on

to lease a petrol station in 1981 which

she ran until 1987, introducing profitmaking

innovations including a couple

of pressure washers and a video club.

In 1984, Poddar took her first steps

into the care sector when her fatherin-law,

a GP, suggested this would be a

better fit with family life. She purchased

a 12.5% share in a 23-bed care home in

Prestwick, Ayrshire. The property was

bought and converted in partnership

with existing care home owners, friends

of her father-in-law.

The next few years saw Poddar

immersing herself in the business from

the bottom up. “I followed everybody

around making sure I understood what

“Once Poddar felt

comfortable that

she understood the

business, it was time to

strike out on her own

and launch what was

to become Oakminster

Healthcare.”

Sunita Poddar

happens,” she says. “When you are

looking after vulnerable people, you

want to make sure you understand their

needs and requirements, so instead of

being the boss I was a handyman, going

to the cash and carry, making sure the

laundry is running fine, making sure the

kitchen is running fine, just learning the

ropes.”

Once Poddar felt comfortable that she

understood the business, it was time to

strike out on her own and launch what

was to become Oakminster Healthcare.

“In 1986 my husband and I saw a

building run by the Department for

Work and Pensions in Kinning Park,

and I said I think we should get that and

open another care home in Glasgow,”

she says. “Our partners looked at the

building and said you are mad, you can’t

convert this building into a care home,

but I believed in it, and we took a risk.”

Paying for the investment with a 100%

bank loan, Poddar opened Kinning Park

Care Home, a 30-bed home offering

nursing, residential, dementia, palliative,

end of life, respite and intermediate care.

It has its own luxury Italian café, as well

as a cinema.

While people are more open-minded

than they were back in the 1980s and

1990s, Poddar still finds that she is

underestimated. “When you go to big

corporate events and meetings, they see

you in a sari, they look at you and say

‘what does she know, why is she here?’,”

she says. “In the past I had to prove

myself every step of the way. There is a

better understanding now, in the 80s

and 90s there were not that many Indian

women in business, but there are people

still out there who will judge you.”

Poddar aims to use her position and

experience to support other women to

succeed in the sector and in business

in general. While the care sector

workforce is predominantly female,

men are disproportionately highly >


care | leader's spotlight

>

“Develop your

emotional intelligence,

understand your

sector and people’s

mindsets, how to work

with them. It is about

clear communication –

lead with purpose.”

represented in senior management

roles (31% of senior management roles

are occupied by men, compared with

19% of the workforce in general in

England, according to Skills for Care).

“I am thankful that I am able to inspire

other girls and women,” she says. “I feel

that every empowered woman should

empower 10 other women, then they

have lived their lives. I tell women it’s up

to you, you have the power within you,

all you need is someone to tell you that

you can do it.”

What advice would Poddar give to a

young woman starting out today, who

aspires to follow in her footsteps and

open a care home, or group of homes?

“The biggest thing is self-belief,” she

states. “If I could do it then, you can do

it now. You need to have a career vision

and think about what you want to do.

If you fail first time don’t give up, keep

doing it until you get there. Not being

successful the first time doesn’t mean it

is failure, it just means you have more

experience to do it better the next time.”

Being a leader in the care sector means

advocating for yourself and others,

she says. “Develop your emotional

intelligence, understand your sector and

people’s mindsets, how to work with

them. It is about clear communication –

lead with purpose.”

Oakminster is currently in a stage of

consolidation, with no immediate plans

to expand further. “We are fortunate

with an excellent team that works

tirelessly to ensure the wellbeing of our

residents and staff remains our priority,”

says Poddar. “The care sector is under

immense pressure to do ‘more for less’

and our immediate plans are to maintain

the status quo.”

Oakminster has recently drastically

reduced its use of agency workers,

although recruitment and retention

remain a challenge for the sector – and

for business in general, following Brexit

and Covid, says Poddar. “Retention is a

high priority for us and we are investing

a lot of money in staff training,” she

says. “We were using a lot of agency

staff as after Covid we lost a lot of team

members; people left because they didn’t

want to work in the care sector any more.

But 90% of our staff are now employed

by the company, and that helps to provide

the standards of care that we want to

deliver. We try to ensure the staff team

understands we value them and they feel

they have ownership – when that happens

99% of your problems go away.”

Having run care homes since the

1980s, Poddar has seen a lot of changes.

One of the biggest is the increase in

residents with more complex needs. “In

the past people over 65 would just come

in and admit themselves because they

could no longer live alone; there were

not that many assessments,” she says.

“Now we are assessing people’s physical

and mental needs, and they are coming

into care much frailer, it is not just about

basic nursing anymore.”

Because of this, the government needs

to look at increasing funding for social

care and primary care to reduce pressure

on the NHS, she believes. “Basic nursing

is fine but if people are coming with

complex needs the funding needs to

come with that. At the moment the

government is demanding a five-star

service for two-star money, and in fact

we are trying to provide seven-star care

for two-star money.”


“Basic nursing is fine

but if people are coming

with complex needs

the funding needs to

come with that. At the

moment the government

is demanding a fivestar

service for two-star

money, and in fact we

are trying to provide

seven-star care for twostar

money.”

Another change Poddar would like

to see is a more productive relationship

between home care and care homes.

“In my opinion there is huge potential

for care homes and care at home to

collaborate to meet the needs of people

in our communities. I firmly believe

this would reduce and prevent hospital

admissions,” she says. “However,

bureaucracy and regulations prevent us

from exploring opportunities, not to

mention funding.”

Oakminster Healthcare has two

intermediate care units that support

patients who are discharged from

rehabilitation before they go back to

their own home, or have a period of

assessment before being transferred to

more suitable accommodation such as

sheltered housing.

But is the government listening to the

care sector? “I am a member of Scottish

Care, and Scottish Care has become a

voice to talk to the government, but so

far I haven’t seen any changes, so I don’t

know whether they are listening or not,”

says Poddar. “It’s important that people

who are working in care homes, in social

care, are listened to and their views

taken on board, hopefully we can bring

positive changes to the sector.”

“I never had a dream to be a big

businesswoman, the chief executive of

a company employing so many people

and providing care to so many people,”

she concludes. “It wasn’t a plan, it is just

my work that has put me here. I still feel

that I haven’t done enough, there is so

much more I can do. The journey is still

ongoing so let’s see where it takes me.”


care | management

Outstanding leadership

Beverley Manzar, registered manager at Ebury Court Care Home in Romford,

East London, and the National Care Awards ‘Care home manager of the year’ in

2023, shares her experience of what it takes to deliver Outstanding care

Since the Care Quality Commission

introduced the top rating of

‘Outstanding’, there have been

multiple attempts to define exactly what

this looks like in practice. The focus has

always been on principles involved in

delivering Outstanding care with little

consideration of how these translate

into practice. It would be fantastic to

have an exact definition of Outstanding.

However, as there is no blueprint, these

are my thoughts based on my experience.

Recruitment, training, supporting

and retaining staff, ensuring equality

and transparency are hugely important

but I feel the most important factor is

establishing the culture and ethos which

sets the tone of the organisation and

embodies its values. It is essential that

the owner shares these values as they

are set from the top, cascade down and

resonate throughout. Everyone is an

equal part of the team but with different

sets of responsibilities.

As registered manager, my job is full of

challenges, rewards, angst, frustrations,

joy, fun and happiness, but it is also

deeply rewarding. I know I can make a

difference to residents’ lives, ensuring

they are happy and fulfilled, to families,

who see their loved one happy and

nurtured, to staff who spend a majority

of their waking hours at work, as if they

are happy and engaged, this will have a

positive effect on their family life.

A happy stafff member = a happy resident

= stafff stability = an outstanding service =

“As registered manager,

my job is full of

challenges, rewards,

angst, frustrations, joy,

fun and happiness, but it

is also deeply rewarding."

Staff are our tools to create the service

that we want. The example you set

matters. When you are around the

home, in meetings or conducting

supervision, the way in which you treat

people will be noticed and emulated,

sometimes directly and sometimes by

osmosis as it seeps into staff practice.

Your way of speaking, your way of

behaving, the way you conduct yourself

with your staff has a massive effect

on staff behaviour, their attitude and

performance. So, how do you get the

right staff in place and retain them?

You need to assess candidate’s values,

experience and their aspirations and

the interviewing process should be

constructed to get a good feel of them

as a person because they will be working

in the care home and these values will

be pervasive and must accord with the

organisation’s values. You could include

questions like:

• What are your core values and how do

they influence your decision-making?

• How do you define success and how

does it align with your values?

• Tell me about a time when you went

the extra mile for someone? And why?

• What would a perfect day look like

and what values are represented in this

choice?

It’s important to have a good

understanding of a candidate’s values

and feelings about working in care. How

staff feel affects every aspect of their

behaviour and while difficult to assess,

it’s critical because their feelings have a

tangible effect on residents and if they

Ebury Court

do not share the organisations values,

they will be unhappy and unfulfilled.

An unhappy member of staff will be

disengaged, demoralised and produce

an unhappy environment, staff turnover

increases, standards drop, and residents

are unhappy.

= staff

an unhappy staff f member = an unhappy resident =

f instability = poor quality care

Having selected the right

candidate, how to retain them?

Always prepare for new staff – they

should be welcomed, their uniform

ready, and the team should know of their

arrival, so the new staff member feels

valued and part of a worthwhile team.

Ongoing support such as training and

supervision is critical – I supervise

all my staff monthly as I believe this


management | care

huge investment of time and energy is

absolutely worthwhile. I know every

member of staff really well and I am

best placed to understand them as an

individual, plan their development and

support them in this process.

How do I construct

supervision? At each session,

I ask two questions:

Question 1: Give me a sentence about

how you feel at this moment? Staff could

say they are happy and contented, or not

happy. In this way, I know exactly how

each member of staff feels and it can

reveal things they are unhappy about.

It also provides me with a monthly

snapshot of how every member of staff

feels. Negative staff feelings translate

into negative action.

Question 2: Culture and ethos. What is

it about the culture and ethos of Ebury

Court that makes you want to continue

to work here? Staff say we feel listened

to, valued, supported, important, and

can make a worthwhile contribution

and enjoy the continued learning and

development.

At the end of supervision, I also

ask them to rate themselves on my

satisfaction scale of 1 to 10. 1 = I am

very unhappy and 10 = I am very happy.

After a short time, new members of staff

often rate themselves ‘10’ because this

question is not about knowledge and

training, it is about how they feel at this

particular moment.

Training is of critical importance.

If you retain staff, once they have

completed basic training, you can then

train them at a higher level with no

revolving door where you are continually

repeating basic training which is

demoralising and means your service

probably always remain at the same level.

I am a practice teacher and enjoy

training my staff. It is really effective

as I can use the challenges that current

residents present to illustrate how to deal

with a variety of situations. I don’t use

overheads but include case studies where

members of staff role play challenging

situations. This has been particularly

affective for end-of-life care, for example,

breaking bad news. Staff can practise

their skills in a safe environment and

get constructive feedback. At the

end, I present a role play scenario as

an example of best practice which

enables staff to see the optimum way to

manage these challenging situations. My

training also enables me to reinforce the

organisation’s values and demonstrate

The industry is changing

but are you?

#caremanagementshow

29 - 30

November 2024

ExCel London

caremanagmentshow.com

how to deliver high-quality care in an

Outstanding home.

Working in partnership with the

owner of the business is critical. You

must have a shared vision to deliver the

highest quality of care. The owner must

support new ideas and innovations thus

improving the service. I introduced

two innovations at Ebury Court which

would be impossible without the full

commitment of the owner.

Namaste Care for residents with end

stage dementia. This programme runs

from 10-12pm, 2-4pm, 365 days a year.

Audit outcomes evidenced decreased or

eradication of urinary tract infections,

pain, use of anti-psychotic medication,

improved quality of life and improved

staff and relatives experience. My paper

was published in American Journal of

Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias

(October 2015).

The Lavender Club, for those with

no or mild-to-moderate dementia, fun,

meaningful activities in the form of

a club, 10-12pm, 2-4pm and 7-9pm.

The results are extremely successful –

residents are engaged, reduction in falls,

sleep patterns improved as residents are

engaged and quality of life for attendees

has measurably improved.

Working with the owner, we have

a shared vision and are committed to

retaining our Outstanding rating. If

you care, staff care, which means the

residents receive the very best of care

which, after all, is what we are all here to

do. You must really want to be the best

and provide the best.

Beverley Manzar is speaking at the

Care Management Show,

which takes place on 29-30

November at London’s Excel.

Use the QR code to find

out more.


care | registered managers

Managers guide to…

temperature control

Care homes must maintain compliant temperatures as part of safety compliance.

Kirstie Jones, head of client services and environmental health expert at Navitas

Safety, shares advice on effective temperature monitoring

A

critical aspect of safety

compliance in care homes is

maintaining temperatures,

whether in relation to rooms, baths

and basins, medicine storage or food.

Failures can lead to illness or, even worse,

can be fatal in the elderly or people who

are immunocompromised, which is why

the Care Quality Commission places

significant importance on temperature

control during its inspections.

Unfortunately, a number of care

homes have come under fire for unsafe

working practices in this area. Earlier

this year, a Huddersfield care home was

forced to take action after inspectors

discovered high-risk food, including

dairy, stored above 8°C, and meat with

‘freezer burn’.

In addition, fridge temperature

records indicated that fridges had been

running above the legal temperature for

at least three months, with “no records

to show that any corrective action had

been taken”.

1. The Food Standards Agency has

clear guidance on temperature

management, stating that fridges

should be kept at 5°C or below.

Specifically, for food business

operators in England, Wales and

Northern Ireland, it is a legal

requirement to store cold foods below

8°C. A freezer should operate at -18°C

or below. The same rules apply to

Scotland.

2. In care homes, there should be daily

temperature monitoring for freezers

and fridges that store either food or

certain medicines. This should be

completed at least twice a day using a

calibrated digital thermometer with

clear records of when this has been

done, and by which member of staff.

3. High-risk foods must be cooked to

above 75°C or held hot above 63°C.

Cooked foods should be cooled to

room temperature within 90 minutes

before being put into the fridge to

continue cooling. Ideally, a blast

chiller should be used as this cools

food rapidly to below 5°C within

90 minutes under a more controlled

environment. It’s also recommended

not to overfill fridges as this stops

adequate airflow, which can affect

operating temperatures.

4. In the event that a fridge is accidentally

left open or switched off, it’s important

to check the temperature of the food

affected and to know how long ago the

issue occurred. If the temperature is

below 8°C, food can be retained. The

rule of thumb is that anything held

above 8°C for more than two hours

should be disposed of. If it has been less

than two hours you could relocate it to

another fridge.

While this may seem strict, bacterial

growth can increase rapidly outside

the safe range – so it’s always best to

err on the side of caution to avoid any

foodborne illnesses.

Regardless of the findings and the

actions taken, it’s important to note

that corrective actions must be taken

immediately and everything must be

recorded as evidence.

Kirstie Jones

5. Check whether residents’ medicines

need to be stored in a fridge, or

whether they can be kept at room

temperature. If medicines are being

stored at room temperature, it must be

below 25°C.

6. Smart sensors in fridges and freezers

can remove the need for manual

checks.

7. Temperature control is also relevant

in bedrooms and common areas.

Hypothermia is a serious issue which

can develop in older people, even if

they aren’t exposed to cold weather

for long. The risk of hypothermia led

to national headlines for a Shropshirebased

care home (now closed), where

care home residents were ‘knowingly’

left without heating for 72 hours.

8. In a care setting, water temperature is

also important to prevent colds, but

also possibly scalding if not managed

correctly. While the stored water tank

temperature should be above 60°C, for

a bath to be considered safe for elderly

residents, it should be less than 44°C

at the outlet. Showers and wash basins

should ideally be no more than 40°C.

9. Temperature control should be

included within monthly spot checks

and twice-yearly internal audits. By

doing so, care homes can ensure they

are inspection-ready by picking up

on issues as soon as they arise. Don't

be afraid to write problems down –

it shows you are aware of them and

demonstrates that you understand

corrective actions are required.

10. A number of settings have been

in the news for a lack of incident

management. Staff shouldn’t just

be reporting accidents that result in

harm. Near misses are as important,

but often swept aside due to their less

serious nature (as they don’t result in

any physical injury or harm).


The industry is changing

but are you?

#caremanagementshow

29 - 30

November 2024

ExCel London

caremanagmentshow.com

care | team members

Employee of the month

Maks Parulov, Renaissance Care’s peripatetic chef for the North of Scotland,

shares his experience of providing a great dining experience for residents

Tell us about your background in

catering?

I began my culinary career at HRC

Culinary Academy in my home country

of Bulgaria, before I travelled around the

world, working in various hospitality and

foodservice settings. I worked in Italy,

France and the United States, alongside

some of the best chefs in the world.

Looking for a new challenge, I

moved to Scotland in 2020 and joined

Renaissance Care as head chef at

Cowdray Club Care Home in Aberdeen.

This year I was promoted to peripatetic

chef for the north of Scotland, where

I support the catering departments

across eight different homes to deliver

high-quality catering and dining service

through advanced training and a range

of development sessions.

What’s special about working at

Renaissance Care?

Before working for Renaissance Care,

I – like many people – thought care home

catering would be quite limited and there

wouldn’t be much scope for creativity or

trying new things. I couldn’t have been

more wrong. I have the opportunity to

use my creativity every day and inspire

the catering teams across the North

to experiment with new flavours and

cuisines, much to our residents’ delight.

Receiving positive feedback from the

residents on new dishes or menus we

create is undoubtedly my favourite thing

about the job.

How do you vary your menu to

provide choice for residents?

At Renaissance Care we create four

menu cycles a year, according to the

season and the produce that is readily

available at that time. We love to engage

with the residents, and regularly organise

tasting sessions within the homes, so

they have a chance to try new dishes

and we can gather their feedback before

we put them on the menu. It’s really

important that the dishes on the menu

feature foods they love to eat, increasing

the likelihood that they’ll eat what we

Maks Parulov

prepare and in turn, benefit from the

nutritional value.

How do you meet residents’

nutritional and health needs?

Creating and providing seasonal,

nutritionally balanced meals is key to

resident wellbeing and is an area of

expertise at Renaissance Care. It’s vital that

our menus are of nutritional value but also

appealing and will satisfy individual needs.

We can cater any meal to suit dietary

requirements and health conditions, as

well as cultural and religious beliefs.

How do you care for residents with

dementia?

We understand that many residents with

dementia often have issues with eating

and drinking. Memory loss means they

can struggle to recognise food, while

also suffering from a decreased sense of

smell and taste. This can really diminish

the enjoyment of food, which plays such

a significant role in our lives. We make

a conscious effort to create dishes that

stimulate as many senses as possible,

with food that looks, smells and sounds

appealing. It’s equally as important that

we focus on food that our residents want

and can easily eat. Taking all of this into

account, we also create ‘show plates’ to

show residents what their food will look

like in advance, and to tempt them into

eating.

What’s your most popular dish?

One of our most popular dishes is

definitely the Balmoral chicken. A

delicious traditional Scottish dish,

named after Balmoral Castle in

Aberdeenshire, the chicken is stuffed

with haggis and served with lashings of

creamy whisky sauce.

What’s your favourite dish?

As a chef, I spend most of my day in the

kitchen preparing meals for the residents

before I go home and do the same for

my family. There are so many dishes that

I love to cook, but one of my favourites

has to be a roasted leg of lamb, with baby

potatoes, honey roasted root vegetables,

and salsa verde.

How do you make the dining

experience special for residents and

their families?

I love using my skills and knowledge

from the hospitality industry to add

some excitement to our residents’

dining experiences. Mealtimes are a

really important part of their daily

routine, as for those who don’t see

their family often, it’s a chance to

socialise with other residents. This

interaction is crucial for building a

sense of community in the homes, and

encouraging residents to fully enjoy

their meals, increasing their nutritional

intake and overall wellbeing.


The Ontex Care Hero is…

Charlie Keane takes home the second of the runner-up certificates for this

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

care heroes | care

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 biscuits 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.

The winner and runners-up were

selected after what was the most

competitive Care Heroes nominations

process yet.

“His passion for the

residents is obvious

and he is always

looking at new ways

and activities to not

only engage our

residents but to make

them smile and laugh."

Charlie Keane

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 second runner-up is Charlie

Keane, therapy assistant at Oakleaf

Care. Here’s what his colleague had

to say about his admirable dedication

to his role: “Charlie works at Oakleaf

as a therapy assistant after progressing

into this role from a support worker.

His passion for the residents is obvious

and he is always looking at new ways

and activities to not only engage our

residents but to make them smile and

laugh.

“Off the back of resident feedback

that they would like to see pictures of

the local area hung up in the communal

areas, he took it upon himself to set up

a photography session using his own

professional camera. This involved

him taking the residents out into our

grounds and surrounding areas and

assisting them in taking photographs

of their choosing, which were later

printed out to be hung up on the unit.

Not only was this a wonderful and

meaningful activity to those residents,

but the photos were so great that it

allowed us the opportunity to use them

in the redesign of our welcome packs.

“Charlie has also been able to build

a strong relationship with one of our

residents who doesn’t really engage

with other staff by tapping into that

resident’s sense of humour. After

witnessing one of their encounters

together, it is obvious to see how much

the resident enjoys the banter they both

have together, and it’s wonderful to see

that Charlie has been able to take the

time to really understand the resident

and what is important to him. I have

no doubt that he does this with all the

residents in our care.”

Congratulations to Charlie Keane, as

well as the winner and other runners-up

in this year’s Care Heroes Awards, in

partnership with Ontex.


care | norrms’ blog

Nine words

Regular columnist Norrms McNamara reflects

on what it’s like to live with dementia

So, what are you going to do about

it?”

Nine words, that’s all, but they

can mean so much to some, and not to

others. My passion for helping those

with dementia came from those very

nine words, and here’s why.

When I was first diagnosed, the only

thing my consultant said to me was

to “use it or lose it”. We were given no

paperwork or forward appointment

date, and walked out totally bemused. As

luck would have it, if you can call it that,

my wife was a full-time carer and knew

what to do next, but so many out there

don’t.

What we did was enquire, ring

around, and look on the internet to find

out what help was available and in what

form. Sadly, there was very little at the

time, over 10 years ago, so the next step

was to look for an upcoming meeting

regarding dementia and attend it, just to

test the water.

I have to say, I was horrified at what

I found and heard. I will not name the

conference, nor the organiser, but it

was without doubt the most depressing

thing I had ever attended – so very sad

in so many ways. All we heard about

were parts of the system that weren’t

working, what treatments hadn’t worked

and horrific stories about those with

dementia and their carers.

The speakers were very good at

explaining what dementia was and how

it worked, and there were lots of stats

and slides – or ‘death by slides’ as we

later coined it – but the thing that most

concerned me was there was nothing

positive coming from this, and no

mention of future plans. So, me being

me, I bided my time until they asked for

questions and my hand shot up. When

it was my turn, I politely repeated some

of what we had heard – how this doesn’t

work or that doesn’t work – then I asked

the ‘expert panel’ those nine words: “So,

what are you going to do about it?”

You could have heard a pin drop.

There were audible gasps from the

audience, and admittedly a couple of

sniggers, but more amazingly it made

people physically sit up and wait for and

answer.

First of all, the panel was very quiet.

They each had puzzled looks on their

faces that said: Who the hell is this

person and how dare he ask such a

question? When I explained I was

a person living with dementia, just

Norrms McNamara

recently diagnosed, they also had a look

that said: What’s he doing here? In those

days people with dementia were not

invited to attend or speak at dementia

conferences.

The panel spluttered responses

about lack of funding or how much

the government had allegedly spent

on helping and we came away totally

frustrated and felt so very let down.

So, what did we do about it? I

say ‘we’ and not ‘I’ because so many

people came together to help. We

created a local group called the Torbay

Dementia Action Alliance from my

bedroom, which turned into the Purple

Angel Dementia Campaign, now a

global movement recognised in over

60 countries, with an annual World

Rocks Against Dementia event every

September. Now in its 11th year, we have

advised on TV programmes regarding

dementia, opened the very first memory

café in Nigeria, been covered by CNN,

helped open one of the first memory

cafés in the US, had lunch in Downing

Street with a certain prime minister, met

him three times since, and asked him

those very same nine words and so much

more.

So, the next time you go to a

conference or hear about how bad things

are, please feel free to ask: “So, what are

you going to do about it?” You never

know what might happen.

Till next time…

Norrms is diagnosed with Lewy bodies

dementia.


Caring Times, October 2024

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?