July 2010

no.170 • £4.75

In association with

By Dominic Musgrave

A POOLE care home owner hasdefended her decision to arrange for acaptive monkey and two penguins tovisit the residents.

Around 50 people packed a room atKingland House to meet and handlethe creatures from Oxfordshire-basedAmazing Animals, a company whichowns and trains animals for film, TV,advertising and still photography.

But the decision to book Dougie themonkey, who appeared alongsideJohnny Depp in promotional shots forthe Pirates of the Caribbean films, andminiature penguins, Charlie andFerrari, received criticism fromconservationists.

Joy Birkett, who owns the home withher husband,claims that there hasbeen a massive over reaction. Sheadded: “The visit gave the residents somuch pleasure, and their faces lit upwhen they saw the animals arrive. It isdisappointing that something nice wehave done for our residents hasreceived so much criticism. Theresidents love animals but cannot getto the zoo, and we have a wide varietysuch as PAT dogs, rescued greyhoundsand donkeys from a nearby sanctuary

coming to visit us, as a lot of homes dobecause they have such therapeuticbenefits.

“It was all done in good fun and therewas no signs of any cruelty to the ani-mals. If was any sign then we wouldn’thave allowed them into the home.”

The visit was arranged by the home’sactivities co-ordinator Pauline Goldafter she saw the company featured ona TV programme with Alan Titch-marsh. But conservationists claim themonkey could carry and be suscept-ible to disease and the conditions ofthe nursing home would not havebeen ideal for the two penguins.

Jim Clubb, of Amazing Animals, said:“We are a responsible company and allof our animals are regularly screenedbecause they are trained to be inregular content with humans. If wedidn’t have these things done wewouldn’t be able to get insurance.”

The animals were handled byresidents on the visit and alcohol gelwas available to disinfect their hands.

An RSPCA spokesman added: “Wewould be concerned if such visitsincrease stress levels or causeunnecessary disturbance to animals.The animals’ welfare must beparamount.”

Monkeybusiness isdefended

Fiona Phillips was the guest host of the GreatBritish Care Home Awards at the Guildhall,London. The television personality, best knownfor presenting GMTV, announced the 12 categorywinners at the event, which celebratedexcellence in social care and paid tribute tothose who work in the sector.� For a round-up of the night see Page 22

Cruisingthemefor home A WARWICKSHIRE carehome has taken residentson the journey of alifetime without themleaving the comfort oftheir own chair.

Staff at the Four Acresin Studley arranged avirtual cruise week ofevents, which involvedthe dining room beingtransformed into a shipfor five different coun-tries’ themed evenings.

Manager Jill Turley said:“Most of our residents areunable to get away for aholiday, so we decided todo a virtual cruise. Staffand relatives joined in bydressing up in local attire,and menus were design-ed to reflect cuisine,culture and languages ofthe countries visited.”

Residents enjoyed Tapasserved by a Spanishwaiter, accompaniedwith music andinstruments, when they‘visited’ Spain, beforestopping off in Naples,Istanbul – whereresidents enjoyed Turkishdancing – andBridgetown portBarbados, with aCaribbean chef andlimbo dancing.

For the grand finale allthe residents were invitedto the captain’s table,with black tie dress code.

incorporating

The Number One magazine for the care sector

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3CARINGNEWS

AdvertisingSales and Marketing Director:Tony BarryGroup Sales Manager:Jackie BrookTel: 01226 734479 Email: jb@whpl.netProduct Manager:Ailsa BedfordTel: 01226 734480Email: ab@whpl.net

National Sales Executives:Rebecca Hazell Tel: 01226 734685 Email: rh@whpl.netMandy EdwardsTel: 01226 734333 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.ukFax: 01226 734477

PublishersWharncliffe Publishing Ltd.47 Church Street, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S70 2AS.Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk

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Database enquiries to:01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@wharncliffepublishing.co.ukWhilst every effort is made toensure the accuracy of all con-tent, the publishers do notaccept liability for error, printedor otherwise, that may occur.

www.caring-uk.co.uk

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Home trials latestfingerprint systemA NORTH Lincolnshire care home has installedthe latest fingerprint system to increase thesecurity of its residents.

Riverside Mews in Brigg is trialling the new hi-tech biometric system and, if it proves success-ful, home owner North Lincolnshire Care Ltdplans to install at its other two sites in the coun-ty. Marketing manager Paul Marsden said thenew system had a variety of benefits for thecompany

He added: “The obvious reason for the systemis for the residents' safety, and we are alwaysvery careful and aware of their security. Whenresidents are getting old, some are prone to goon walkabout, especially those with milddementia. This system gives peace of mind tofamilies and residents.”

“We have also looked at streamlining theorganisation and, rather than having lots of keyholders within the home, it means that we cancontrol who can do what where around thehome.

And he said residents who are able to go outalso appreciate the new technology.

Paul added: “On a sunny day, residents enjoy-ing going for a walk around Brigg market andthis new system enables us to keep an eye onwho has gone where and when they havereturned to the home.

“Residents like the new system as they justneed to use their thumb or finger to haveaccess. Any kind of arthritic problem makesusing keys very hard, so this system makes iteasier for them."

“It also saves carers from the hassle of rum-

maging in their bag for keys while trying to pusha resident in a wheelchair.”

As the system is cutting edge, the number ofuses for it is really down to creative thinking.Computers linked to the system can be config-ured to grant specific access rights to namedpeople.

Paul added: “There are a hundred and oneways that this can benefit the organisation, andwe are only using a very small percentage ofwhat the system is capable of at the moment.

“If you get deliveries on a regular basis from asupermarket, you can give the delivery manaccess to the kitchen area. The system willrecognise the person from his or her finger-prints. We can monitor this using webcams andcommunicate from a remote location over anintercom. It could also be used to manage themedicine cupboards and inform us of whenitems need updating.”

Resident Wilf Reader with the new system

WinningCrewecare homeA CARE home in Crewebeat off nationwide compe-tition to win a group’s bestthemed events award.

Station House, which has69 residents and a specialistdementia unit, won theprize for its varied events,which in the past haveincluded a party in thepark, dog grooming and arace night. Entries to thecompetition were judgedon the originality of theme,involvement of the resi-dents, evidence of relativeor community involvementand the creativity and origi-nality of material.

Home manager CaroleWardle said: “I’m lucky tohave such a wonderfulteam of staff. They don’t seetheir work as a job but as avocation and they volun-teer to bring their talents,hobbies and spare timeinto these events. It bringsa whole new range of excit-ing opportunities andentertainment to the resi-dents.”

Runner up was Pinetumin Chester, which held anold-fashioned sports dayincluding a themed menuand football cake.

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CARINGNEWS4

Cherie Booth at the Fair Fee Forum launch

Step closer forlegal challengeover care feesBy Dominic Musgrave

A LEGAL challenge to all localauthorities and PCTs in Britain overthe level of fees paid to care homeshas moved a step closer.

Speaking at the official launch ofthe Fairer Fee Forum, Cherie BoothQC, said she believed “there are verystrong grounds that such a casewould be successful”.

The wife of the former primeminister and Aston Brooke solicitorshave been instructed to pursue thelegal avenues open to challenge localauthorities whom it claims areconsistently paying below the truecost of care.

Cherie said cost appears to be thedriving force for many placements,and not quality.

She added: “Rather than theresidents’ needs being the primaryconcern, it has been widely notedthat placements are made routinelyin the home with the lowest feesrather than, for example, those withthe highest star rating.

“There is a strong case to be arguedthat the PCT and local authoritieshave systematically under paid forthe services they are utilising.

“We are considering mounting alegal challenge to try and end this

cycle of exploitation by the localauthorities.”

Raman Purewal, head of thelitigation department at AstonBrooke, said social care sector couldeither embrace the legal challenge orsit back and continue to acceptfurther reductions by local authority“bullyboy” tactics.

He added: “The issue of funding isone that affects the entire social caresector, irrespective if the resident is aself funder or local authority funded.

“It is a grave misconception thatthis issue only affects local authorityresidents. If the authorities paid thetrue cost of care then the fees paid bythe self funders would not be crosssubsiding the local authorityresidents, and also local authorityresidents or their friends and familywould not be required to contributeto fees in the form of top-ups.

“There are numerous reports thatcan be used to determine the truecost of care and the local authoritiesare well aware of their existence buthave chosen not to utilise them whenconducting fee negotiations withstakeholders.

“This clearly demonstrates thatthey do not look upon the servicebeing provided with the respect thatit deserves.”

£300k extension doubles capacityWORK has been completed on aBolton care home’s new £300,000extension which has almostdoubled its capacity.

The development at BlackrodHouse has increased the number ofbeds from 17 to 27 after ownerIrene Burton secured funding fromNatWest’s specialist healthcareteam. The project involves anextension to the rear of theproperty and the conversion of anumber of double rooms to singles.

Irene said the new developmentmakes the home more financially

viable.She added: “The existing home

had 17 bedrooms, but this includedthree double rooms so it wasdifficult to get more than 14 at atime which made it not reallyviable financially.

“One of the new rooms hasalready been reserved, and I amtaking a lot of private enquiries aswell as from neighbouringcouncils.”

Irene acquired Blackrod House in2007 following a 30-year career inthe nursing care sector.

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5CARINGNEWS

Call for basicnurse training forcare home staffMORE money must be spent training carehome staff to prevent the elderly endingtheir days in a hospital, according to a newreport.

Researchers from the University of Warwickand the University of West England are call-ing for workers to be trained in basic nursingskills to meet the changing needs of resi-dents as they get older.

The report, funded by the Joseph RowntreeFoundation, also recommends a new regis-tration system with formal qualifications forsocial care staff.

This would help to improve old people’squality of life and could save the NHSmoney at a time when its budgets are com-ing under growing pressure, they claim.

Professor Ala Szczepura, from the universi-ty’s Warwick Medical School, said: “As resi-dents age, their health needs inevitablyincrease with nearly half of residents in thehomes we studied classed as needing theintervention of a registered nurse on at leasta daily basis.

“If appropriate care cannot be provided onsite, residents may find they are admitted tohospital or moved to a nursing home whenthis is not absolutely necessary.

“The development of a cadre of new rolecarers would enable these homes to provide

high quality care as residents’ needsincrease.”

Researchers from the two universities car-ried out more than 100 interviews with resi-dents, relatives, care home staff and man-agers over the last three years.

They hope it will help to shape the newcoalition government’s plans to addressingthe future of funding for old-age care.

The study also found that three-fifths ofthe 453,000 elderly people living in carehomes live in facilities with no on site nurs-ing staff employed.

Fellow researcher Deirdre Wild, from theUniversity of the West of England in Bristol,said the proposals would require some cul-tural barriers to be broken down.

She added: “Older residents are depicted asa burden on community services because itis believed that the demand they place uponcommunity staff will outstrip availableresource.

“Home managers frequently experiencedismissive attitudes from hospital staff, withlittle consideration given to the well being ofelderly residents on discharge.

“Older residents in one home described thepoor quality of care they received in hospitalthat left them traumatised following dis-charge and with a dread of re admission.”

A CARE organisation isbrightening up the lives ofits residents with a splash ofcolour therapy.

The pastel shades havebeen ditched at PendinePark in Wrexham in favourof a vivid, life-enhancingpalate in the corridors.

The pioneering approachhas been masterminded byartist-in-residence SarahEdwards, pictured above,who has researched the

subject in detail and, work-ing with residents and staff,has developed the newcolour scheme. The maincolour is bright yellow, andSarah said that residents saybeing in the corridors is like“walking on sunshine”.

Sarah said: “It’s known thatcolours affect your moodand well-being so that wasthe thought behind chang-ing the colours in the corri-dors at Pendine Park.”

‘Walking on sunshine’

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CARINGNEWS6

George Dixon receives his certifcate and copy of the recipe book from Shirley Brigham,trustee of The Abbeyfield Kent Society

By Dominic Musgrave

A KENT care home has taken part ina food project with its local museum.

The Dynes, in Kemsing nearSevenoaks, was invited to participatewith The Group for Education inMuseums (GEM) on a project calledSounding out Your Heritage.

Each week for four weeks arepresentative from the town’smuseum visited the Abbeyfield KentSociety-run home to host a series offood-related workshops.

With them they brought along arange of cooking utensils, rationbooks and old photographs to use astopics to evoke the residents’memories.

Home manager Nicky Pett toldCaring UK the project had manybenefits for the residents.

She added: “Overall the residentsreally enjoyed getting involved withthe project. One resident who doesn’treally communicate with the staffspoke so clearly it obviously made areal impression on him.

“Another lady who recently turned100 remembered when she used tobe the cook at a nearby stately homeand GEM representatives spoke withthe current owners, who came alongto the celebrations that we held atthe end of the project.”

Topics discussed at the workshopincluded how a ration book worked,what utensils were used during theWar years compared to those oftoday, with residents also discussingtheir favourite food and recipes.

Some of the memories, recipes andphotographs were then put into abook, which was given as a mementoto the residents and sold to theirfamilies.

Nicky added: “One of our residentsis a former photographer, and heenjoyed taking pictures at theworkshops and arranging them forthe book with the scanner theyprovided. I have noticed the resid-ents are now a lot more enthusiasticand responsive to ideas since we tookpart in the project, and I have askedthe organisers to think of us.

“It has opened up new doors todifferent things and, combined withthe Eden Alternative which we arealso involved with, we are now doinga lot more one-to-one activities thangroup ones.”

Another of the group’s homes,Edward Moore House in Gravesend,also took part in the GEM project,with music and dance the main focusof their weekly workshops.

The residents also created a sensoryquilt inspired by their memories andrecollections.

Residents benefitfrom food project

By Chris Harding

ONE of the daily challenges facedby care home workers ormanagers is providingmotivational, stimulatingactivities for residents.

Research into the importance ofstimulating the elderly, inparticular those with dementia orAlzheimer’s clearly demonstrateshow these groups must exercisetheir minds as often as possible.Regular activities stimulate thebrain, forcing it to respond,slowing down the deteriorationprocess.

Alzheimer’s Society researchfound that typically a person withdementia living in a care homespends just two minutes every sixhours interacting with otherpeople.

This is not enough. Mentalstimulation is hugely importantfor people with dementia – it canimprove quality of life and helpthem feel more independent andconfident.

Encouraging people withdementia to take part in everydayactivities, such as helping withwashing and drying up, setting thetable or gardening can givepleasure and bring purpose to theday.

One in three people will endtheir life with dementia, and formany people these final years willbe spent in a care home. It isessential that dementia trainingbecomes a mandatoryrequirement for all care homestaff.

In particular, if residents arehome bound and physicalactivities are restricted; theirdesire for life may be inhibited.These activities make residentsfeel empowered, whether it be a

one hour activity session or areminiscence activity, any activityhelps to stimulate the residents,making their day more interestingand keeping their minds sharpand active.

Historically, care homes had areputation which saw elderlyresidents sitting lifeless in chairs.Thankfully, this was not a truereflection of all.

Today, we see them makingleaps and bounds forward in theways that they motivate andstimulate their residents, withsome employing full time activityco-ordinators.

Although some activities such asentertainers are costly, other arelow cost yet still provide an allround benefit for both theresident and the carer. Traditionaldaily activities such as bingo,dominoes or cards, can becomestale.

Recent cost effective ways toembrace the resident and carerrelationship, with a significantimpact on brain stimulation, aredaily reminiscence newsletters.This solution is affordable, despitelack of funds, is cost effective andhas a huge impact.

Chris has made it his mission toenhance the lives of residentsthrough various activity schemes.For further information visitwww.dailysparkle.co.uk

Why mentalstimulationis so vital

Chris Harding

New manager for Norfolk homeWENDELL Damasco has beenappointed the new manager of OliveHouse care home in Norfolk.

The 34-year-old joined the home’sparent company Healthcare Homesas a senior carer at another of thegroup’s homes in 2003 after movingfrom his native Philippines.

For the last two years, Wendell hasbeen assistant manager at HomeMeadow in Toft, and says he is

relishing his new role.Wendell added: “There is a lot of

work to do at Olive House, asHealthcare Homes only acquired thehome in January. One of my prioritiesis to ensure that the standards of carematch those of our other homes.”

A purpose-built care home, OliveHouse has 35 en suite bedrooms,with plans in place to extend theproperty with an additional six.

Garden party boost for children’s hospiceA NORFOLK care home hopes toraise £5,000 for a local children’shospice at its garden party.

Residents at Aylsham Manor willbe joined by family and friends atthe event, which will include araffle and cream tea while being

entertained by Aylsham SilverBand. There will also be anexhibition of the art workproduced by the residents in theirart and craft sessions, led by JoBaldwin. All money raised will goto Quidenham Childrens’ Hospice.

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7CARINGNEWS

Residents Brenda Mitchell and Anne Davies celebrate Blackpool’s recent promotion tothe Premiership

Hotel title forextended carehome in LythamBy Dominic Musgrave

THE owners of a Lancashire carefacility have renamed it as a hotelrather than a traditional home.

Robert and Hilary Chadwick tookthe decision to reclassify HedgesHouse in Lytham after the opening ofa new extension.

And manager Michelle Neville toldCaring UK the title fits perfectly asthey have worked hard to create ahotel atmosphere.

She added: “We feel that we offerhotel services so we chose to renamethe home to reflect that.

“We have a reception desk and thedecor is similar to that of a hotel aswe don’t have any wheelchairs orother equipment on show to make itlook too clinical.

“The food is also of the higheststandard, and we regularly meet withthe residents to discuss their likesand dislikes to make sure they havetheir say.”

The home, which has 32 bedrooms,has recently received a three-star rat-ing from the CQC. It is no stranger topicking up awards, winning the caresection of the Lytham in Bloom com-petition and getting an ‘excellent’

grade from Fylde Council as part ofits Taste for Life scheme last year.

Michelle, who has been managerfor the past six years, added: “We runa varied programme of activities atthe home – everything from trips tothe nearby park to Knowsley SafariPark.

“We also have a treats afternoonevery Wednesday, which can consistof a movie with popcorn and choc-ices to fruit kebabs dipped in choco-late and homemade milkshakes.

“All of the activities from the homethen go in the home’s newsletter,which we put together every fewmonths. The residents like gettinginvolved with that, and our mainte-nance man is going to start a com-puter club for those who want tolearn more.”

Residents regularly keep in touchwith their relatives overseas viaemail, with Michelle printing out anycorrespondence the home receivesand helping them to respond.� Are you considering or would youconsider renaming you care home asa hotel? Let Dominic Musgrave knowby ringing 01226 734407 or emaildm@whpl.net

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CARINGNEWS8

THE manager of a Buckinghamshire carehome shared her wedding celebrationswith the residents.

Karen Kelly, manager of FarnhamCommon House, got married in New York,but so the residents could share in hercelebrations she held a special ‘weddingday’ party at the home.

She put on her dress again, bought a newbouquet, a new wedding cake, party foodand champagne for all the residents at thehome to enjoy. Several members of staffalso dressed up in their wedding dresses,while others brought theirs in to hang ondisplay round the room. Residents alsodressed up and wore hats or fascinators.

Karen said: “I was determined thatresidents would somehow get to celebratewith me. Everyone was so happy for meand we had a splendid party.”

Karen has second wedding day

Wedding theme daygoes like a dreamBy Dominic Musgrave

ROMANCE will be in the air thissummer when a Southport carehome holds its second ‘wedding’ day.

Last year three pairs of staff were‘married’ as part of the Tudor BankNursing Home themed event whichculminated in a traditional ceremonycomplete with its very own vicar.

Residents and staff arranged thewhole event, which was thebrainchild of activities co-ordinatorHeather Mitchener and managerMary Pagett, with the widercommunity also invited to take part.

She said: “We came up with theidea of marriage and romancebecause a wedding is an event thatalmost everybody has been to sometime in their life.

“But we were surprised at howsuccessful the event was. The daytook four months to organise, and weinvolved the residents as much aspossible. It was a great bondingexercise, not only for the residents,but also for the staff. The residentsare still talking about the day and wehave put photographs around thehome to help them to reminisceabout it.”

Heather said it is often difficultgetting members of the community

to visit the home because it is EMIregistered. She added: “People areoften nervous about what they mightfind when they come into an EMIhome, but we involved the outsidecommunity as much as possible too.

“The local Salvation Army donatedone of the dresses and a local cakedecorator provided us with the cake.We invited people from outside thehome to the ceremony as well.”

Heather said they had originallydiscussed the idea of holding achristening instead this year, butafter the success of the wedding theydecided to have another one.

She added: “We are looking to do ita bit differently, but we are going to

stick with the wedding idea this yearbecause the residents got such asense of achievement if they came upwith the idea for the music ordesigned their own corsage.

“The residents also loved dressingup, and many bought a new outfit forthe day and wore a hat.

“They seemed to really enjoy theformality of the day, and the vicarkept it very light hearted and not tooreligious.”

� Have you held an unusual themedevent at your care home? LetDominic Musgrave know by emailingdm@whpl.net or ring him on 01226734407.

‘JabberwockyClub’ thrivesin FelixstoweDEBATES about ‘Fairtrade’, quizzesand a talk about the history of pubsigns are the unusual activities of anewly-formed social club set up byresidents of three Felixstowe carehomes.

Residents from Healthcare Homes’Mill Lane, Maynell House andFoxgrove have formed the‘Jabberwocky Club’, which takes itsname from a Lewis Carroll poem.

Their inspiration came after takingpart in an inter-generationalinitiative with students from SuffolkNew College in Ipswich. Theresidents enjoyed the social elementso much they decided to continuemeeting regularly. Each Tuesdayafternoon, the residents meet at MillLane, with minibuses arriving fromthe other two homes.

Mill Lane manager, Lorraine Barker,said: “Over a six-month period, theolder people from the three homesshared memories with the students,such as wartime music and child-hood tales. The residents enjoyed itso much that they decided to formtheir own group where they couldcarry on meeting once a week. Theyall really enjoy it and it helps themremain a part of their community.”

Lorraine said the club has beensuch a success that residents fromother homes in the area may join thegroup in the future.

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9CARINGNEWS

YOU name it there is a club for it at theCaring Homes group home, whether it beaviation jigsaws, bird watching or collec-tors.

And trips to the likes of the local brew-ery or concerts with members of theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra meanthere is never an idle moment for the res-idents at the home, which is registeredfor 69 in five separate wings.

Head of activities Ken Weaver, who hasbeen in post for eight months, toldCaring UK he is constantly coming upwith new ideas.

He added: “Residents are invited toattend all of our activities, but there is nopressure put on them if they do not wishto.

“We find that communication with theresidents is very important, and there isnothing more frustrating for the elderly ifthey cannot get their views across.

“To get over this problem we haveworked with a local special needs schoolto devise our own sheet with a variety ofsigns and signals on. Everyone has acopy, and since we have started using it,it has been a huge help.”

The Edwardian building is more than100 years old and has previously been aschool, hospital and hotel before being

turned into a care home by its previousowner.

Ken is currently raising funds to try andimprove the access to the grounds for theresidents, and is more than halfway toreaching the £600 target.

He added: “Having a man and womanworking together as activities co-ordina-tors has a lot of benefits because we bothhave our individual strengths.

“We can also put on a lot more activi-ties, usually three or four a day, and thereare also some residents who will only goto an activity if it is being taken by aman.

“We tend to do something that stimu-lates residents in the morning so thatthey are not just sat around watchingtelevision, and then do something socialin the afternoon. We find it works bestthat way.”

The home also celebrates annual eventssuch as patron saints’ days, with thisyear’s St Patrick’s Day festivities involvinga three-day Irish festival.

Ken added: “We have to be realistic thatnobody wants to be in a care home, butwe have a lot of staff here from all overthe world that I also plan to tap into forfuture events.”

There are activities to suit all tastes at Kingsclear care home in Camberley as DominicMusgrave found out when he paid a visit.

Busy times at Camberley home

Residents taking part in the Easter bonnet parade

Sensory garden bringschange of atmosphere inHemel Hempstead homeTHE manager of a dementia carehome says she has noticed a changein atmosphere among the residentssince the development of a sensorygarden.

Chris Larner, manager ofQueensway House in HemelHempstead, said the residents wereconsulted throughout the designprocess after the home received agrant from the local authority tospend outdoors.

She told Caring UK that she is cur-rently trying to source a new summerhouse to add to the garden at theGold Homes owned facility.

Chris added: “After receiving thegrant from the local authority wewanted to do something all residentscould enjoy, and that would appeal toall the senses.

“We decided to make some areasquiet and others busy, and took someexternal advice with regards to whatwe should have in the garden, thoughthe residents were consulted as muchas possible.

“We wanted to get the most out ofthe money so got the local probationteam involved with doing thegroundwork, and their leader is alandscape gardener so she helpedwith the designs.”

The garden, which recently won anaward at the group’s annual

ceremony, features plants with differ-ent textures and aromas as well astwo water features, one with ultrabright LEDs and another which is acascading wall in polished stainlesssteel.

They have also developed a smalleight-hole pitch and putt golf coursein the grounds, which Chris says shehopes will be used for competitionsin the summer months.

She added: “We hoped to use it forsome fun events last year but theweather was never good enough, butfingers crossed we have bought a fewtrophies and will be able to have afew golf competitions.

“We were really surprised to havewon the ‘most innovative idea’ award because a lot of the otherhomes in the group have created activity gardens and keepchickens.

“The residents really enjoy sittingoutside in one of the different areaswe have created, and it has proved tobe a good selling point when we aretrying to fill a bed.”

� Have you come up with an innova-tive idea for your care home’sgrounds? Let Dominic Musgraveknow by emailing dm@whpl.net orring 01226 734407.

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CARINGHOMECALL10

THE four residents at Green Acreswill be accompanied by two staff ontheir trip to Butlin’s at Bognor Regis.

Other staff will make the dailycommute from the home in Bansteadto help care for the residents, whocame up with the idea for the breakat a meeting involving relatives.

Activities co-ordinator John Groomtold Caring UK said: “We regularlytake the residents on outings and, ata recent residents and family welfaremeeting, where we got a lot ofsuggestions, one of the service usersasked why they couldn’t go onholiday.

“I looked into it and I have beendown to do all the health and safetyarrangements necessary for us. Theresidents are contributing to theholiday and we want to make it asenjoyable for them as possible.

“We always try to encourage aninput from the residents because it istheir home and we are budgetingtheir money and not ours.”

The Anchor owned home wasrebuilt 10 years ago and has recentlybeen awarded a three-star rating bythe CQC.

John, a former roofer who ran hisown business for many years beforechanging careers, originally appliedfor a job at the home as a gardener,but was soon asked to change roles.

He added: “Management must haveseen something in me because theywanted me to get involved with theactivities, and I haven’t looked backsince.

“All the staff are very proud of thehome, and my job is very simplebecause they all like to come out oftheir bubble and get to know theresidents better on a personal level.

“I see my roles as one thatstimulates and motivates theresidents, while at the same timegiving them self-confidence andrespect.”

The home is part of the group’sMake a Wish project, and John isalready working on a couple of ideasfor residents.

He added: “We have a lady whoalways wanted to visit the Houses ofParliament, so I am working on thatone. We also have a gentleman whoworked on the first Harrier Jump Jet,who stood on the runway when thefirst one took off with his fingerscrossed.

“I have arranged for him to dosome model making and if we can Iwould love to get him up in one.”

The home also has close links withthe community, and students fromthe local college are helping todevelop a sensory garden in thegrounds.

Residents at a Surrey care home are packing their suitcases and going on a summer holiday.Dominic Musgrave found out more.

We’re all going on a summer holiday ...

Green Acres

‘Financially unviable’dementia home set to closeA SOUTH Tyneside dementiahome is to close after the ownerdecided it was no longerfinancially viable.

Eighteen staff are set beunemployed and nine residents,many of them suffering fromdementia, have been left lookingfor a new home after EvergreenCare Homes Ltd, owners ofVictoria Rose in Hebburn,announced it would ceasetrading.

Manager Geraldine Innes saidmany of the residents had been atthe home for a long time – onemore than 20 years.

She added: “The business islikely to go into liquidation afterthe owner decided not to keepthe home open.

“The home has a very goodreputation locally, but it doesneed a lot of work doing andmoney spending on it, which hehas decided is not financiallyviable.

“Some of the staff have

found jobs, others are looking,but it is just a case of waiting to see what is going to happen.

“It is such a shame and theannouncement came totally outof the blue.”

The local council said it isworking with the nine residents,their families and carers to findsuitable alternativeaccommodation.

Deputy leader Alan Kerr said:“Elderly people who live in carehomes are some of the mostvulnerable in the borough and we will be working with their families to ensure that theywill be spared, as much aspossible, from upheaval andworry.”

Victoria Rose will be the thirdcare home to close in SouthTyneside in just over a yearbecause of the recessionfollowing the demise of both StGregory’s and High Dene inSouth Shields.

TWO care sector figures have beenrecognised in the Queen’s birthdayhonours list for services to socialcare.

Jacquie Roberts, chief executive ofthe Care Commission in Scotlandsince 2001, received an OBE for her40 years’ service.

She said: “It is a great personalhonour and I hop this is seen as anaward for the very manyconscientious and committed peoplewho work in social care as much as itis for me.”

And Mario Kreft, proprietor of

Pendine Park care organisation andchief executive of Care Forum Wales,has been awarded an MBE.

He said: “I think the MBE isrecognition of the huge contributionof social care in communities rightacross Wales, including the teams at Care Forum Wales and PendinePark.

“It’s a huge team approach and is areward for all the work that we’vebeen doing together over the years toraise standards in social care and topromote the profession of socialcare.”

Care sector figures honouredfor services to social care

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CARINGNEWS12

New IT suite providesglobal link for residents A DORSET care home’s residents arekeeping in touch with relatives acrossthe world after the owners set up anIT suite.

The money for the newdevelopment at the Old Vicarage carehome came from a £5,000 grant fromthe Fresh Hope Trust to support itsactivities programme.

Proprietor Annie Sinnott, who haslong been an advocate of computersfor the use of residents in carehomes, said: “We have acquired threecomputers, a printer and a scanner,together with desks and chairs tofurnish the IT area.

“Two of the computers are a newly-launched design developed by localcompany Wessex Computers inassociation with TV presenter ValerieSingleton.

“SimplicITy computers are aimed atpeople over 60 who are unfamiliarwith computers and the internet. Thescreens of the new PCs have just sixbuttons, allowing users to surf theinternet, send emails and watchvideos without having to navigatearound cluttered desktops.

“The residents love it. Eight arealready using it to talk to relatives –some in Costa Rica, South Africa andNew Zealand, and one 95-year-old isSkyping her daughter in Canada.”

The computer comes pre-loaded

with 17 video tutorials from ValerieSingleton. All functions, includingthe keyboards, are in clear typeface.

Annie said she wants the newfacility to be of benefit to as manypeople as possible.

She added: “We asked studentsfrom the local school to come in andhelp residents to learn the basics,

and this was good for them as well asus. One of our residents, who has hisown computer, is also helping othersto use get online.

“These computers are also availableby arrangement to older peopleliving in the local community. Wecannot possibly keep such agenerous grant to ourselves.”

Reg and Bet Coffin with activities co-ordinator Jan Millward

COMPUTERS are an importantpart of the residents’ lives atone Northamptonshireretirement village.

Residents in the independentand assisted living apartmentsat Richmond Northamptonhave 24-hour access to theinternet, with many havingtheir own computers orlaptops.

Social recreation therapistChris Ryatt also runs sessionswith them, teaching everythingfrom the basics to how to use awebcam, Facebook and Skype.

He said: “We are lucky to haveour own fully-equipped ITroom, and I am on hand toshow them how to use thecomputers for a wide variety ofthings.

“Some keep in touch withrelatives in America, Australiaand New Zealand, while othersenjoy playing games or lookingat old films and music on YouTube.

“Computers help theresidents stay up-to-date withwhat is going on and, althoughthey may be an oldergeneration, they really enjoyusing the machines.”

Importanceof computersat village

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CARINGNEWS14

Simplemethod oflabellingWITH summer approachingmany residents put awaywinter clothes and need theirsummer ones labellingproperly.

This is such a timeconsuming task that oftenclothing is left inadequatelynamed and consequently itcan easily get mislaid.

Attach-a-Tag is a simple,cost effective method oflabelling clothing and softobjects and is an ideal way toquickly label short term andrespite residents clothing aswell as normal laundry.

Replicating a button, itattaches in seconds to thegarment seam or laundrylabel, making it discreet andcomfortable to the wearer.The patented design is easyto attach but difficult toremove, and cannot be takenoff by accident or come offduring the laundry process.

Yvonne takes therapistof the year titleYVONNE Hendry was the CAT who gotthe cream at a Somerset charity’s awardsceremony.

Yvonne, who has worked as anactivities co-ordinator at Axbridge Courtcare home for the last three years, wasnamed creative activity therapist of theyear after completing a series of courses.

The National College Networkqualifications in planning activity,reminiscence therapy and dementiacare are four-day courses run byReminiscence Learning at their BishopsLydeard headquarters.

And Yvonne picked up the inauguralaward after home manager SandraCrossey asked the daughter of one ofthe residents at the Almondsbury Careowned home to write a 500-wordnomination.

She said: “The main aim of the coursesis to teach you how you can stimulatethe residents through activities –everything from quizzes and crosswordsto facials and massages and trips out.

“The people running the courseslaunched the award because theywanted to reach out to the homes andfind out whether they used the skillsthey had learned in the homeenvironment.

“The manager asked somebody else tonominate me so that she could give anunbiased opinion of what I do, and Iwas over the moon when they told me

that out of all the entries they hadreceived I was in the final three. So towin it at the ceremony wasunbelievable.”

Yvonne joined the home with noprevious experience, having previouslyworked at the local leisure centre.

She added: “I was looking for a changeof jobs because I felt I was gettingstagnant in my previous role.

“My father passed away in 2004 and afamily member told me I would make a

good carer, but I felt it wasn’t really forme. But when I saw the activities jobhere advertised in the local newspaper Idecided to give it a go and applied.

“Sandra gave me the opportunitydespite the fact I had never doneanything like it before, and I have beenhere ever since. She tells me I am anatural, but I am not sure about that.The course has been a huge help, andhas given me a lot of ideas for things todo.”

Yvonne Hendry receives her award from sponsor Ken Mahoney, managing director of DMAStairlifts, while Fiona Mahoney, chief executive of Reminiscence Learning and Axbridge Courtmanager Sandra Crossey look on.

14 18/6/10 15:27 Page 1

15

Caring UK Commercesection brings you all the latest property,business and trainingnews every month.

In this issue:

� How the internalenvironment hasan impact ...

Page 16

� Occupany ratesfall below 90% –new report

Page 18

� Will Act ever see the light of day?

Page 19

New homebrings 70 jobsto YorkshireBy Dominic Musgrave

A £4MILLION care home namedafter the deputy chief executive ofthe group has been unveiled in WestYorkshire.

Asquith Hall, named after PatAsquith, will provide nursing andresidential care for elderly or men-tally infirm patients and createapproximately 70 jobs.

The accommodation consists of 53single bedrooms, and owner BarryPotton, who also runs nearbyPennine Lodge, named it in recogni-tion of Pat’s hard work during her 13years’ employment.

She said: “Barry decided to nameAsquith Hall after me in apprecia-tion of the work I have done for himover the years in a variety of roles,including the last three as hisdeputy. I was humbled by his deci-sion, but have got used to it now.

“The new facility is a very special-ist nursing home, with all bedroomshaving had magic eye scannersinstalled in an attempt to preventany falls. It also has a lot of extras,including a hydrotherapy pool, sen-

sory room, a hair and beauty salonand treatment rooms that we hopewill reduce the need for readmis-sions to hospital.”

Mayor of Todmorden CherylStovin, a former CQC inspector, offi-cially opened the home, andunveiled a plaque where a time cap-sule has been buried.

Pat said she hopes to carry thehigh standards from the 42-bedPennine Lodge across to the newhome.

She added: “In the time capsule wehave buried all of the plans for thehome and the names of those peo-ple involved in designing and build-ing it, with the hope that it will beopened in 100 years.

“Pennine Lodge has been ownedby Barry for the last 15 years and hasa three-star rating from the CQC. Wealso have a long waiting list, andhope to mirror the success that wehave had there at this new home.”

The company also hopes to beginbuilding a specialist care home with60 bedrooms in Wood Square,Boothtown, Halifax, later this year ifplanning permission is granted.

Michael Le Vell opened Leeds’ newest care home AireView in Kirkstall. The actor who plays Kevin Webster inCoronation Street Michael was the popular choice ofguests at the home, who were asked which celebritythey would like to perform the official opening.Manager Paula Pearson said: “We had a poll among theguests and we knew that we wanted someone fromCoronation Street or Emmerdale to perform the opening.”The 84-bed home is owned and opened by AveryHealthcare.� Michael is pictured with resident Martha Ryan andhome manager Paula Pearson

Forty members of staff at the Scottish inspectorate received specialist qualificationsdesigned to improve the delivery of care at an awards ceremony.Public health minister Shona Robison, who presented the certificates to the CareCommission employees, said: “It is vital that we have well-qualified staff in place tohelp us drive up the quality of care services through effective and professional regu-lation. These awards give confidence to service providers and the public that thosewho regulate care services have the skills and qualifications to carry out their rolesto the highest standard.”

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CARINGCOMMERCE16

By Vanessa Wall

IT IS widely accepted that thequality of the built environmentcan have an impact on people’shealth and general well being.

Buildings should provide acomfortable internal environmentkeeping us warm in winter andcool in summer. Comfort of theoccupants is a key measure of theenvironmental sustainability ofany building as reflected withinthe ‘Health and Well Being’ cate-gories in the Building ResearchEstablishment’s EnvironmentalAssessment Methods.

Older people, particularly thosewith dementia, can be more sens-itive to the built environment andto changes within it. Passiveenvironmental design principlescan help to ensure environment-ally comfortable homes. Forexample, the building’sorientation should be consideredto maximise natural light, passiveheating and passive cooling.

South facing glazing shouldoptimise solar gain, contributingto a controlled natural heating.North facing windows can provideeven natural light, but consider-ation must be given to minimisingpotential heat loss. Maximisingnatural light, without glare, canreduce the demand for artificiallighting and subsequent runningcosts.

The location of opening

windows, doors and vents can alsoform part of the overall ventilationstrategy; either for natural crossventilation or passive-stackventilation. Although they do runconstantly, mechanical ventilationsystems use a very small amountof energy and, when combinedwith an efficient heat recoverysystem, are a means of refreshingthe air inside while providing lowlevels of space heating. Positivepassive systems can also drawfresh air into the building, forcingstale air out.

Exploring passive heating andcooling strategies from the outset,reduces the overall energydemand of the building and anyrenewable technologies, that maybe required as part of a planningconsent, can be down-sizedaccordingly. Capital, operationaland maintenance costs can bereduced with a positive impact onthe health and well being of theresidents and staff.

This passive design approach is

reflected by the forthcomingrevisions to the thermal insulationpart of the Building Regulations,which come into force in October2010. This is based on ahierarchical; three-fold approach:

A new ‘Fabric Energy EfficiencyStandard’ to ensure an efficient,highly insulated envelope so thatthe energy demand of the buildingis minimised.

On-site CO2 emissions shouldbe reduced by appropriate lowand zero carbon technologies; thisis known as ‘Carbon Compliance’.

Remaining CO2 emissionsassociated with cooking, lights,appliances, etc. should bemitigated through ‘AllowableSolutions’.

For existing buildings the sameprinciples apply. Upgrading walland roof insulation, replacementwindows, air-tightness of thebuilding fabric should be seen as apriority. Boiler and applianceefficiency is also crucial in theequation.

This legislative hierarchy issimply another way of expressingthe passive design mantra: ‘fabricfirst, renewables second’ but nowit can be implemented to ensureour buildings are energy efficientand provide comfortableenvironments for those who liveand work there. � Vanessa Wall is environmentand sustainability manager atPozzoni LLP architects.

Heath View, Congleton, which Pozzoni designed forPlus Dane Housing Group

The impact of internal environment

Vanessa Wall

Speakers confirmed for ECCA conferenceABBEYFIELD Society chief executivePaul Allen and National SkillsAcademy chief executive Liz McSheehy have been confirmedas speakers at the annual ECCA conference and exhibition.

The event entitled ‘For Better or forWorse?’ which takes place take placeat the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury,onNovember 17, takes integratedcommissioning as its theme and willpose the question of whether healthand social care can ever be happily

married.

In her presentation Liz willemphasise the role and benefit of innovative training, while Paul, as a major care provider, willgive his own insights into theeveryday reality of integratedcommissioning.

Further speakers will be announcedshortly to add their perspective and present a rounded view of theissues.

Care group appoints development managerA LEEDS-based care group hasannounced the appointment of a new service developmentmanager.

Chris Womack, who has extensiveexperience in the service industrysector, has joined Maria MallabandCare Group.

Tax reclaims forcommercial property

ownersCAPITAL allowances are among the most valuable andleast exploited methods of reducing property owners’income tax or corporation tax liabilities.

Capital allowances arise from capital expenditure onpurchasing or constructing a new property along

with extensions and refurbishments.We carry out retrospective, current year, and new

build capital allowance claims, both for individuals andcompanies in relation to commercial properties rightacross the commercial sector.

Most retrospective capital allowance claims that wehandle lead to a significant tax refund for the client. Wewill quickly identify the validity of a claim withoutobligation. If a claim does not proceed, there will be nofee.

We comprehensively survey the property which allowsus to identify any qualifying items that, for numerousreasons, have previously not been claimed.

Enquiries: Telephone 01246 293011 or visitwww.salmon-business.com

16 15/6/10 16:27 Page 1

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CARINGCOMMERCE18

Mary and Stephen Brown with John Morgan and Victoria Evans from RBS andVajinder Bal from Lombard

£800k extension creates13 new bedroomsWORK has finished on an£800,000 extension andrefurbishment at a Salford carehome which has created 13 newbedrooms.

The project at Moorfield House,which has been managed byhealthcare construction specialistsDecs Group, has increased thehome’s capacity from 20 to 33beds, as well as providingresidents with a new day room.

The home, which was formerly adoctor’s surgery, was established20 years ago by husband and wife

team Mary and Stephen Brown,and has recently been running at100 per cent capacity.

Mary said: “We have operated atfull capacity for several years andit has been frustrating having toturn people away. The last timewe extended the Moorfield Housewas 20 years ago so the latestdevelopment is overdue.”

Constructions costs were fundedby RBS, with its asset finance armLombard providing an additional£80,000 funding package to helpequip and kit out the extension.

Occupancy ratesfall below 90% – new reportBy Dominic Musgrave

OCCUPANCY rates in specialist carehomes fell below 90 per cent for the firsttime since records began eight yearsago, according to a new study.

The Care Homes Review report of thesecond half of 2009 by Colliers CRE,which measures occupancy rates,average weekly fees, payroll costs, non-payroll costs and profit margins, foundthat the average occupancy is 89 percent, almost four per cent below theaverage since 2002.

There was some regional variation,however, with specialist homes inScotland and the North East bothachieving average occupancy rates ofover 95 per cent. But homes within theSouth East and the East Midlandsperformed less well, with both regionsaveraging 85 per cent.

The research also found that feesremained steady in the second half of2009 for nursing homes, whileresidential homes saw a marginalincrease in the weekly rate.

Jeremy Taster, head of healthcare atColliers CRE, said: “This report showsthat the effect of the Care QualityCommission star rating system isbecoming apparent, and that themarket reflects the continued pressureon the public purse and greaterincentives for domiciliary care.”

Downward pressure on occupancyrates in specialist homes combined withrising payroll costs continued to impacton profit margins in the last six monthsof 2009, with average profit margins orEBITDAR as a proportion of totalrevenue falling to 34 per cent, a two percent decrease from figures collectedearlier in the year.

A CARE group has appointed newmanagers for two of its Norfolk homes.

Sandra Hudson has been promotedfrom deputy care manager to managerof Healthcare Homes’ ClaremontHouse, while Christine Morgan hasbecome unit manager for ClaremontLodge, joining the company from

previous roles in care with OrbitHousing and Mencap.

Claremont House offers specialisednursing care for the elderly, andClaremont Lodge is one of the few specialist units in the region which caters for residents withdementia.

Sandra Hudson (left) and Christine Morgan

Group appoints new managersHuddersfield home changes handsTAYLOR National hascompleted the sale of NewsomeNursing Home, Huddersfield,West Yorkshire by way of a saleof 100 per cent of the sharecapital of Huddersfield NursingHomes Ltd.

The home, which is registeredfor 46 in 40 single and threetwin bedrooms, was originallyestablished in 1985, andacquired by Andrew Savage asmanaging director in February2008.

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19CARINGCOMMERCE

Will Personal Careat Home Act eversee the light of day?By David Goldman

THE Personal Care at Home Act2010, which was designed to pro-vide free care at home annually forabout 280,000 people with thehighest needs and “re-ablement”support annually for about130,000 people, received its royalassent in April.

But it now seems highly unlikelythat the Act, which needs a furtherparliamentary vote to bring it intoforce, will ever see the light of day.

Why the Act will not be brought into forceThis of course is speculative,because all one can do is look atthis stage of the life of the newcoalition government, is to look atthe Election manifestos of the twocoalition parties to see whetherthere is likely to be any desire oneither side of the coalition to bringthe Act into force.

The Conservatives did notoppose the principle of the Act inParliament, but did consider thelikely cost of its implementationwas far too high. Given that thefocus of the new government willbe on cutting public expenditure,it is not likely that theConservative element of the coali-tion will fight to save the Act andthe coalition “pre-nuptial agree-ment” makes no mention of theinfamous, so called “Death Tax”said to have been designed to fundthe Act.

The Liberal Democrat side willmost likely seek to kill off the Act.The Liberal Democrat manifestostates that it would divert themoney that would have beenspent on implementing the“flawed” Act into: “... proposals forlong term care of the elderly”.

So what will we get?The Conservative manifesto sug-gests a number of alternativestrategies for delivering person-alised health care within the resi-

dential care industry:� Provision of single budgetaccess, combining health andsocial care for people with chronicillness or long term conditions.� A new patient funding systemfor all hospices and otherproviders of palliative care.� Residential Care Homes mayalso benefit from the proposedsingle premium insurance schemeto fund residential care.

However, in both theConservative and LiberalDemocrat manifestos, there was aclear bias in favour of the principleof home care support.

The Conservatives favoured theextension of their insurancescheme to fund home care. TheLiberal Democrats seek to provide“a seamless service … to allowpeople to stay in their homes forlonger …”

The strength of the political willto implement any form of sub-sidised personal healthcare athome remains to be seen.Assuming, however, that there isthe will and (ultimately) themoney to do so, then, although itis unlikely to have a high prioritythis, in the long term it does seemlikely that a system reflecting theviews of the coalition parties, willeventually find its way onto theStatute Book.� David Goldman is a consultantwith law firm Matthew Arnold andBaldwin LLP.

David Goldman

£8m home tobe built in KentWORK is due to begin ona new £8m state-of-the-art nursing and residentialhome in Kent.

Nellar Ltd’s Hengist CareCentre in Sittingbourne isdue for completion in late2011 and will have 75 en-suite bedrooms. Fundingfor the project wasarranged by specialist carehome broker GRPFinance. The home willalso feature a hairdressingsalon, cinema, sensoryroom, assisted bathingfacilities, spacious loungesand secure landscapedgrounds.

New home set forpolice station sitePLANS are going ahead for a new 65-bed carehome to be built on the site of a former policestation in the centre of Hatfield.

The home will be a flagship property for AveryHealthcare and, subject to planning approval bythe local council and construction, Acacia Mewsis expected to open in early 2012.

The three storey home will be brick built to fol-low traditional styles of architecture area, and beadjacent to another development of semidetached homes being built by another develop-er on the site.

Like other Avery homes, Acacia Mews will offera mixture of personal, convalescent, respite anddementia care, and is expected to provide jobsfor around 60 staff.

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CARINGCOMMERCE20

Christie and Co has sold the freehold of The Homestead care home in Crowthorne for anundisclosed sum, off an asking price of £2.3 million. The three-star home is registeredfor 23 residents with dementia, and had been in the same ownership for 25 years. Theyhad recently secured planning consent for further expansion.

Acquisition is‘first of many’By Dominic Musgrave

THE acquisition of a Somerset carehome is likely to be the first of manyover the next few years made by itsnew owner.

Experienced care home operatorDoctor Oliver Sargent has boughtOrchard Portman nursing home inTaunton from an asking price of£3.8million, and plans a £500,000refurbishment programme on thefacility.

He also plans to build a 27-bedhospital in the nine acres of land,which also includes and orchard andcricket field, which will be registeredto care for people with mental healthwith the CQC.

He said: “The new hospital will beregistered separately and, oncecomplete in approximately 10months’ time, will createapproximately 50 new jobs.

“We are also planning arefurbishment of the nursing home – painting all of the rooms,updating the carpets, making morecreative areas and building a path togive the residents more outsideaccess.

“The two-star home was in a good

state when we bought it, however, itjust needed a bit of investment.

“Half of the nursing home is a newbuild that was completed in 2004.”

Oliver has already put in place themanagement team to support theexisting manager, with plans toexpand the business further in thenear future.

He added: “We have moremanagement than we need for asingle home, but we want topurchase one a year for the next fewyears so it is good to have people inplace early.

“It is early days but I am lookingaround the south coast and ideallywould like to build a new home inHampshire.

“My requirements when looking fora home are a good deal of space,preferably at least one-and-a-halfacres, near a community so thefacility can be a part of it and have anearby source of employees whenrequired.”

Orchard Portman was advisedthroughout the nine-month processby Francis Clark LLP, accountantsand tax advisers, with Christie andCo acting as the agents.

Oliver Sargent, David Crier, Gavin Davey (Francis Clark), Darryl Thomas and Tom Kingston(Francis Clark) are pictured at Orchard Portman Nursing Home, Taunton.

Picture: Mark Passmore

VAT reclaims continue to be a lifeline forcare operators

IN A climate where care home operators are still sufferingrising costs, reduced placements and great uncertainty abouttheir future, the opportunity to recover up to nine years ofVAT is greatly needed.

Cost reduction specialists Salmon Business Group canhelp operators reclaim retrospective VAT for nursing andresidential homes.

Despite the ruling taking place back in 2002, manyoperators have failed to avail themselves of the opportunitythinking that they could not make a claim.

You may not have all the records but this does not matter,as we can work with minimal information to secure asuccessful outcome.

We can assess your claim free of charge and advise as towhat the next step should be, and take this through tocompletion and funds in your bank account. If we are notsuccessful there is no charge to you the customer - you havenothing to lose.

Enquiries: Telephone 01246 293011 or visitwww.salmon-business.com

20 15/6/10 16:31 Page 1

21CARINGNEWS

THE inspectorate has said the cur-rent quality ratings system will ceaseahead of the new registration systemand new standards, which come intoforce on October 1 under the Healthand Social Care Act 2008.

But it added that key inspectionsdue to take place between now andSeptember would be brought for-ward, and that by the end of June allservices that have not been inspectedfor three years will have been.

Chief executive Cynthia Bowersaid: “We want to work with the sec-tor to develop a fair and transparentsystem. We are very open to differentideas and will be calling on people totell us how they think it shouldwork.”

Martin Green, chief executive ofECCA, criticised the decision, sayingthe CQC was “bureaucratically sham-bolic”. He added: “The CQC has toldproviders that it is interested in qual-ity and yet we have seen it bring for-ward the abolition of the star ratingssystem without a clearly definedtimescale for its replacement.

“The manner of this announce-ment, the lack of consultation, andthe fact that CQC is not even adher-ing to its own published timescalegives us grave concern about its com-mitment to quality and its under-standing and engagement with thesocial care sector.

“The CQC has been in existence for13 months and it is becomingincreasingly clear that it has little

understanding of the social care sec-tor, is administratively and bureau-cratically shambolic, and lacks lead-ership and direction.”

And Mike Parsons, founder andCEO of Barchester, agreed.

He added: “The star ratings, thoughnot without their flaws, are the onlymeasure we have to differentiate‘excellent’ from ‘poor’ care homes.

“While we fully support the devel-opment of a more sophisticated rat-ings scheme we are concerned that,until this new ratings tool is in place,there is no compunction on carehome owners to aspire to higherquality. Once the new and hopefullyimproved ratings scheme is imple-mented, the real challenge for theCQC is to incentivise towards quality-based commissioning – where highstandards of care are the first choice”.

Until October 1, CQC will continueto conduct risk-based inspectionswhen it receives information indicat-ing concerns about safety, and willcontinue to publish the inspectionreports on its website.

These may be key inspections,which could result in change to a rat-ing, or a random inspection, whichwill not involve a rating change.

� What do you think of the CQC’sdecision, and what would you like tosee in the new ratings system? LetDominic Musgrave know by emailingdm@whpl.net or ring 01226 734407.

Mike Parsons Cynthia Bower

Members of the care sector have given theirreaction to the CQC’s announcement that it isscrapping the star ratings system for carehomes. Dominic Musgrave reports.

Criticism overscrapping ofratings system

New staff appointed at organisationA CHARITABLE organisation hasappointed two new members of staffto expand it provision of one-to-onelearning services to care home resi-dents.

Learning mentors from Learningfor the Fourth Age (L4A) will soon be

teaching residents in Sheffield andLeeds everything from computing toknitting.

Danny Woodworth is the new con-tact for Leeds and Jason Briggs forSheffield. They join an existing teamof four directors.

RESIDENTS at a Manchester carehome were served a 1940s’ style buf-fet and refreshments including dan-delion and burdock and cream sodato celebrate the 65th anniversary ofVE Day.

Union Jack flags decorated the largelounge and conservatory area at

Greatwood House, while staff also setup a 1940s’ kitchen area completewith traditional tableware and aclothes airer.

Display boards with memorabilia,much of which was donated by resi-dents and their families, was set uparound the home.

Residents getready fortheir buffet to celebratethe 65th anniversaryof VE Day

Manchester residents get into patriotic spirit ...

21 15/6/10 16:32 Page 1

CARINGNEWS22

Recognitionfor ECCA chairat care awardsJANE Ashcroft picked up theoutstanding contribution to socialcare prize at the inaugural GreatBritish Care Awards.

The Anchor Care chief executiveand ECCA chair picked up the prizeat the ceremony, which waspresented by television personalityFiona Phillips. Caring UK was themedia partner.

The event was the culmination of aseries of regional awards, with all ofthe winners from these invited toattend the national final which ECCAhosted.

Director Mike Padgham said hehopes the awards will help to raiseand improve the profile of the sector.

He added: “The awards built uponthe success of the regional awards,which have become such animportant occasion in the social carecalendar in such a short space oftime.

“Our regional events recognisedsome fantastic teams, individualsand organisations, providingexceptional care in their respectiveregions.

“Residential and nursing care onoffer in this country is clearly inextremely good shape, and ourwinners demonstrated great quality,innovation and entrepreneurial flair.

Social care doesn’t always get thepositive column inches in the mediathat it should, and that is why eventslike this play such an important role.”

Other winners: Newcomer – RachelGuthrie (Innova House, Nottingham);Employer (more than 250 employees)– Alnur Dhanani, Phillipa Morley andDawn Sharp (Carebase, Wimbledon);Employer (less than 250 employees) –William Kenyon (TransitionalRehabilitation Unit Ltd, St Helens);Worker – Christina Dobson(Henshaws College, Harrogate);Registered manager – Helen Rollin(Anchor, Ipswich); Nutrition – JoShuker (Sebright House, LeamingtonSpa); Dignity in care – Tamsin Banks,Susan Wells and Caroline Patterson(Plymouth City Council); Dementiacarer – Jo Shuker (Sebright House,Leamington Spa); Care team –Thompson Court Resource Centre(Bradford); Activity organiser – JanMillward (Old Vicarage, Dorset);Ancillary worker – Hayley Pell(Innova House, Nottingham); Trainer– Sue Huxley (Lynhales, Lyonshall);Innovator – Susannah Chard(Choices Housing Association,Newcastle Under Lyme); IT innovator– Karen Cooper (Greensleaves HomesTrust, Tunbridge Wells).

“THE awards are a fantastic way tocelebrate those people in the caresector who are committed toproviding the highest standards ofcare, whether it’s in nursing homes,specialist dementia care, homecare assistance, or any other field.

In the Care Newcomer category –which NatWest sponsored – wecelebrated new faces in theindustry, those who have perhapstaken the plunge to start up a new

venture or develop an existingbusiness opportunity in a novelway.

I believe that the confidence andenergy displayed by theseindividuals will be pivotal inboosting the attitude of thebusiness community both withinand beyond the healthcareindustry, and contribute to thefuture development of thecountry’s economy.

The changing demographics herein the UK are bringing challengesand opportunities for the caresector. An ageing populationcontinues to place high demandson care providers but alsocontributes to the sector’s strongperformance, with most healthexpenditure non-discretionary innature. We are also seeing anincreasing demand for specialistcare services.

Care home operators shouldregularly review their businessmodel to ensure the business iswell-placed to continue to operateprofitably while offering thehighest standards of care.

This can be supported bymaintaining training for staff, and considering providing nicheareas of care in order todifferentiate the offering from thecompetition.”

Ian Hardcastle, head of healthcare at NatWest Business and Commercial Banking, discussesthe role of the Great British Care Awards in recognising the industry’s leading lights.

Celebrating all that’s good in the care sector

FOUR new regions have been addedto the regional 2010 Great BritishCare Awards and nominations arenow open.

As well as the five original areas,ceremonies will also be taking placethis autumn in London, the SouthWest, East and South East. Onceagain there will also be two nationalfinals at a prestigious London venuein 2011 - one for the homecare sectorand one for care homes.

Director Mike Padgham said: “Theawards represent all areas of the care

sector, whether it be older people orspecialist services, residential orhome care. From frontline staff suchas care workers and care managers topeople who have made an impact inother ways such as training, IT andinnovation.”

Four new award categories havealso been added for this year, andthey are: carer; putting people first;supported housing (design)supported housing (development).

Dates and venues for the regionalawards are:

October 9 – Great West MidlandsCare Awards, National MotorcycleMuseum, SolihullOctober 14 – Great London CareAwards, Emirates Stadium, LondonOctober 16 – Great East MidlandsCare Awards, East MidlandsConference Centre, NottinghamOctober 22 – Great North West CareAwards, Old Trafford football ground,ManchesterOctober 29 – Great East of EnglandCare Awards, Imperial War Museum,Duxford

November 5 – Great South West CareAwards, The Passenger Shed, BristolNovember 12 – Great Yorkshire andHumberside Care Awards, NationalRailway Museum, YorkNovember 19 – Great North East CareAwards, The Marriott Hotel, GosforthPark, NewcastleNovember 27 – Great South East CareAwards, Hilton Hotel, Brighton

Full details of how to enter, anddeadlines for nominations, areavailable from www.care-awards.co.uk

Nominations now open for 2010 awards

Category winnersreceive theirawards fromFiona Phillips andsponsors.

22 15/6/10 16:32 Page 1

23 15/6/10 13:47 Page 1

24 15/6/10 13:48 Page 1

Group seeksmeeting withnew ministerBy Dominic MusgraveA REGIONAL social care group isseeking a meeting with theGovernment’s new Minister of Statefor Care Services to discuss the wayahead.

The Independent Care Group (Yorkand North Yorkshire) chair MikePadgham has written to PaulBurstow, and claims the coalitionoffers a golden opportunity to putthe care of the elderly to the top ofthe agenda.

He added: “The new Governmentoffers us a golden opportunity for afresh start in discussions on thefuture of social care.

“We have written to Paul Burstowseeking a meeting with him to dis-cuss how independent care providerscan help shape the way care is deliv-ered in the future.

“Given that it affects the propercare of some of our older and mostvulnerable people, a new govern-ment offers the chance for a new dia-logue on how we can all work togeth-er – Government, independentproviders and care commissioners –to provide the best care we can.

“On paper Mr Burstow’s record onsocial care issues looks encouraging,and we are excited to see what direc-tion, under his stewardship, the new

coalition gov-ernmentplans to takesocial care.”

The groupreleased itsown mani-festo ahead ofthe electionwhich calledfor a fullycosted, fund-ed and sus-tainable strat-egy for pro-viding highquality care tothose peoplewho need it.

It sought an end to the current‘postcode lottery’ of care that seesdifferences in the level of care avail-able, depending on where you live.

It also called for ring-fencing ofsocial care funding and forGovernment and local authorities towork more closely to deliver socialcare.

Other suggestions included VATrelief for social care businesses, anend to over-regulation, and fargreater recognition of independentsocial care providers as big employ-ers and major contributors to thenational economy.

Mike PadghamBRIDGET Warr has replaced theretiring Lesley Rimmer as thenew chief executive of theUKHCA.

Bridget, pictured above, hadpreviously been chief executiveof Guide Dogs for six years and,during that time drove majorchange throughout the organisa-tion, helping to change the per-ception of the charity to one thatsupports all round mobility ofpeople with visual impairment.

Bridget also helped improve thecharity’s financial position,building its annual turnover con-siderably and working hard topromote Guide Dogs nationallyand internationally.

UKHCA chair Mike Padghamsaid he was delighted with theappointment.

He added: “Bridget has anexcellent track record, particu-larly in the area of growingorganisations, increasing theirinfluence and fundraising – allessential for the future growth ofUKHCA. We were looking for anindividual with exceptional qual-ities of vision, drive and passionto take the organisation forward.

“We believe that in Bridget wehave found that person, someonewith the ability and excellentleadership skills to move UKHCAinto a new era of growth andincreased influence.”

New chief executive appointed

25 15/6/10 16:33 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE26

By Dominic Musgrave

A DOMICILIARY care operator isenjoying the limelight afterwinning a prestigious businessaward.

Phillip Tovey, who owns IntegrityCare, which provides home careacross Cardiff and Mid-Glamorgan,picked up the Innovator of the Yearaward from training provider Cityand Guilds, beating off hundreds ofpeople.

The annual Lion Awards are theculmination of the City and GuildsMedals for Excellence programme,which rewards talent in education.

The 27-year-old, who set up thecompany after looking after hisgrandfather who suffered withAlzheimer’s for four years, said:“For the company to meet theappropriate care standards Ineeded to become a registeredmanager with the Care Council forWales, which required me taking aCity and Guilds Level 4 NVQ inLeadership and Management forthe Care Service.

“I was inspired after completingthat in seven weeks and have sincecompleted two assessor andverifier awards.

“I am completely devoted to the

NVQ and committed to trainingmy workforce. Winning this awardhas motivated me to encourage mystaff to develop their skills so thecompany can demonstrate thehighest standards of care.”

Phillip first set up the companyfrom a garage with one co-worker,but since those humble beginningsit has grown and it now providesmore than 3,000 hours of care tomore than 200 service users.

He added: “I hope that my storycan inspire others because I wasbought up on a council estate, notfrom a wealthy background, andhave been able to start and run myown successful business.”

“After doing a bit of marketresearch and my own poorexperiences I saw a need forhomecare in the region, which iswhy I decided to set up thecompany. And it beats working forsomebody else.

“The plan is for the company togrow steadily over the next fewyears, but the focus will alwaysremain on the quality of servicerather than the quantity.

Integrity Care has also recentlybeen recognised as a City andGuilds centre. Phillip Tovey receives his award from BBC sports presenter Jake Humphrey

Phillip wins Innovatorof the Year award

A NEW homecare provider hasreceived its CQC registration andopened its doors to provide carethroughout the Oxfordshire area.

Dinah Madelin, pictured above,and John Cascone, managingdirectors of Caremark (WestOxfordshire and Cherwell), havebeen planning and preparing for theyear preceding the CQC registration,including recruiting a team of careand support workers to operate fromtheir office in Woodstock.

Dinah, who has a background innursing and has worked in a numberof hospitals, said: “My previous workfocused very much on rehabilitationand helping people return to their

own homes with community supportinput to enable them to do so assafely and securely as possible.

“So many people would say ‘I justwant to go home’ and I used to find itheartbreaking when, for whateverreason, anyone was faced with therealisation that home might nolonger be an option.

“Relationships can become strainedwhen relatives or friends undertakingthe role of carer become exhaustedor feel there’s no time or energy leftfor anything else. I hope the supportwe can offer will take away thatpressure and enable people to get onwith simply loving each other andenjoying their time together.”

New homecare provider goes to work

A SOUTH West homecarecompany’s newest branch hascelebrated its first anniversary.

And the Glastonbury division ofLifeline Homecare, whichprovides services to people inWells, Shepton Mallet, Street andsurrounding villages – managedby Elizabeth Percival – wasawarded the highest possible two-star rating at its first inspection.

Peggy Gifford-Pike, who co-founded the company in 2003,said: “I am very pleased with how

everything is going becauseenabling people who need help orsupport to stay in their ownhomes is such a rewardingexperience.

“I also want carers to be seenand treated as the trueprofessionals that they.

“This means providing excellenttraining and support for carers,which is crucial to providing our clients with a quality service.”

Emma Gifford-Pike, Elizabeth Percival, Peggy Gifford-Pike and Conservative MPfor Wells David Heathcoat-Amory at the opening

First anniversary celebration

26 15/6/10 16:35 Page 1

Caring UK A-Z DirectoryArt Print andFramingEasy ArtUnit 1-4Tylers Business ParkLewis RoadBlackboysUckfieldPN22 5LFTel 0845 1662 732customercare@easyart.comwww.easyart.com

Bathrooms/HygieneCistermiserUnit 1 Woodley Park Estate59-69 ReadingRG5 3ANpr@wardturner.co.ukwww.cistermiser.co.uk0118 9691611

Business ServicesNetwork Care15-16 Queen SquareLeedsLS2 8AJTel:0113 281 6772info@networkcareuk.comwww.networkcare.com

CateringFowler UKUnit 9 Link 59 Business ParkDeanfield DriveClitheroeBB7 1QJ0800 6199337david@fowleruk.comwww.fowleruk.com

ClothingBoyd Cooper3 Long AcreWillow Farm business parkCastle DoningtonDE74 2UGTel: 01332856566catalogue@boydcooper.comhttp://www.dimensions.co.uk/Boyd_Cooper

Infection ControlEnvironmental Hygiene Solutions65 Riverside 3Medway city estateRochesterKentME2 4BHTel: 08000 434270www.enhys.com

Clothing LabelsAttachatag4 Brackenholme Business ParkBrackenholmeSelbyNorth YorkshireYO8 6ELTel: 01757 638926enquiries@attachatag.comwww.attachatag.com

ConstructionJab Enterprises1 Bickenhall MansionsBickenhall StreetLondonW1U 6BPTel: 0800 0141 366jon@jabenterprises.comwww.jabenterprises.co.uk

CorporateBadgesBig Badge111 Waldegrave RoadTeddingtonTW11 8BTel 020 8614 8880sales@big.co.ukwww.biggroup.com

FurnitureSpecialistsCare ChairEnterprise HouseCranswick Industrial EstateDriffieldYO25 9PFTel 01377 271700sales@carechair.uk.comwww.carechair.uk.com

Crombie and PaulBelle View BarnManserghKirky LonsdaleCumbriaLA6 2EJinfo@crombieandpaul.comwww.crombieandpaul.com

Holidays/ExcursionsThe Bond Hotel120 Bond StreetBlackpool01253 341218karen-dixon@bondhotel.co.ukwww.bondhotel.co.uk

Home CareProvidersCaremark Domiciliary Care ProvidersUnit 4 The Colonnades17 London RoadPulboroughWest SussexRH20 1ASTel 01798 873770info@caremarkuk.comwww.caremarkuk.com

InsuranceTowergate PatrickBritannic House230 Burlington RoadNew MaldenSurreyKT3 4NWTel 020 8336 0099www.carehome-insurance.co.ukcarehomes@towergate.co.uk‘Insurance for Care’

LaundryMieleFairacresMarcham RdAbingdonOX14 1TW0845 3650555slawrenson@themediashop.co.ukwww.miele.co.uk

LegionellaTestingAquacertSentinel House11 High streetLong BuckbyNorthantsNN6 7RETel: 0800 7835226info@aquacert.co.ukwww.aquacert.co.uk

Nurse call/PatientSafety SystemsSafety Systems Distribution LtdUnit 11B Hobson Industrial EstateNewcastleNE16 6EAneilrobson@safetysystemsdistribution.co.ukwww.safetysystemsdistribution.co.uk0800 3282951

Sensorcare SystemsTP HousePrince Of Wales Business ParkVulcan StreetOldhamOL1 4ER0870 4214288Paula.matsikidze@tpgroup.co.ukwww.sensorcare.co.uk

Safety & SecurityUniversal Hardware Direct UK LtdUnit 202 Kingspark Business Centre152 178 Kingston RdNew MaldenSurreyKT3 3ST

Fireco31-32 High StreetBrightonBN2 1RP01273 696007Alan.buckle@b3partnership.co.ukwww.firecoltd.com

Solicitors/Legal ServicesBates Wells & Braithwaite2-6 Cannon StLondonEC4M 6YH020 7551 7652020 7551 7741s.marchant@bwbllp.comd.tuck@bwbllp.comwww.bwbllp.com

TurnkeySolutionsSimplicarePO Box 410West MallingME6 9EYTel: 01622 605 099www.simplicare.co.uk

27 A-Z 15/6/10 16:52 Page 1

CARINGNEWS 29

Tarkett selected for new Birminghamhospital

TARKETT was selected to supply the vinyl flooringthroughout the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital inBirmingham.

The company is working closely with constructorBalfour Beatty’s partner Tyndale Flooring, who arecarrying out the installation, in order to ensure a ‘closedloop’ recycling system is operated.

The first step in the process is for Tyndale to requestcollection of full waste bags. Tarkett logistics co-ordinatecollection of the bags with the next delivery to site andthey are then returned to the company’s factory in Kent.

The product is then sorted and consolidated to ensureall material sent for recycling is suitable for processing.Materials are then loaded for transportation to Clervauxin Luxembourg.

Tyndale Flooring has installed over 120,000m ofEclipse vinyl flooring, while Tarkett has collected over 55tonnes of waste for recycling. The bulk of this has beenreprocessed into backing material used in themanufacture of Safetred safety flooring, of which16,000m has been installed in various washrooms andtoilets.

Enquiries: Telephone 01622 854040.

IN response to our feature in CaringUK last month quite a number of carehomes are taking up the ‘Free Trial’,offer to try out the industry standardBlanca ironing press from Fast Systemsltd.

Safe, simple and sturdy, the Blancapress has been designed for years ofcontinuous hard use.

Sheets can be folded and ironed upto four layers at a time, tablecloths andnapkins the same, plus shirts, trousers,blouses and uniforms can be pressed inhalf the time of normal hand ironing.

Easy to keep clean, the Blanca pressuses a Teflon heating plate and apartfrom occasionally changing the cover,it is virtually maintenance free.

At around 10p per hour to run andtaking half the time of hand ironingthe Blanca press keeps those overheadsin check.

Contact Fast Systems on 0800 528 3278 to arrange your free trial.

Award winning waterproof fitted sheet andmattress cover in one

SPECIALIST contract furniture suppliers to the carehome industry Crombie and Paul are the exclusivedistributors of B.Sensible waterproof fitted sheetsand pillow cases to the contract market in the UK.

The B.Sensible bedding provides a comfortablesleeping experience, and is soft, waterproof,breathable, bedding which uses Tencel® (pulp ofthe eucalyptus tree). The totally natural fibremakes the waterproof element virtuallyundetectable .

Available in 15 colours, the fitted sheets andpillow cases complement all surroundings, with noadditional bedding protectors required.

All bedding is hypo-allergenic with an anti-mitebarrier, and is made in an eco-friendlymanufacturing process.

They come with a five-year guarantee, have amaximum temperature of 90 degrees and can betumble dried, with no ironing necessary.

Enquiries: Telephone 015242 73334 , emailinfo@crombieandpaul.com or visit

www.crombieandpaul.com

Knightsbridge launches innovative Lexie NEW to the Knightsbridge furniture

healthcare collection is Lexie, a range ofinnovative armchairs and settees createdexclusively by designer CatherineHawcroft.

Describing herself as a ‘problem solver’,Catherine was briefed to create a new suitefor healthcare environments whichcombined versatility with comfort.

Distinguished by good ergonomicdesign and a compact footprint, the initialLexie family comprises settees in two-seatand three-seat configurations plus anarmchair.

All feature webbed seats and sprungbacks for a comfortable sit and goodlumbar and upper back support, and exudea contemporary domestic feel.

Either single or stylish two-tone fabric options are available, and Knightsbridge offers vinyl upholsteryfor use in hygiene-critical areas. Feet are in either polished chrome or solid wood in natural beech, oak,cherry, bleached beech, walnut or wenge finishes.

The Lexie is also available to Knightsbridge Reinforced or Extreme specifications for use in healthcarefacilities where residents demonstrate challenging behaviour.

Enquiries: Telephone sales on 01274 731442.

Healthcare professionals choose Bella laundry range

BEAUCARE Medical Ltd has re-introduced its Bella range of efficient, cost effective and eco-friendly laundrycleaning products.

The range is specifically formulated with healthcare establishments in mind. It is cleverly designed to providesuperb cleaning performance at lower temperatures, shorter wash cycles and kill bacteria at just 30°C, providinga more sustainable laundry cleaning process in terms of overall running costs and for the environment.

Bella professional comes in powder or liquid form: 10kg tubs, 5lt or 20lt liquid containers. When combiningthe laundry liquid with automated dosing systems, it creates one of the most efficient laundry solutionsavailable on the market today.

Beaucare also offers full advice on the most efficient way to run all healthcare laundry needs and providesexpert fitting and maintenance of automatic dosing systems by its own service engineers.

Enquiries: Telephone 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

Sensazone - the washroom water saverTHE latest product from Cistermiser is

a method of controlling water supply toall the appliances in a washroom.

Sensazone is an intelligent infraredsensor located on the ceiling thatdictates the activation of solenoids toallow the supply of water only when itdetects the movement of someoneentering the washroom.

It continues to monitor the user aslong as movement is recognised and,after that the length of time allowed forthe continued supply of water is pre-set,either 15 or 30 minutes being the norm.

All inflow then ceases once more,preventing water loss due to faultyappliances, negligence or vandalism.

To take a defective WC valve as anexample, Cistermiser has calculated thatthe use of Sensazone would save nearly900 litres per week for a mere drip, andnearer 85,000 litres a week if the valve were to be fully open.

Convert that into pounds and pence in a metred system and the figures are alarming. Enquiries: Telephone 0118 9691611.

Birmingham home visits hotel annuallyBOND Holidays welcomes over

20,000 guests per year to its range ofhotels and holiday homes.

Based in the popular resort ofBlackpool and neighbouring St Annes,the ever expanding hotel chain plays anintegral role in the lives of many peoplewith its specialist facilities, accessiblerooms, and even a fully accessibletransport fleet.

The Bond Hotel in Blackpool is theflagship and welcomes a varied rangeof new and returning customers withvarying degrees of disability.

Westbourne Care Home inBirmingham have visited annuallyduring the summer months for the pastfive years, and their group includes arange of service users with learningdisabilities and their carers.

“Our service users love the entertainment, it’s always varied and engaging. They also love Blackpool,” saidKylie Seymour.“The hotel provides a valuable service at great value, and we are always impressed by theircourteous and friendly staff as well as their fantastic range of affordable trips.”

Enquiries: Telephone 01253 341218.

‘Free Trial’ offer is a success

ZEST Care Systems is a market leader in theprovision of IT products and services to the care sector.

We have experience and knowledge which canprovide our clients with some unique selling points,enabling increased occupancy and efficiencies,resulting in lower costs per resident.

Our goals are the provision of superior qualitycomputer services and support with a highly personaltouch to fulfil the computer and technology needs ofthe industry.

We assist the professional care operator in movingforward with technology, thereby helping them to growand outshine their competition.

Our services range from the latest computerhardware and software installations to state-of-the-artnetworking, broadband and telephony solutions.

At Zest we take pride in our commitment to businessand, with experienced leadership and highly skilledtechnical ability, we maintain a loyal client base bystriving to go the extra mile for our customers.

Enquiries: Visit www.zestcare.com or telephone0844 504 4883.

Zest a market leader of IT products

28 15/6/10 16:55 Page 1

29CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Creating right ambienceBUYING art for your healthcare interior iscrucial in creating the right ambience forthe comfort of your clients and patients.

From Easyart.com’s online shop you areable to browse through and select sub-jects, styles and sizes to suit your require-ments. You can set up your own galleryand see images framed from a wide choiceof frame options. Easyart offers a free con-sultancy service to its business customersadvising on all aspects of selection the art,framing it and hanging.

Easyart has worked with many health-care organisations and provided art for avariety of different interior spaces fromreception areas, communal spaces andindividual rooms. Its in-house art special-ist will work closely with the client frominitial enquiry right through to installa-tion.

TOUCHSAFE Nursecall ATX5000 is the new wireless alarmsystem from Aid Call which can also help users in the battleagainst the spread of infection.

Residents in a home have close contact with each other andstaff due to them sharing living accommodation, facilities andcare equipment.

The risk of acquiring and spreading infection in these envi-ronments is therefore high. Older people are at greater risk ofdeveloping infections as their immune systems are lessrobust.

All elements of Aid Call’s Touchsafe Nursecall system whichare touched or handled are embedded with powerful anti-microbial additives to help combat the spread of infection.This provides lifelong protection against the spread of infec-tion.

The ATX5000 has an LCD screen which enables the nurse toretrieve the next message without touching the screen andwithout having to return to the central alarm system station ortouching screens.

Protection against spread of infectionTHE Care Show London has been designed togive the best possible advice and solutions tohelp with the latest CQC requirements.

There will be a series of seminars designed toanswer the many questions that care homeowners and operators have in regard to theCQC regulations. These will be free to attendand run throughout the two-day event.

In addition, there will be a CQC check-upclinic, which will be a drop-in centre for visitorsseeking personal advice from industry experts.

So that visitors can quickly and easily identifyexhibitors that offer relevant products and ser-vices, they will be grouped together and high-lighted according to the essential standardsthey help deliver. Visitors will also be able totake away a series of factsheets, checklists andinformation packs from the CQC library.

Care Show London is free to attend and takesplace at Olympia on October 6 and 7.

Advice and solutions

Beds, hoists and slings are this year’s topselling products from Beaucare

BEAUCARE Medical Ltd has achievedrecord sales of its electric profiling beds,hoists and slings.

The company has been supplying beds tothe healthcare sector for over 10 years, withthe majority of customer purchases stillbeing in good working condition afterseven years of use.

The electronic profiling beds aredesigned with end user comfort and safetyin mind; are easy to operate for healthcareprofessionals; meet EN 12530 standards(casters); include an MRSA resistant coatingon the headboard and are purchased withfree assembly by fully trained Beaucare ser-vice engineers.

The Beaulift hoist range has also provedto be a top seller, with increased sales in themini, maxi, stand up and bath hoist.

In addition, Beaucare slings compliment both the beds and hoists as being in some of this year’s mostwanted products to date.

Enquiries: Telephone 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

MJM Events’ series of conferences forcare providers has begun with eventsin Cornwall and Somerset.

This year’s series is themed aroundPersonalisation, and delegates havealready heard from Linda Nazarko,Martin Green and Des Kelly, whileother presenters include a lawyerand a pharmacist.

A trade exhibition, with 25 standscovering all kinds of goods and ser-vices, operates throughout the day,giving delegates lots of opportunitiesto pick up helpful advice.

Further events are planned forother regions of the country duringthe summer.

Conference aimed at care providers

WINSTON Churchill’s grandsonNicholas Soames was the guest ofhonour at a West Sussex care home’sopen day to mark the completion ofextensive refurbishment work.

The renovations at Caring Homesgroup’s Walstead Place included giv-ing the communal areas a fresh mod-ern look and the bedrooms anupgrade. Each has new furniture andthe showers were changed into wet

rooms to improve safety and ease-of-use for residents.

Other work included a new roof forthe redecorated conservatory, whichalso has improved disabled access,while a new serving area has beencreated in the dining room.

The home also has a new manager,Jacquie Ferguson, who has morethan 25 years’ experience of nursingcare.

Open day marks refurbishment

CARE home managers who took partin their employer’s inaugural man-agement development programmehave officially ‘graduated’.

Fourteen of the Balhousie caregroup’s managers, who joined thescheme last July, graduated at theceremony in Dundee.

The programme aims to help staffdevelop their leadership and profes-sional management skills, and givethe group the highest quality of per-sonnel to lead its homes.

Founder and chairman Tony Banks

said the management programmewas an important part of continuedpersonal development for each of themanagers.

He added: “We have clear plans forgrowth over the next few years andour aim is to become the mostadmired and respected provider ofresidential care in Scotland.

“In order for us to be the best, werecognise that investing in our bestasset – our people – is key, so weintroduced the management devel-opment programme to help our

Tony Banks with managers at the graduation ceremony

Care home managers ‘graduate’senior managers to hone their exist-ing skills and ultimately provide aneven greater service.”

The programme was deliveredthrough a mix of classroom work,workshops and role play, along withcoaching and self study on subjectsincluding managing staff, negotiatingand selling skills, communicationand presentation.

Specialist teamhere to helpWM HEALTHCARE are a team of spe-cialists who provide management orconsultancy services to owners ofcare homes.

We are experienced in working inmany different types of care homes.

Our key strengths are our ability toswiftly assess your care home againstThe Care Standards and Care HomeRegulations.

We have experience of immediaterequirements, POVA’S, DOLLS,inspection reports, crisis manage-ment and offer good advice to carehome owners who just don’t knowwhat to do next.

Unique programmeA WELSHPOOL care home is takingpart in a unique all-Wales pro-gramme to improve the lives of peo-ple in care homes.

Barchester Healthcare’s the RhalltCare Home is involved in the ‘MyHome Life Wales’ programme, whichis run by the older people’s charityAge Cymru and funded by the WelshAssembly Government’s HealthChallenge.

Manager Nick Oulton: “We’re goingto be sharing our ideas with the MyHome Life Wales programme aboutthe things that we do at The Rhallt.”

29 18/6/10 15:28 Page 1

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‘Investing in the care homeenvironment delivers massive benefits’FINANCE should not be a barrier toachieving significant improvementsin the quality of dementia care.Increasingly, improvements are dic-tated by a drive to spend as little aspossible.

Some operators will not spend anymoney on improving the environ-ment unless they have an imminentCQC inspection. Clearly this is highlymotivating and many of Find’s clientsreceive improved star ratings.

Where addressing the environment,failure to invest is false economy sowe need a new maxim – more is less.

The fact is, investing in the carehome environment delivers massivebenefits. Within a year any invest-ment will be recovered and continuepaying dividends.

An Alzheimer Society study con-cluded the cost of incontinence isbetween five per cent and 10 per centof a home’s running cost.

Assuming typical performance ofFind’s incontinence strategy, rough

calculations on a home with a grossincome of £1.2m suggest annual sav-ings between £16,000 and £40,000.

This does not take into account sec-ondary savings associated withimproved staff retention, nutritionand reductions of drug use.

Financial benefits of many aspectsof environmental improvements nowpossibly need to be quantified. Findis commencing studies of a range ofimprovements to establish the valu-able statistics of the impact of newenvironmental approaches.

The company has a vested interestin a positive outcome, so to eliminateany bias that could be present, theresultant data will be collected inde-pendently by the participants, andaudited by a department of the NHS.

The study will be conducted in anumber of locations, involve at least two major care home operators,and a university will make cost/benefit analyses from the resultantdata.

Sue bows out after 27 yearsA CARE group’s quality assurancemanager has retired after 27 years’service.

Sue Helliker is one of the foundermembers of Somerset Care, havingworked for the organisation since itwas formed in 1991 when it becameindependent from the county coun-cil. During her years with both sheheld a number of roles, and has beenin her current one for the last seven.

Sue said: “I first became interestedin care through my mother, who wasa nurse for many years. I startedworking nights in a care home beforemoving on to become a member ofmanagement.

“I then became a care home man-ager, area manager and director ofthe group’s domiciliary care sectorbefore my most recent role.

“Over the years I have met andworked with the most incredible peo-

ple you could imagine, and I havehad the most fulfilling career.”

Sue, who plans to spend more timewith her family as well as her hus-band at her holiday home in France,said she is proud to leave the groupknowing all of its homes are rated atleast 'good'.

She added: “My last role was a pres-sure one as it involved auditing all ofthe group's sites and ensuring theright policies and procedures were inplace.

“I also spent a lot of time talkingwith the residents and it has alwaysbeen really important to me toensure that all of them were beingtreated as individuals.

“All residents should be treated withdignity and respect, and I alwayswould like to think the staff werelooking after them as if it were theirparent or grandparent.”

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