August 2010

no.171 • £4.75

In association with

By Dominic MusgraveA CUMBRIAN owner has blamed ashortage of nurses for her decision tode-register and become a care home.

Francesca Windsor has run HazelBank near Penrith with her husbandDaniel under the name Number OneCare Ltd for the past three years.

She told Caring UK the ‘unavoidable’decision has affected 11 of her 18residents, with five staff also leaving towork at a nearby home.

Francesca added: “A nursing agencyhas been supplying us with nurseswho have had to travel all the wayfrom Liverpool to work with us.

“Even then we have had themturning down the work because thelocation is too remote, which has putextra pressure on our staff who havehad to cancel holidays to come in andcover the shifts.

“This isn’t a decision we have takenlightly, but it was a situation that wasunsustainable and, although thenurses always gave their best, it wasgoing to affect the quality of care weprovided, which is why we took thedecision to de-register.”

Francesca made the request to theCQC back in April, before meeting

with residents’ families and staff toinform them of her decision.

She said during a three-monthconsultation process the manager hasworked closely with families, NHSCumbria and the county council tofind alternative places elsewhere.

“To stay as a nursing home we couldhave done with three more full-timenurses here, which we simply couldnot attract,” Francesca added.

“I know we are not the only homethat has this problem, and it is a realworry because one day I will be one ofthese residents if I am lucky.

“I have spoken to a friend of mineabout the reasons why we cannotattract them, and he seems to think itis because when nurses graduate theywould rather work in a plush hospitalrather than a home.

“The differences in pay may alsohave something to do with it becausewe have to make sure we arefinancially viable, which is not easygiven the massive increases in utilitybills and other costs.”

Francesca says she now plans anextensive refurbishment of the hometo attract new residents.

� For more turn to Page 6

Nursing homede-registersover shortage

David Bellamy OBE officially opened a new £4mfive-star luxury care home and botanicalgardens in Gosforth. The environmentalist playedcroquet and boules at the launch of HadrianHealthcare’s The Manor House at the exclusivegarden party, which is set to create 40 new jobs.The 46-bed residential home is modelled on theconcept of a village and boasts a hair salon,bistro, library, cinema and a bar area named inmemory of the former Royal George pub, whichpreviously stood in the home’s place.

Care homeresidents’businessthriving ENTERPRISINGresidents at a Norfolkcare home have turned anew activities room intoa thriving cottageindustry.

The residents atBarking Hall in NeedhamMarket are using thefacility, part of a recentlyopened purpose-builtwing, to create itemsthey can sell in the foyerof the home.

Activities co-ordinatorMarion Haxell said allmoney raised will be putstraight back intoactivities.

She added: “Theresidents have beenmaking cards andknitting cardigans forchildren. They’ve alsogot the use of a sewingmachine, so they’ve beenmaking peg bags andpinafores.

“The residents run theroom – they can use itwhenever they like anddo whatever they choose.We then sell what theymake in the foyer tovisitors to the home, likefamily and friends.

“We’ve also been taking pieces to localcraft fairs.

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

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Call for star ratingsearch tool to beremoved from siteBy Dominic Musgrave

THE tool for searching care homes via starratings should be immediately removedfrom the inspectorate’s website, it hasbeen claimed.

Ian Hudson, managing director, atColten Care says every home inspectedsince the demise of the system earlier inthe year is being penalised as they nolonger appear in search results.

And he told Caring UK it could have direfinancial consequences for independenthome owners looking to fill their emptybeds, who may be unaware of the situa-tion.

He added: “We had to reregister all of ourhomes due to a change in our businessstructure, and five of them which previ-ously had three stars will not now appearin a search of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ onesbecause, even though it has maintainedthis standard, ratings are no longer beingallocated. This is the case for all homesthat have been inspected since the CQCtook this decision, which leaves themhugely disadvantaged.

“Homes will continue to be listed as ‘notyet rated’ despite them being inspected. Itcould have dire consequences for thoseindependent home owners looking to fill

their empty beds.”Ian says the company restructured its

business due to the collapse of the bank-ing system a couple of years ago, separat-ing several of its homes into a new sub-sidiary business but remaining under theColten Care banner.

He added: “We were told by CSCI that itwas just a paper exercise that could bedone on a local level, but it ended up get-ting confused and being sent to theiroffices in Newcastle.

“We were then told by the CQC that thehomes affected would be regulated as if itwas a new service, and the star ratingwould be cancelled as the new registrationprocess wasn’t coming until October.

“When I spoke to somebody at the CQCthey told me that is what it says in the leg-islation and there is nothing they can doabout it.

“Clearly nobody has thought about itand they are only interested in imple-menting the letter of the law.”

He added that the company’s solicitorhas written to the inspectorate, but hasnot received a response.

“It is the kind of organisation that doesn’tsee common sense so we are just going tohave to live with it, but this should neverhave happened,” said Ian.

PRIME Minister David Cameron surprised residents at a care home in his Witney constituency by dropping in for a cup of tea and achat.

He also thanked them for the con-gratulations cards they made andsent him following the recentGeneral Election.

David also visited Madley Park’s‘beach’ – an area of the garden com-plete with sand, red umbrella anddeck-chairs.

Prime Minister David Cameron withMadley Park resident Eveline Oldroyd,who has just celebrated her 100th birthday.

David paysresidents asurprise call

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CARINGNEWS4

Home ownerfound guiltyof neglectTHE owner and manager of aSouthampton care home have beenfound guilty of ill-treating andneglecting residents.

Annette Hopkins, 63, who ownedBriars Retirement Home, andMargaret Priest, 54, faced chargesrelating to the care of 16 people agedbetween 77 to 96.

Hopkins was found guilty on 10charges of wilful neglect and Prieston four.

Southampton Crown Court heardhow residents were left in soiledsheets for lengthy periods, wereunderweight and suffered painfulbed sores.

The pair, who had denied 16charges, will be sentenced at a laterdate.

The judge directed the jury toacquit them on three charges and thejury acquitted the pair on theremaining charges.

Senior district crown prosecutor forCPS Hampshire and Isle of WightRuth Bowskill said: “The treatmentreceived by residents at the Briarscare home in Bitterne Park,Southampton, was far below whatthey deserved.

“They were gravely let down by theowner, Annette Hopkins, andmanager, Margaret Priest, who had aduty of care but who denied any

wrongdoing.”An investigation into the home was

triggered by staff at SouthamptonGeneral Hospital after the admissionto hospital of one of the residents lastyear.

Ruth added: “All of the residentsinvolved in this case were vulnerableand lacked the mental capacity tomake decisions relating to theirpersonal care needs.

“They totally relied on staff at TheBriars, but some residents werefound to be underweight, with gapsin their records relating tomedication and food charts. Thismeant they were suffering pain anddehydration.

”I hope this conviction sends theclear message that the CPS iscommitted to prosecuting crimescommitted against older people incare homes, and as our Policy ForProsecuting Crimes Against OlderPeople makes clear, to working withpolice, social services and healthcareprofessionals to bring thoseresponsible to justice.

“Where there is the evidence, thepublic interest will usually require aprosecution when the victim isvulnerable and the suspect is in aposition of authority or trust.”

Briars Retirement Home was closedlast September.

Care home residents enjoyed a day by the sea without having to leave the garden.Wendy Lawther, manager at Sanctuary Care’s Hatfield care home, brought the beach tothem, building a seaside scene in the grounds. The home held a beach party tocelebrate the creation of the new area, complete with a wooden boat, sand, pebbles,shells and deckchairs. The staff also built a Punch and Judy façade and an ice creamcart to add to the authentic feel.

Successful home honours its staffA LINCOLNSHIRE care home held aspecial event to celebrate its ongoingsuccess and to honour its staff.

The Cedars in Bourne, which is runby Avery Healthcare, held its‘Celebration of Success’ day to marka list of honours won by the home.

These include an ‘excellent’ ratingfrom the CQC; a ‘Gold’ standard and‘Beacon’ status from the GoldStandards Framework For CareHomes; an ‘excellent’ status from thecounty council and a five-star rating

from environmental health for thequality of its kitchens and food.

Matron Helen Brewster, who waspresented with a special award forsuggesting and organising the event,said: “We’re really proud of whatwe’ve achieved here over the past fewyears and felt it only right to awardour hard-working staff.”

Managing director John Strow-bridge presented special awards tostaff members, while guests alsoenjoyed a garden party.

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5CARINGNEWS

By Dominic Musgrave

A FAMILY run Southport care homeis undergoing a major refurbishmentunder its new manager.

Since Lisa McLaughlin took over atthe helm of her parents’ home, Ben-ridge, at the beginning of the year, ithas had a major transformation.

The former banker, who has 17years’ experience of project manag-ing, told Caring UK it needed bring-ing up to date. She added: “I initiallycame in to look at the administrationof the home. The home has had threevery loyal managers over the 20 plusyears, but like anywhere it neededsome fresh ideas to bring it into the21st Century.

“I had to troubleshoot the wholeplace, everything from the decor tostaff morale and training to the resi-dents’ person-centred care, individ-ual activities and nutrition.

“I also spoke to local health experts,social services and other industryprofessionals. Their feedback initiallywas difficult to take on board; howev-er, we have now addressed all of theissues raised and listened to theiradvice.”

The home is now in the process ofsetting up a working group of resi-dents and relatives to work with the

management in developing newideas and activities.

Over the last three months theground floor has had a majorrevamp, which includes a lounge fea-turing stimulating activities such as asewing, painting and music.

Another room decorated withmemorabilia from the 1950s and1960s to trigger conversations is alsobeing created, which leads to asecured garden area. The addition oftwo rabbits and a tropical fish tankalso help provide sensory therapy.

Lisa added: “Relatives often tell usthey are unsure of what to talk aboutwith the residents, so we hope theroom will help them. As part of ourwork to build our reputation againwe recently held a Victorian TeaParty, and invited healthcare profes-sionals. It raised £200 for theAlzheimer’s Society and for ourminibus fund. It was touch and go fora moment, as the decorating to thewhole of the ground floor was onlyjust finished at five in the morningon the day of the event.”

Lisa says the changes have receiveda positive response from everybodywho has visited the home, and shehas noticed a change in the atmos-phere at the home among both theresidents and the staff.

Benbridge residential rest home

Lisa overseesbig changes atparents’ home

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CARINGNEWS6

Why nurse recruitmentheadache continuesto nag for care homes By Frank Ursell

THE shortage of nurses and its affecton the ability of nursing homes tosecure sufficient supply has beensimmering under the surface formany years.

The problem lies in the supplychain. The Department of Healthused to train nurses and they wouldincrease or decrease courses as theirworkforces strategy changed, butalways with the sole target of trainingonly enough nurses for the NHS.

The independent sector (acute andlong term) had never been able totrain nurses and so were subject tothe ‘boom and bust’ approach of theNHS, with little other opportunity tosource nurses from elsewhere.

Universities then became thetraining route, and degrees replaceda specific nurse qualification, withstudents having more affinity to theiruniversity than to a hospital, as wasthe case with the previous trainingroute. Fallout was greater, as was thedecision at graduation to use theirdegree for purposes other thannursing. To this has to be added the

university’s need to adhere to itsbusiness plan.

Muddying the water all of the waythrough has been the impact ofoverseas nurses. A ready supply inearly years, when all nurses wereconsidered to be on the ‘shortageoccupation’ list, has since beenseverely affected by various

immigration policies introduced by(in the main) the previousGovernment.

Another muddying aspect has beenthe ‘boom and bust’ problem of PCTsrunning over budget. All wererequired to ‘break even’ whichresulted in mass redundanciesamong staff, including nurses.

Nursing homes then had a smallrespite as there were sufficientnumbers of local nurses togetherwith large numbers of newlyqualified nurses who didn’t have ajob to go to as a consequence oflosing the affinity to the hospital inwhich they were trained under theearlier process.

For 2008 and 2009 we saw animprovement in our ability to recruitnurses without relying upon overseasnurses. But then PCTs started torespond to other targets whichresulted in increasing theirrecruitment of nurses, many fromnursing homes, and so thedownwards spiral started up again.� Frank is chief executive of theRegistered Nursing HomesAssociation.

Frank Ursell

LORAINE SUMMERS, manager, TheHawthorns, Worcestershire

WHEN I took over this post as amanager in 2005 we were in thetraffic light system, and at that timewe were in the ‘red’.

With the dedication of the staff andproprietor I built this home upsteadily, and in 2007 we were in‘amber’.

It was then changed to star ratingsand, after an unannouncedinspection in 2009, we went up to‘excellent’. I cannot see the sense ofchanging this system.

Where’s thesense inchange?

What are your views?Why not write to ourhealthcare editor DominicMusgrave at Caring UKnewsroom, 47 ChurchStreet, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S70 2AS.Or you can email him atdm@whpl.net or call himon 01226 734407

Puzzled bycommenton CQCAMANDA SHERLOCK, deputy director of frontline operations, CQC

I’M a little puzzled by the commentin the June issue that CQC should be“more localised and personalised”,and that service operators struggle toget hold of somebody when theyneed advice or help.

Although one of our predecessororganisations, CSCI, had aprogramme of office closures in orderto focus its resources into people, notpremises, all CQC’s inspectors arenow home-based and largely workwithin the area in which they live.

Compliance teams have a clearremit to establish good networksacross health and social care so thatwe use local knowledge to inform ourjudgements.

Every service provider has arelationship lead (inspector) andshould have no difficulty incontacting them when they wish to.

If a provider does encounterproblems in this respect, they shouldcontact the compliance managerresponsible for their area or, if thequery is regarding registration, theregional registration manager.

Alternatively, our contact centre on 03000 616161 may be able tohelp if the query is of a more general nature, and our websitecontains extensive information andguidance.

Procedures‘a cynicalexercise’KAREN AND STEVEN BLAKEY, proprietors, Arden House care home, Pickering

AS residential home proprietors for more than 22 years, we have experience of earlier inspection procedures as well as those current.

In our opinion the presentprocedures are a cynical exercise incost saving and can in no way replacethe more personalised effectiveapproach of earlier years.

To use an analogy: Supermarketsoften display cards in their toiletswith ticks supposedly stating whenthey were last cleaned.

The current inspection systemworks on the same principle and is(loosely) what we know as‘evidencing’.

How many ’dirty’ supermarkettoilets have you been to that havebeen recently ‘ticked’ but are patentlynot clean?

It is an understatement to say thesystem is ‘flawed’.

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9CARINGNEWS

By Dominic Musgrave

RESIDENTS at a Norfolk nursinghome are planning a special mealusing only the produce grown in thegarden.

With the help of the staff at the 43-bed Mill House in Horstead, theyplanted onions, carrots, runnerbeans, strawberries and tomatoes,and plan a meeting with the chef todiscuss some of the dishes they wishto create.

Manager of the Kathryn Homesfacility, Carole Neil, said the project ispart of a group wide policy toencourage residents to enjoy the out-doors.

She added: “We want to get awayfrom the stigma of nursing homesbeing boring places where nothinghappens.

“We want every day to be meaning-ful and as exciting as possible, andwe have taken what started as a headoffice directive a step further bygrowing our own vegetables.

“Even those residents who cannotget out and involved directly haveenjoyed looking out of the window tosee what was going on.

“One resident even rang the nursein the middle of the night to tell himthe cover had blown off the strawber-ry plant and asked him to go and putit back on.”

The home recently won £250 afterwinning the group’s Spring in Bloom

competition, and staff and residentswill meet to discuss how best tospend the money.

Carole, who has managed the home for two years, added: “We want the residents to feel as involved as possible in the day to day decisions as it is their home.

“Everything centres around them and, instead of having oneactivities co-ordinator like most carehomes, we have a core team of sixstaff who come together to planthings.

“We find it better than having a designated person because we can bounce ideas off each other

and you get more responses.”

A garden fete featuring the local salvation army band and brownies group is planned for August, with recent activitiesincluding a trip to the nearby Norfolk Broads and a Victorian teaparty.

Residents Ken Futter and Monica Regan do some planting under the guidance of amenities team member Sharon Kirk.

Making a meal out of gardening

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CARINGHOMECALL10

A Middlesex care home is still going as strong as ever after being run by the same family foralmost 80 years. Dominic Musgrave reports.

SUNBURY Nursing Home isbelieved to be one of the oldest inthe country, spanning through fivegenerations of the White family.

It is currently run by Chris White,along with his sister and twobrothers, while their mother Ellen,who is in her eighties, retired fromthe role of matron last year afteralmost 50 years.

Chris told Caring UK that eachfamily member plays a key role inthe running of the home, whichhas 81 residents.

He added: “My greatgrandmother opened the home in1932 and since then it has beenhanded down the family, and weall do a mixture of roles.

“I deal with the finances,publicity and admissions and myother brother looks after the HRand payroll. One of my sisters dealswith the training and the otherquality assurance.

“We all deferred here by variousmeans, but that is how these thingshappen. I left university unsure of

what to do next so came here tohelp out and have remained.”

Chris says they have madechanges internally to the homeover the years to make it fit forpurpose, but have never had anyplans to expand or purchasefurther facilities.

He added: “The home is a realfamily concern and that is a bigthing for us. A lot of the staff havebeen with us for a good number ofyears and we are a family within afamily, which makes for a greatsupport network.

“The last time the home wasexpanded was in the 1960s, and wefocus more on the people side ofthings and are very personorientated. We enjoy each other’smoments of celebration and cometogether when things are not goingquite as well.

“When prospective residentscome to have a look around thehome they either click into whatwe are or they don’t get it and go toa purpose-built, more luxurious

one nearby.” But, despite the home’s history

and local reputation, Chris saysthey still have the same challengesand restraints as everyone else.

He added: “There are financialconstraints for us and all otherhome owners because not enough

money is filtering into the caresystem, and you have to cut yourcloth accordingly.

“It is becoming more and morechallenging and, although we arepretty much always full, I do knowof a number of homes in the areawho are running with vacancies.”

78-year-old care home is ‘a family within a family’

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CARINGPEOPLE12

THIRTEEN years on Vicky hasworked her way up through theranks at The Minstrels in Boston,and is now managing theretirement village.

Vicky told Caring UK that in herposition at the Retirement VillagesLtd owned site, which incorporatesa nursing home, residential homeand independent livingapartments, she is able to sharesome of her passion with the 81staff. She added: “It’s a challengingjob but I love it and am passionateabout it. Every single day I gohome proud that I’ve been able tohelp someone and make adifference to their day – whetherit’s a resident, a resident’s relativeor a member of staff.

“I help them appreciate there isso much pleasure and pride to behad from doing a good job here. Iwas offered my original job the dayI knocked on the door asking forwork, happy to do night shifts bec-ause it fitted round my family. I’mso pleased the door opened tome.”

But this was not always the caseas Vicky was originally relieved tohave found a job which fittedaround life with a husband andtwo small children. She stuck at it,and said that within a year herattitude had undergone awholesale change – she’d started to

love her position.Vicky added: “I was upset every

time I went in. I saw these peoplewho needed assistance and I didn’tknow what to do. I could talk tothem, help with their personalneeds, provide them with drinksand food, but that never felt likeenough.”

“Something clicked and I realisedthat I was making a difference. Idid something every night thathelped someone and that was agreat feeling.”

Her new found passion gaveVicky the impetus to learn moreand take on new challenges. Shestudied for NVQ qualifications,finding out more about the role ofcare assistants, managementtechniques and then the runningof residential and nursing homes.

The Minstrels provides a range ofliving options for the over 55s.

The two bedroom apartmentsgive residents the independence ofowning their own home within acommunity of like-minded people.

The 42-room residential homewith communal areas and team ofdedicated staff is ideal for thoseneeding more care.

Next door the 43-bed nursinghome provides round the clocknursing care tailored to individualrequirements.

When Vicky Bartystarted working asa care assistant onthe night shift at acare home shewas convinced itwas not right forher. DominicMusgrave foundout more.

How Vicky’sview changedon caring ...

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13CARINGNEWS

By Dominic Musgrave

UP TO 50 new jobs will be created inTeesside this autumn with a new carehome designed to be the most eco-friendly of its kind in the north ofEngland.

Building work is underway at the£3m, Maple Residential Care Homein Stockton-on-Tees, which will spe-cialise in looking after dementia suf-ferers.

The new 63-bed facility is beingdeveloped by North East husbandand wife property developers, Billyand Karon Morgan, who have previ-ously developed and run more than27 care homes between the NorthEast and Lincolnshire.

It will be operated by Durham-based Whitton Care Group, alsojointly owned by the Morgans, and isbeing built by B&K Developments -another of their businesses.

Billy said: “We aim to create a total-ly caring environment both in termsof providing the highest levels of carefor dementia sufferers and develop-ing a property which meets the latestenvironmental standards.

“Internally, the building is designedto meet the needs of dementia suf-fers in terms of spacious easy-to-negotiate rooms. All our staff will betrained to a minimum NVQ Level 2 indementia care.

“We’re very excited by this new ven-ture which will offer a new choice toresidents and their families while set-ting new standards of care and con-struction.”

Building work is due to be complet-ed in September, and it will be thefirst property in the region to incor-porate a new Austrian constructionblock which makes buildings air tightand reduces the energy needed tomaintain an optimum temperature.

Other eco features include under-floor heating powered by an air-source heat pump, rain water har-vesting from a flat roof for the toilets,laundry and external water supplyand solar water heating.

Only timbers from sustainablesources are being used for the doorsand windows.

Yorkshire Bank’s NewcastleFinancial Solutions Centre providedthe funding for the development.

Eco-friendlyhome set tocreate jobs

Residents at a Lancashire care home have been keeping fit with the installation of anew games console and power plate machine.Kepplegate in Preesall have been using the two pieces of equipment to improve theirwell-being, while having good fun at the same time.Resident Ivy Coop is pictured on the power plate watched by carer Rachel Smith.

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CARINGNEWS14

THE Old Rectory in Armthorpe wasfirst opened by David Mitchell’sparents 25 years ago, and hasremained in the family ever since.

When it first opened it had 14 beds,but over the years has beenexpanded greatly and is now home to36 residents.

David said his stepmother Doreen,who had a nursing background sinceleaving school, ran the home aftershe did not like the home where sheworked and thought she could dobetter.

He added: “I came in five years afterthe home opened because it wasgetting a bit too much for them, andthey were talking about getting rid.

“I looked after the day-to-dayrunning of the business, whichallowed Doreen to concentrate onthe nursing because like a lot ofnurses she was better with peoplethan she was with the finances.

“The secret behind our longevity isthat we have always had a good teamof staff, not individuals. A lot of themhave been here around 10 years, andthey now tell the family what to do sowe can take a back step.”

As well as the extra bedrooms, thehome’s developments over the yearsinclude a residents’ relatives room,board room, conservatory,hairdressing salon, external laundryand new offices. There is also asummer house in the garden thatserves tea and coffee during thesummer. Close links have also beenforged with Sheffield Hallam

University, and student nurses workat the home as part of theirplacements.

David added: “Myself and thefamily have never really beeninterested in expanding the businessfurther. I wouldn’t want to startanother home from scratch thesedays because there is so much redtape and regulation that you have toabide by.

“I can honestly say that I go to sleepat night knowing my staff have donetheir best. We all make mistakes andstrive for perfection, but I know wewill never get there. I am proud ofwhat I have achieved here. Iremember seeing my dad sitting atthe front of the home thinking howthings have changed here, and I nowfind myself doing the same thing.”

The home celebrated with a gardenparty featuring a local brass band,dance school and other entertainers.It raised £600 for the Help for Heroescharity.

A Doncaster care home is celebrating its 25th anniversarythis year. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Longevity downto a good staffteam – David

David Mitchell with Doncaster civic mayorMargaret Pinkney

RESIDENTS at a West Midlands carehome are clicking away in a bid tobreak the world record for knittingthe biggest blanket.

Twelve residents at Waters Edge,which is owned by Alpha CareHomes, along with activitiescoordinator Jenny Cowley, have beenknitting squares since January andare hoping their blanket will make itinto the Guinness book of worldrecords. More than 200 squares havebeen knitted so far at the home, butthe team has a big challenge on itshands as it needs to be the size of afootball pitch.

Jenny said: “We’ve registered ourattempt with the Guinness World

Records and are waiting forconfirmation of what we need to doto beat the current record.

“The residents have really enjoyedthemselves knitting, as we alwayshave a reminisce while we knit, alongwith coffee mornings. On nice dayswe sit outside to knit.

“We can’t believe how big ourblanket has grown – it now measuresabout nine feet by nine feet. Therehas been lots of hard work put in andall that clicking of needles is verygood exercise for the fingers.”

The home hopes to donate theblanket to charity after the attempt,but it might need to be cut down into usable chunks eventually.

Knitting away at Waters Edge care home are residents Julia Bateman, Julia Bickley andIris Robson.

Residents square up to record

A TEAM of employees from a NorthWest charitable care home providerraised £3,000 for residents’ activitiesand outings when they took part inthe Chester dragon boat race.

The ‘CLS Vikings’, a crew of 16rowers, including care staff from theorganisation’s Chester and EllesmerePort homes, managing directorRobert Black and members of thecentral office management team,competed against 30 teams tocomplete the 250-metre course onthe River Dee.

The team was formed by learningand development manager Emma

McCarthy and captained by JennyJobber, home manager of FlorenceGrogan House in Chester.

Joining them were care staffGemma Spencer, Gemma Thomas,Katie Roberts, Emmie Jones (FlorenceGrogan House); Jodie Barnett, SamNash (Wealstone); Lyndsey McNally,Zoe Moore, Steve Maddock (AstburyLodge); Elaine Smith, GeorgieHerbert (Whetstone Hey); centraloffice staff Zoey Nightingale andSophie Whittingham; operationsmanager Sheila Wood-Townend andmanaging director Robert Black.

Boat race boost for residents

Care home goes green for charityA WEST Sussex care home turned green as part of afundraising event for a localhospice.

Residents and staff at ValerieManor dressed up for the Go Greentea party in aid of St Barnabas,

with visitors asked to make adonation for their refreshments.

The home was also decoratedgreen, with special eventsincluding a quiz and flowerarranging session also held for theresidents.

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CARINGNEWS16

Grant boostscare homeactivitiesTHE owners of a Barnet care homehave improved the activities on offerto residents following a grant fromthe local council.

Since manager Patricia Waldron’ssuccessful bid for an £8,000 grantfrom social services, a new movieroom showing old films four days aweek has been installed at theAppletree Court.

She told Caring UK that theresidents were involved from theoutset in deciding how the moneywas spent.

“We applied for £10,000 from thepot of £50,000 that was madeavailable, but were more than happywhen we were told we had got£8,000,” Patricia added. “Theresidents and their relatives havebeen involved with the decisionmaking from the start, and came upwith various ideas of how we couldcreate a better environment at thehome.

“Everybody seems really happy withwhat we have done here, and itseems to have encouraged one ortwo of the residents who havedementia out of their bubbles to getinvolved a bit more.”

The remainder of the grant wasspent on equipping the home’ssensory room, kitting out thehairdressing and grooming room soit offers more services and creatingraised beds in the garden.

Patricia added: “We divided themoney into eight projects, and partof that was used on converting anunused bedroom into a user friendlysensory area that could be used byeveryone. The raised garden bedshave been a real success, and wehave been able to tell the chef not tobuy fresh herbs in any more becausewe have plenty outside.

“We are also growing vegetable andflowers, and the residents enjoywatching them grow and lookingafter them. Others enjoying justsitting in the nice environment witha cup of coffee.”

The home recently held a series ofmusical events as part of NAPA’sMusic in the Air week, and a gardenfete this summer will raise funds forresidents’ activities.� Are you doing any newdevelopments at your care home? LetDominic Musgrave know by ringing01226 734407 or email dm@whpl.net

RESIDENTS with dementia andspecial needs at a Hull care home areshowing levels of concentration andco-ordination never seen beforethanks to a new arts project.

And staff at Riverside Grange saythey are so encouraged by the resultsof the project they are planning toadopt the artists’ techniques so thatthey can continue their work.

Activities leader Nancy Brown said:“The results of the project have beenvery encouraging. Professional artistsworking for the City Arts Unitbrought music, dance, arts, crafts,drama and story telling into the livesof our residents, who responded inan amazing way.

“An 88-year-old resident who does

not communicate and has notdisplayed any signs of recognition inthe past showed a remarkablereaction when one of the artistsproduced drawings of her.

“The resident recognised herselfand started to touch the drawings.She now looks and touches them allthe time and gets an awful lot ofpleasure from them.”

The 12-week art project was run incare homes and day centresthroughout the city, and is beingevaluated by the University of Hull’sCentre for Applied Research andEvaluation (CARE). The pilot maypave the way for the development offuture arts opportunities for olderpeople.

Riverside Grange residents with artist Michaela Bullivant and activities leader NancyBrown.

Staff encouraged by art results

A CARDIFF manager and her staffhave turned the fortunes of a once-struggling home around.

Barclay Court Care Home, a 40-bedhome, had been struggling to meetits inspection requirements andneeded help with fee management.

Landlord at the time, Sidney Jay,decided he could not let the homeand its residents down, so took overthe running of the home in August2008.

He decided to work with care homeconsultants, Wright Care HomeSolutions, to implement a survivalplan.

Along with the company’smanaging director Julie Wright theyrecruited experienced Rose Grimaldiand, with support, she hasimplemented new policies andprocedures, rewritten care plans,begun a refurbishment plan andmade sure all staff training had beencompleted.

Rose added: “We’ve celebrated oursuccess by introducing a pet, Barclaythe bunny, to the home for ourresidents’ therapy, and a NintendoWii for their fitness andcoordination.” Barclay Court Care Home

Struggling Cardiff homesees a turn in fortunes

A Hertfordshire care group let off balloons at all of its homes to mark World ElderAbuse Awareness Day. All 26 of Quantum Care’s home held a tea party forresidents, relatives and friends to mark the day, and to talk about howcommunities can work together. Residents at Fosse House in St Albans (picturedabove) prepare to release their balloons.

Care charity launches updatedversion of its factsheetsA CARE charity has launchedupdated versions of its 62 guides thatcan support people in understandingtheir rights and entitlements.

The Counsel and Care factsheetscover a range of issues includingaccessing care and support in yourown home, going into and returninghome from hospital, adapting andmaintaining a property, finding andpaying for a care home place and thebenefits, allowances and grantsavailable.

Advice services manager ElizabethLodge said: “The information andadvice in Counsel and Care’s range ofguides and factsheets have been fullyupdated to reflect the many changesin legislation and policy affectingolder people over the last year.

“These include the developments inpersonalisation, the use of MentalCapacity Act and changes in howcare homes and home care agenciesare inspected by the CQC.”

16 20/7/10 16:18 Page 1

17

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

In this issue:

� ‘Frontline services must beprotected’

Page 18

� Mayor launchesspecialist dementiaproject

Page 20

� Where do westand with the CQC?

Page 19

Care groupset to create100 new jobsA HERTFORDSHIRE care group hasopened its first wholly-owned andoperated care home in neighbour-ing Bedfordshire.

Quantum Care, which was set upwhen the county council tenderedout the running of its homes in the1990s, has built its first 70-bed facili-ty in Luton, which once fully opera-tional is expected to create up to 100jobs.

Director of operations SamCheekoory said Trefoil House is thefirst development to open as part ofan expansion plan.

He added: “All of the other homeswe run are leased from the counciland we provide the care service.These homes have been significant-ly refurbished during that time toensure they meet standards andkeep up with the expectations of theregulators.

“The new home is the first that weare developing as we start to build aportfolio of our own, and strength-ens our relationship with LutonBorough Council, who in the pasthave sent people to our otherhomes.

“We plan to add an extra 500 bedsto our group over the next five years,all of which will be new builds. We

are in negotiations regarding vari-ous sites, predominantly acrossHertfordshire, where we feel thereare still demands to meet the needsof the community.”

The new home, which was openedby Luton mayor, councillorMuhammad Riaz, will provide resi-dential, nursing and specialistdementia services.

It also features the Quantum CarePlaza, which includes a cafe, hair-dresser, mini shop and recreationlounge. The facilities will also beopen to the local community.

Sam added: “We consulted a num-ber of specialist architects for thenew facility, as well as consultingthe managers and care teams acrossour other homes because they havethe knowledge of how one func-tions.

“We also listened to the views ofour services users and their familiesand friends as part of our qualityassurance process, as well as profes-sionals who come into the homes.

The plaza has been designed togive the residents and their familiesa different experience – somewhereto go away from the living areas andenjoy a drink or a meal without hav-ing to leave the site.”

England World Cup winning rugby player Ben Cohenopened Staffordshire’s newest care home, HempstallsHall. Friends and families of guests, along with districtnurses and social workers from around the area, werealso at the event, which had an ‘Ascot’ theme.Ben received a bottle of champagne from the first resi-dent of the home, Bob Lloyd, along with a Newcastle-Under-Lyme Rugby Club tie. The 40-bed Avery Healthcarehome offers hotel-style accommodation, with all itsrooms having en suite toilets and wet room showers,along with a TV, DVD and a drinks fridge.

Mayor Muhammad Riaz with representatives of Quantum Care and the children fromWarden Hill Junior School, who chose the name for the new home.

17 22/7/10 11:58 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE18

‘Frontlineservices mustbe protectedat all costs’By Dominic Musgrave

ANY cuts that take place in the careindustry must be in systems ratherthan frontline services, the head of acare association has claimed.

And Martin Green, chief executiveof ECCA, said direct service deliverymust be “protected at all cost”.

He told Caring UK that the first halfof 2010 has been hectic for the caresector, and that a new Governmentcombined with the financial crisishas created a lot of uncertainty.

Martin added: “The association istrying to ensure that, when councilsare looking at where to make cutbacks, they don’t look at cutting thecommissioned services that are inthe independent sector.

“The next six months are going tobe difficult, but what we have gotensure is that as a sector we are veryclear about giving the message aboutwhat we produce and who wesupport.

“We also must show we areproviding good value services thatare providing good value servicesthat are delivering clear outcomes forvulnerable people.”

And he said ECCA will be playing akey role in shaping the future of theindustry.

“We as an association are makingsure Government has all theinformation about the sector itneeds,” Martin added. “But we arealso making them aware that we cannot only deliver the service it is doingcurrently, but also how we cancreatively innovate to deliver a rangeof services that might currently bedelivered by statutory health

providers.

“Regulation is going to be a keytheme over the next few months and,in particular, how regulators aregoing to ensure there is a goodquality assurance system as well asregulation of care services.”

And he added that funding for notonly services but also ensuring theworkforce is suitably trained andskilled, will continue to be a majorfactor, particularly for a Governmentthat is restricted.

ECCA’s annual conference takesplace at the Holiday Inn,Bloomsbury, on November 17. PaulAllen, chief executive of theAbbeyfield Society, and LizMcSheehy, chief executive of theNational Skills Academy, have beenconfirmed as speakers.

Martin Green

Lillian Faithfull Homes has appointed John Jabangwe as new manager of St. Faith’sNursing Home in Cheltenham. John has joined the company from Crofters LodgeHospital in Bristol with over 13 years’ experience in mental health care and four years’experience of management roles.

Meridian Healthcare’s qualityassurance officer Sharon Woodhas been approved as aninternal reviewer for Investorsin People.Sharon received approvalfollowing a four-day courseand scrutiny of her interviewand evidence gatheringtechniques.She will play more of a role incollecting evidence inpreparation for Meridian’sInvestors in Peopleaccreditation. All of the group’shomes are recognised by thescheme.

18 22/7/10 10:26 Page 1

19CARINGCOMMERCE

Where do westand with CQC?By Stuart Marchant

PRIOR to the advent of the CQC,care providers had been used todealing with a regulator, in theshape of CSCI, which was outspo-ken and tough.

At the time, Dame Denise Plattcame across to the sector as dicta-torial and uncompromising. Butat least everyone knew where theystood, unlike with CQC.

The new regulator has not hadan easy start to life. The formerchair, Baroness Barbara Young,was combative in her style butpolitically unpopular.

Although she resigned over sixmonths ago, she has still not beenreplaced – Jo Williams has beenacting chair since February.

Chief executive Cynthia Bowerhas long been tarnished by herrole in the Mid StaffordshireHospitals scandal, and is not likedby health secretary AndrewLansley, who said: “We have to askwhether it is right that the personin charge of the West MidlandsSHA at the time, Cynthia Bower, isnow to be put in charge of thenational regulator.”

But this is old news, even if itremains relevant. More interest-ingly we have seen the followingrecent developments:

Jamie Rentoul and Gary Needlehave resigned from CQC’s execu-tive board, prompting questionsof an internal power struggleabout how CQC will regulate ser-vices.

CQC has drafted in external con-sultants “to help develop its rela-tionship with the sector” in theform of Bill Hodson (formerly Cityof York Council and ADASS) andBarbara Laing (formerly Anchor).

CQC has announced the scrap-

ping of the star rating systemwhich will be replaced by a newquality rating mechanism.Cynthia Bower heralded: “FromOctober 1 we will have new stan-dards and a new registration sys-tem, so it makes sense to developa new way to compare qualityacross adult social care services.”

We have also been told that itwill be transparent and fair. Whatdoes this tell us about the currentstar ratings? Can we really trustthe new system to be any better?

The biggest current challenge forCQC is the task of re-registeringadult social care providers. In thelast week, I have spoken to (a) aprovider who has found theprocess straight forward; (b) aprovider who questions the legali-ty of making providers jumpthrough hoops in a way that wasnot required by the more funda-mental switch from RegisteredHomes Act 1984 to Care StandardsAct 2000 – in the process askingfor essays about human rights andequality; (c) a provider who has ateam of people getting on top ofthe major logistical project ofpreparing to re-register dozens oflocations; and (d) variousproviders who are getting mixedmessages from the industry andthe regulator about which ‘servicecategory’ boxes they should beticking to protect their position.

And will the threats of poorproviders not being re-registeredbe made good? I certainly hopenot. There are proper processesto follow and this cannot be usedas a back door means of can-celling registrations.

� Stuart Marchant is a partner atregulatory law firm Bates Wellsand Braithwaite.

It’s all good (or excellent) atEast Anglia care companyAN East Anglia care company hasnow achieved a ‘good’ or ‘excellent’rating in all of its care homes andhome care services.

The results were revealed after theCQC carried out its latest inspectionsat homes and homecare branchesowned by Healthcare Homes.

Hillcroft House in Stowmarket andThe Manor House in North Walshamwere recently rated ‘good’.

Chief executive Richard Cloughsaid: “This is a tremendous achieve-ment and one of which we are veryproud.

“As one of the larger independentcare companies we continually striveto ensure that we attain the higheststandards. At the heart of what we dois always to provide care and supportappropriate to the needs of eachindividual.”

The group recently acquired JohnStanley’s Care Agency Limited, whichdelivers home care services acrossThurrock, Havering, Barking,

Dagenham and Southend.And almost nine in every 10 Four

Seasons Health Care homes inEngland are rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent’,it has been revealed.

88 per cent of homes have the twoor three-star rating, which representsa dramatic turnaround since the firstregulatory inspections were conduct-ed in 2006 when the group was belowthe sector average.

Chief executive Pete Calveley said:“One of our home managers cap-tured what quality is all about whenshe said ‘I would happily put mymother into my home’.

“Being able to provide assurance ofquality of care has become a pre-req-uisite to be able to continue to oper-ate and to attract customers.

“It is not coincidence that alongwith our improvement in quality rat-ings we have seen occupancy rise at atime when many other care homegroups are experiencing fallingdemand.”

19 22/7/10 10:41 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE20

BOURNEMOUTH Mayor BarryGoldbart launched a new projectwhich will see an existing care homedemolished and rebuilt as a purpose-built specialist dementia facility.

The new Highfield Manor willinclude 45 bedrooms, andincorporate many of the latest designfeatures for people who have thecondition.

Manager David Vaitilingon toldCaring UK that staff and the 30residents at the current home will bemoved to the nearby Sheridanfacility, where an extension has alsorecently been completed.

He added: “We are hoping to createanother haven for the people withdementia to be themselves, with

careful design to facilitate a higherdegree of independence by providingnew technology in each room andcommunal area and a sensorygarden.

“This will allow us to offer anotherstrand of care, and the home willhave its own local dedicated staff,while also being an integral part ofBournemouth. It will notcompromise our high standard ordilute the philosophy of care we offerin any way.

“The project designers wereinnovative in their approach to thebuilding, following studies whichhave found that a good design canreduce the need of drugs for peoplesuffering from dementia.”

Mayor launches specialistdementia facility project

Fears that carecould fallvictim to cutsBy Dominic Musgrave

PROVIDING adequate elderly caremay fall victim to local authority cutswhen councils try to balance theirbooks, it has been claimed.

Tony Banks, chairman of theBalhousie Care Group, said thefunding situation for elderly care is‘absolutely dire’.

He added: “Caring correctly for ourageing population is an issue thatwill affect everyone at sometime.

“The funding for elderly care comesfrom several different pots, mainlyNHS, social services, housing andgovernment benefits. The coalitiongovernment has to ensure thatfunding is not diluted bydepartmental and council spendingcuts.”

He believes that savings would bemade if local authorities were not theproviders of residential care whilethey are also the major funders.

“Local authorities are the‘gatekeepers’ who assess individualsfor care,” Tony added. “They thendictate the fee regardless of theprovider’s costs.

“They also directly provide care at ahigher cost than other providers,taking all the funding required fortheir own facilities out of the pot onday one of the financial year – even iftheir beds are not full.

“This leaves other providers havingto compensate for the unjustdistribution of funds, which is not

reflecting the true cost of careprovided by the private sector.

“I believe that local authoritiesshould be enablers of care and notproviders. The current relationshipcan be incestuous.”

Tony, whose company is the fastestgrowing provider of residential carefor the elderly in Scotland, said hethought there is a huge amount ofoverlap of funding, and money wasmoney wasted between differentagencies.

“There is no real discussionbetween the different bodies and noindividual with overallresponsibility,” he added. “Despitethe financial situation money needsto be ring fenced for elderly care andthe coalition should designate agovernment minister.” � Do you agree with Tony, and whatwould you like to see happen infuture? Let Dominic Musgrave knowby emailing dm@whpl.net or ring01226 734407.

Tony Banks

DC Care has completedthe acquisition of twocare homes in theNorth West on behalf ofan establishedoperator.Mr Rehman haspurchased the 49-bedBrooklands Care Homein Liverpool and the40-bed PolefieldNursing Home inManchester (pictured).

20 22/7/10 10:33 Page 1

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CARINGDEMENTIA CARE22

RESIDENTS with dementia oftenexperience distress if they cannotfind the clothing that they arefamiliar with and, as with allresidents, it is important that anindividual’s garments are correctlyreturned to them after washing.

Attach-a-Tag is a simple, costeffective method of labelling clothingand soft objects, and is an ideal wayto quickly label short term andrespite residents’ clothing as well as

normal laundry.Replicating a button, it attaches in

seconds to the garment seam orlaundry label, making it discreet andcomfortable to the wearer.

The patented design is easy toattach but difficult to remove, andcannot be taken off by accident orcome off during the laundry process.

Each tag has the owner’s nameetched onto it, which is guaranteednot to wear off in the wash.

Simple cost-effective methodfor labelling clothing

Advice ongrab railsThe CQC is advising carehomes to install coloured grabrails for the visually impairedand dementia clients.

This allows clients to accessareas they might not otherwisebe able to – giving rise tofeelings of independence andself-confidence, so improvingtheir overall quality of life.

Simplicare, in conjunctionwith market leadingmanufacturers, has sourcedspecifically designed grab railsto be used in any setting, withgreat contrast againstbackground colours. They arecomfortable to use and thefluted design means extra gripfor wet hands.

FIND gave away one of its activity boards worth£165 at the National Care Homes Congress inBirmingham.To promote the launch of the Activity Board andOrientation Board special offer, the company gaveaway one of the boards, which is a robust,attention-grabbing, dry-wipe board that is greatfor letting everyone know what activities aregoing on in the home. It can be wall mounted orfree-standing on the floor if required.Jackie Brayford, Dukeries Healthcare operationsdirector, was the winner and she is pictured withMaggie Blower and the board.

Libraries for those with dementiaIT is good news care staff are increasingly

being encouraged to have more positive andmeaningful interaction with residents withdementia, as well as taking care of theirphysical needs.

But care staff need easy to use resources tobe available that will help them connect moreeffectively and enjoyably with their residents.

Not many dementia care lounges have alibrary with bright and attractive books, yetthis is the easiest and most effective resourcethat can be provided.

Not only does it make the lounge lookgreat, it provides wonderful communicationtools for use by residents with both staff andvisitors.

Trials have shown that when properly used,a small Pictures to Share library has thecapacity to make a huge difference. It canalso make relatives’ visits easier and moreenjoyable, so encouraging them to visit more.

Enquiries: For details of special offerstelephone Michelle on 01829 770024 or

visit www.picturestoshare.co.uk

SJB to host first conferenceSJB Associates are delighted to host their inaugural

conference and exhibition entitled Nutrition andStimulation for People Living with Dementia onSeptember 30 at the Xcel Centre, Newton Aycliffe, CoDurham.

The venue is located in close to the A1, and withinwalking distance of Heighington Railway Station.

SJB Associates, dementia design consultants, wereestablished in 2008 and are suppliers of wayfindingsignage, memory boxes, murals, tactile boards,memorabilia and cognitive stimulation equipment to allmajor care homes looking after people with dementia.

Keynote speakers will be Dr Daniel Nightingale andSharon Butler from Priory Care Homes. The topic oftheir presentation will be ‘A Positive Dining Experiencefor People with Dementia’. Other speakers have yet tobe confirmed.

Enquiries: For information about delegate,exhibitor or sponsorship costs or a free

catalogue, email info@sjbassociates.org.uk ortelephone 01325 464562.

22 20/7/10 16:22 Page 1

23CARINGDEMENTIA CARE

MOHINDA Dosanjh received thegrand champion of dementia careaward at a group’s fourth annual cer-emony.

Mohinda, who works at QuantumCare’s Freeman House in Letchworth,received her award from PaulDunnery, East Anglia and CentralArea manager for The Alzheimer’sSociety for her commitment anddedication.

More than 200 staff and guestsattended the ceremony, which cele-brates the outstanding achievementsof members of staff.

Other winners: Care newcomer –Dawn Curtis (Belmont View,Hoddesdon); Carer (nights) –Emmanuel Chabala (CourtlandLodge, Watford); Carer (days) –Maureen Bonney (Elmhurst); Activityworker partnership – Annette

Caminade, Sue O’Brien and SophieAnthony (Courtland Lodge, Watford);Housekeeping team – Vesta Lodge (StAlbans); Catering team – Richard CoxHouse (Royston); Special recognition– Heath House, Vesta Lodge (StAlbans); Leadership – Juile Oakley-Reid (Jane Campbell House, StAlbans); Outstanding contribution insupporting homes – Ann Whall(Fourfields, Cheshunt).

Mohinda Dosanjh receives her awardfrom Paul Dunnery

Provider appoints dementia championA SOUTH West care provider hasappointed its first dementia carechampion to spearhead innovationin training, service development andresearch.

Stuart Wright, who has spent thelast six years working directly withpeople living with dementia, is taking up the role which has been specially created by Brunelcare.The job will cover a range of respon-sibilities, and he will also be identify-ing how the charity can make further

improvements to quality of life andservice.

Stuart said: “My objective is to buildan organisation-wide programme which lays the foundations for a feelings led, congruent service with innovation intraining, service development andresearch. I will also be leading a ser-vice review across the organisation toidentify opportunities for improve-ment and innovation in dementiacare.”

Mohinda winsdementia award

Dementia Life supports Alzheimer’s SocietyDEMENTIA Life is supporting

the Alzheimer’s Society, the lead-ing UK care and research charityfor people with dementia, throughsales of its innovative, interactivetechnology to assist people withthe condition.

The company’s pioneering rem-iniscence therapy software helpsstimulate conversation and mem-ories through various multimediachannels. It was developed over 10years, in partnership with leadingacademics specifically for theelderly and people with dementia.

Martin Valentine, director ofDementia Life said: “The systemhas already proved to be a valu-able tool in the battle againstdementia. It’s therefore importantto everyone at Dementia Life thatwe support a charity that works tirelessly to support people living with the condition.

“As part of this, we plan to donate a percentage from the sale of each system to the Alzheimer’s Society.” Enquiries: Visit www.dementialife.com, call 0800 083 4553 or email sales@dementialife.com

Automatic doors are a warm welcome yetsafe and secure

KABA Door Systems’ range of automatic sliding,folding and swinging doors offer care homes safeand secure access compliant to BS 7036 and DDAlegislation.Automatic doors offer a better quality of life andconvenience for all. Kaba automatic doors providecontact-free access, exceed current safety legisla-tion and can be designed to meet bespokerequirements including being interfaced withexisting security.Manual doors can often be left open, wastingvaluable energy and compromising security.Energy efficient, Kaba’s Swiss engineered opera-tors ensure the doors only open when requiredbut, more importantly, remain closed and securewhen not in use. Kaba has also developed the technologicallyadvanced SLX – SB sliding fire protection door, offering the flexibility of a safe reliable, convenient andcomfortable entrance system, which allows access to be matched to pedestrian flow requirements, togeth-er with flame resistance and thermal shield.

Enquiries: Visit www.kabadoorsystems.co.uk for further information

23 20/7/10 16:46 Page 1

24 20/7/10 15:55 Page 1

25CARINGNEWS

CHERYL Gilderdale wanted to be aflorist when she was at school, andnever thought of a career in care.

But growing up with a mother whohad MS meant that caring wasalways in her life, so it was a naturalprogression when she got her firstjob as a night carer in a Lincolnshirehome.

She said it was more for the conve-nience that she went for the job, butyears later it is something she enjoysdoing.

Cheryl, who now works at theOrders of St John Care Trust-ownedBoultham Park House in Lincoln,added: “I have always had empathyfor people, and seeing the sort of carethat my mum needed gave me anunderstanding of treating peoplehow you would want to be treatedyourself.

“It was convenient for me to worknight shifts when I first got a job in ahome, but after a few years I was suc-cessful in applying for a senior carer’srole, which involved taking the leadon a shift – administering medicationand generally running the home.

“Last year I went on a six months’secondment to another of the group’s homes, Hartsholme House,which specialises in dementia, to learn a bit more because we have a couple of beds, and on myreturn was offered the role that Ihave now.”

Not only was Cheryl namedemployee of the year and win theleadership award, but she has alsobeen given a permanent contractafter the new job was initially onlypart of a pilot scheme.

She added: “Winning the awardswas a really nice surprise, and it isalways good to be recognised fordoing your job and something youenjoy.

“With my new job in some ways Ido miss the hands on side of things,but I always try to make myself avail-able. I always get involved with theresidents and find time to do thingsfor them.

“I know a lot of people complainabout the amount of paperworkthere is, but it is a job that suits meand I like doing care plans and

assessing people. It gives me a lot offulfilment.”

More than 100 Lincolnshire carehome and office staff were rewardedfor their work achievements at theceremony.

Other individual winners: Unsunghero – Tony Dyer, volunteer at

Hartsholme House; Employee under25 – Helen Shotton (South FieldHouse, Spalding); Employee over 25 –Annie Minkley (Jack Parkinson Court,Mablethorpe); 35 years’ service –Lynne Woodhouse (Patchett Lodge,Holbeach); 25 years’ service – JulieQuincey (Hartsholme House).

An award-winning senior care leader says she dreamed of working with flowers and not elderlypeople when she was younger. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

How award-winning Cheryl’scaring career blossomed

Cheryl Gilderdale

Are you struggling to recruit stafffor your care home?

Do you have any immigration issues?

Are you worried how the new rulechanges may affect your business?

If so, editor Dominic Musgrave would like to hearyour story for a special feature he is puttingtogether for the September issue. You can emailhim at dm@whpl.net or ring 01226 734407.

25 22/7/10 13:18 Page 1

CARINGNEWS26

HelpingprovidersunderstandprocessNETWORKCAREUK is aleading health and social careconsultancy companyworking nationally to supportcare providers in the privatesector with qualityimprovement within theirservices.

The firm is currentlyassisting providers whounsurprisingly have beencaught up in the difficult andconfusing process of re-registration under the newHealth and Social Care Act.

Many of Networkcare’sclients have been critical ofthe new process, particularlythose who are smallorganisations and thoseunder closer scrutiny fromthe CQC for other reasons.

As a result, the companyhas teamed up with a groupof solicitors to organisenational seminars with guestspeakers from the CQC andfinancial institutions todiscuss some of the concernsand worries about the futureof regulation and inspection.Details will be available in thenear future.

BUSINESS is booming for a Bradfordbased healthcare furniture andequipment manufacturer.

James Spencer and Co Ltd hasreceived a repeat order from theDevaglade-owned Two Acres CareHome in Norwich for the secondphase of a new-build extensionproject.

The company also supplied lounge,dining room and bedroom furniturefor the first phase.

Business booming

Care home is fined afteradmitting sewage offenceBy Dominic Musgrave

THE owners of a West Sussex care homehave been fined more than £10,000 forcausing sewage to be illegally dischargedinto a tributary of the River Arun.

Shafik Sachedina and Shiraz Boghani,who run Clemsford House nearHorsham, pleaded guilty to the offence atCrawley Magistrates Court. Each wasfined £5,000 and both ordered to paycosts of £537 in addition to £15 each invictim surcharge.

The court heard that the home has aconsent that allows carefully monitoreddischarges from the sewage treatmentworks at the care home to a tributary ofthe River Arun which should not exceedthe level of 25mg/l of BiochemicalOxygen Demand (BOD) and 45mg/l ofsuspended solids.

On February 12 an EnvironmentAgency officer visited the care home totake routine samples of the sewagetreatment works that serves the property.When analysed, the sample showed theBOD level was 122mg/l, almost five times

the permitted figure, and the suspendedsolids level was 70.2mg/l.

Jackie Yeates, of the EnvironmentAgency, said: “Mr Sachedina and MrBoghani were both responsible forensuring that their sewage dischargecomplied with the strict conditions thatwe put in place to protect the localenvironment.

“Despite this, two serious discharges ofsewage occurred from their property andalso the possibility of harm to anenvironmentally sensitive watercourse.”

In mitigation, the owners apologised forthe incident and have spent nearly£180,000 in providing a new sewagetreatment plant for the care home. Theinstallation of the new plant began inApril this year and the facility is nowoperational.

Also taken into consideration by theCourt was a further offence that tookplace in October 2008 when the BODlevel was 44.2mg/l and the suspendedsolids level was 337mg/l – over seventimes the allowed limit.

Group returns to the swinging sixtiesTHE swinging sixties returned toLincolnshire when more than 400residents, staff and volunteers attended acare group’s annual dance.

Special guests at the Orders of St JohnCare Trust event at Fosse House inLincoln included the city’s mayor,councillor Geoff Kirby and city sheriff

Roy South. The highlight was anappearance by sixties tribute band ThePiggies, who performed covers from TheBeatles, Cliff Richard and The RollingStones. All proceeds raised are beingdonated to the Lincolnshire ResidentsWish Tree Fund, which has been set up tofulfill residents’ special wishes.

Care Trustadds to itsportfolioTHE Orders of St John Care Trust hasadded another care home to its groupin Oxfordshire.

Old Station House in Abingdon is amodern 43-bed home with roomsarranged on three floors, and waspreviously owned and operated byServite Houses.

Manager Carol Flynn said: “Thehome has excellent links with thelocal community, local GPs andhealth care services.

“We also offer activities andpersonal services at the home, suchas hairdressing, chiropody, gardeningand art and craft as well as musicalmovement, and we will beintroducing reminiscence sessionsfor residents to take part in.”

26 22/7/10 10:34 Page 1

27CARINGNEWS

Nesting birdshalt workersat care homeBy Dominic Musgrave

NESTING birds have delayed work onan eight bed extension to a Brightoncare home.

Valerie Manor owner/manager ZoeBates had hoped phase one of thenew development, which includes anew dining room, kitchen and sever-al of the bedrooms, would be com-pleted by August.

But she told Caring UK, jackdawsnesting in a chimney being demol-ished at the 17th century formermanor have meant work has had tostop until they fledge, delaying theproject by at least three weeks.

Zoe added: “The planned demoli-tion of part of the old extension hadbeen progressing well, but one thingI didn’t expect to cause a delay wasjackdaws.

“Unfortunately they have nested inthe chimney so things are ratherquiet here at the moment until they‘fledge.

“It is disappointing and and hashad a huge impact on the project,but there is nothing we can do aboutit I’m sorry to say.”

Zoe said a next door neighbourpointed the birds out to her, with aconservation officer from the localcouncil telling her that work muststop on the site.

She added: “We have got relativeswriting to the local MPs telling themhow stupid it is, and some have evensaid they plan to cancel their RSPBmembership.

“The conservation officer originallytold us that if the birds were strongenough he would talk us throughhow we could lift them out, but whenwe then contacted them they saidthey had decided at an emergency

meeting we couldn’t touch them.“We were warned that if we did we

would be prosecuted. The law is sofrustrating and there is nothing wecan do about it because the buildersare not allowed to make any noise.”

Zoe initially got planning permis-sion for the expansion, which isexpected to double the number ofstaff from 13 to 26, more than a yearago, but the financial climate meantshe found getting the necessaryfunding difficult.

The home recently turned green forthe day as part of a fundraising eventwhich raised more than £300 for alocal hospice.

Residents and staff at Valerie Manordressed up for the Go Green tea partyin aid of St Barnabas, with visitorsasked to make a donation for theirrefreshments.

The home was also decoratedgreen, with special events including aquiz and flower arranging sessionalso held for the residents.

THE professional and specialistachievements of almost 200 mem-bers of staff were recognised at acare provider’s awards ceremony.

CLS Care Services’ annual event atNantwich Civic Hall celebrated arange of accomplishments includingNVQs in health and social care,catering, cleaning building interiors,customer service, business adminis-

tration and team leadership, as wellas specialist qualifications in medication and provision of activities.

A number of managers also com-pleted the registered managersaward, while Jenny Jobber, managerof Florence Grogan House inChester, achieved a masters degreein business management.

Jenny Jobber, manager of Florence Grogan House, celebrates her masters degree inbusiness management

Staff achievementsrecognised at awards

A NATIONAL overall coherent plan todevelop fully integrated systems andservices which meet the needs of theelderly should be developed, it hasbeen claimed.

Speakers at a seminar held at theDepartment for Business, Innovationand Skills [BIS] and organised by thecharity PhoneAbility, a variety ofexperts said although there weremany excellent pilot schemes forproviding various components ofsuch smart living systems and ser-vices, there was a serious lack of anoverall plan.

They added that the roles of manysectors needed to be taken into

account, including architecture, pro-fessional engineering, building, med-icine, energy, communications,transport and organisations provid-ing caring resources.

The plea was supported by PeterBonfield, chief executive of BuildingResearch Establishment.

He added: “The homes and com-munities we build and retrofit todayhave to meet the needs of our futurepopulation.

“Our industry must begin toaddress the ‘smart living’ agenda andembrace the technologies that willkeep us all living independently forlonger in our own communities.”

Industry must address ‘smart living’ agenda

Music hits the right note with residentsA DORSET-based care group’s homesfound different ways of bringingmusic into the daily lives of its resi-dents.

All 16 of Care South’s homes acrossthe county were singing, strummingand tapping to the sights and soundsof the music of Glenn Miller, morris

and ballet dancing, the movies Mandmuch more a part of NAPA’s Music inthe Air Week.

There were also music therapyworkshops and musical pub quizzes,while staff showed residents how touse the latest methods of accessingmusic.

27 22/7/10 10:40 Page 1

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS28

Advancing laundry care technologyMIELE Professional continues theadvancement of laundry caretechnology with the introduction ofits DryPlus PT 8000 generationtumble dryers in a range of five sizesand varying control sets to suit alltypes of commercial laundryoperations.

The DryPlus series features drumvolumes for load capacities from 10to 40 kg, faster drying times andoffers cost-saving benefits thanks to

heating by the most efficient forms ofenergy.

All models in the PT8000 rangefeature Miele patented innovationssuch as the honeycomb drum, AirRecycling system and PerfectDryelectronic residual moisture controls.

The dryers are available with achoice of heat power sources –electric, gas or steam – to ensure asustainable, cost effectiveperformance.

A THREE-night holiday turned intoone from hell cut short for MrsRichardson due to the lack ofdisabled facilities.

Mrs Richardson who relies heavilyon her wheelchair, found her roominsufficient for those with a disability,and the lack of space and specialistequipment meant her stay wasreduced to only one night when sheand her family decided to depart.

Upon reading the article, ShaunAtkinson co-owner of Bond Holidays,

immediately wrote to MrsRichardson and invited her and aguest to spend a weekend at TheBond Hotel to help her discover thatBlackpool can provide the facilitiesrequired for the disabled visitor.

Bond Holidays provide specialistaccommodation, including fullyadapted rooms with adjoiningbathrooms, equipment to hire free ofcharge including hoists, fullyaccessible transport and a range ofaccessible excursions.

How Shaun saved the holiday

Protecting high-risk rooms from firePLUMIS Ltd has launched Automist,a unique fire suppression appliancethat automatically protects high-riskrooms from fire.

Inspired by the difficulty ofretrofitting sprinklers to existingbuildings, Automist is a lower-costsolution that targets kitchens,laundry and sluice rooms.

It consists of a discreet spray headthat mounts under an ordinary tap, asmall high pressure pump that tucksaway under the sink, and a heatalarm that triggers the system when afire starts.

Automist has been extensivelytested by BRE and shown to protectlife and suppress fires in rooms up to8m by 4m in size.

Lawrence to speakat NACC conferenceLAWRENCE Leyton will combine hisskills as an ex-professional magician,a human behaviour expert and asuccessful business entrepreneurwhen he speaks at the annual NACCconference.

Lawrence, who recently starred inChannel Four’s ‘Fear of Flying’ series,will be joined at the event for thosewho cater for people in care and inthe community by Hans Becker fromthe Humanitas Foundation, TerryTucker, Barchester Healthcare’sdirector of learning, developmentand hospitality and David Sinclair,head of policy and research forInternational Longevity Centre UK.

Between them they will behighlighting key issues and sharingplans for the improvement ofnutrition among the care catering

communities, including the elderly. They will also be discussing the

importance of eating well for peoplewith dementia and their carers, howto meet the registration criteria,global trends in ageing andhumanitas experiences for seniorswith dementia.

This year the NACC is hosting themeeting of Healthcare CaterersInternational so more than 40international delegates from acrossthe globe will be attending.

An exhibition will also runalongside the conference, whichtakes place at Hilton Blackpool fromSeptember 15-17.

The Association’s annual awardswill be handed out at a gala dinneron the 16th.

Seek help in times of difficultyOPERATORS should not leave it toolate to get advice on running theirhomes if they hit difficulties, it hasbeen claimed.

Wendy Smith, a consultant advisorat WM Healthcare Ltd, said it is farworse when someone else sets thetimescales.

She added that she has visited twovery different care homes in the lastcouple of months.

Wendy said: “One owner was at riskof falling into concerns that could be

highlighted by CQC if they wereinspected very soon because theyreally didn’t understand the newpaperwork, and had no idea what todo.

“The other owner employed thewrong people in the organisation,who were trusted to do a job of management and got it verywrong.

“When this happens it is theresponsibility of the registeredperson, namely the owner.”

28 20/7/10 16:24 Page 1

Deal doublessize of carebusinessBy Dominic Musgrave

A NORTH West domiciliary care busi-ness has doubled in size after acquir-ing Colne-based Heritage HomecareServices Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

Total Care, which provides a rangeof home care services across NorthLancashire and South Lakeland, willmove Heritage Homecare’s office to alarger site in Nelson, and also open anew training business as part of theexpansion.

Co-founder and director AngelaHughes said the deal will doubleTotal Care’s turnover and staff num-bers, and gives the business a strate-gic foothold in East Lancashire andparts of West Yorkshire.

She added: “We have been lookingat different ways to expand the busi-ness, either through tendering oracquiring a competitor.

“Heritage were not direct competi-tion for us, but they are a similar set-up, which is why they were attractive.And it enabled us to move into newregions of the North West.

“We also considered going into dif-ferent areas of care, such as residen-tial or learning disabilities, but ulti-mately decided to stick with what weknow with domiciliary care.”

The Heritage Homecare name willbe retained in East Lancashire, butthe offices will be moved from Colne

to more modern premises in Nelson.Angela and her business partner

Kay Randle were advised on the pur-chase by the corporate finance teamat Moore and Smalley, and she saysthere are plans to look at furtheracquisitions in the New Year.

She added: “We have recruited anew regional manager and 14 sup-port staff, and we are continuing torecruit in Kendal as we have just gotanother contract with CumbriaCounty Council.

“We are also looking at any tender-ing opportunities that are availableas another way of expanding thebusiness, and after Christmas we willstart looking at possible acquisitions,though we haven’t set anytimescales.”

And the firm, which was formed in2006, has also launched a new train-ing business for its staff and othercare providers.

Angela added: “It made sense for usto open our own training side of thebusiness because previously we werehaving to outsource it to differentlocations. Some staff are a bituncomfortable going to other places,and often they request a minimum ofeight people at a time, which can bea bit difficult for us. By running ourown we can do it in much smallergroups of two or three to ensure theneeds of staff are being met.”

RISBOROUGH Carers wasnamed CM2000 independentcare provider of the year for thesecond consecutive year.

The awards are presented to thecouncil and independentprovider who achieves the high-est quality ratings based on datafrom the company’sCallConfirmLive! monitoringsystem.

CM2000 managing directorPeter Longman said: “Researchhas shown the positive impact

care monitoring has on satisfac-tion levels amongst service users.

“Data taken from our systemshowed that Risborough Carersachieved the highest ratings onkey satisfaction indicators,including care worker punctuali-ty, continuity and missed calls.Understandably these are thethings that really matter to vul-nerable service users.”

The award was presented toJenny Hill by CQC regional direc-tor Andrea Gordon.

Jenny Hill with the award

Carers win award for second year

29 22/7/10 12:49 Page 1

CARINGINFECTION CONTROL30

A NEW strategic business alliancehas been formed which aims toimprove infection control, generalcleaning and care home safety withinthis rapidly growing sector.

The coalition, between ShackletonsFurniture, supplier of high qualitycontract furniture to the healthcaresector, and Proventec Healthcare,provider of specialist steam cleaningdecontamination equipment and avalidated range of infectionprevention consumables into theNHS, addresses the concerns abouthygiene, infection control andgeneral cleaning of equipment,furniture and furnishings.

Coming soon after the publicationof the Department of Health’s code ofpractice for health and adult socialcare on the prevention and control ofinfections and related guidance, it isone of the first to address the issue interms of bringing togetherexperiences from both sectors.

One of themajorconcerns forcare homeproprietors ishow tomaintainhygienicconditionswithoutdegradingfurniturecoverings oraffecting therequired fire retardancy.

The two-year alliance will also see acontinuous product developmentprogramme initiated to design anddevelop a range of easy care furniturespecifically intended for steamcleaning and general maintenance.This has initially seen the launch of aDUO collection of chairs whichcombines the elegance of fabric andthe durability of faux leather.

Alliance aims to improve infection control

Virus washers constantly clean the air using technologyENVIRONMENTAL HygieneSolutions are the official UKdistributor of the Health ProtectionAgency certified SANYO Virus Washerrange of air disinfection units.

Specifically designed for thehealthcare environment to combatthe transmission of airborne virusesand bacteria such as norovirus andinfluenza, the washers constantlyclean the air using patented

Electrolysed Water Technology,making them 100 per cent safe for use in occupied rooms and areas.

Recent independent testing hasshown that the perfectly safehydroxyl radicals produced by theVirus Washers also act on surfaces,permanently inactivating over 99.8per cent of settled contaminantswithin 30 minutes.

Beaucare marks 18 year companyanniversary

BEAUCARE Medical Ltd celebrates 18 years ofbusiness, since its conception in 1992.

Now with over 4000 products, including thecompany’s flagship Beaulift patient lifting hoistand Pro-bed ranges, a £2m stock base and a teamof over 20, Beaucare is going from strength tostrength as it continues to exceed the requirementsof all its existing customers, and winning newgroup contracts from throughout the UK.

Managing director Jonathan Brown said: “I’mincredibly proud of where we’ve come from andwhat we’ve achieved in the past 18 years. I’m alsovery pleased that we’re still working to our originalpremise of delivering the right product, at the rightprice, on the right day.”

The company would like to thank all itscustomers for their loyalty and support over theyears, and looks forward to developing newbusiness opportunities throughout the UK.

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

Renray advise on ways to improve infectioncontrol

FURNITURE and soft furnishings manufacturer RenrayHealthcare is continuing to help and advise on oneimportant aspect of infection control procedures.

The 2008 Health and Social Care Act, which comes intoforce on October 1, sets out regulations describing thecare standards of quality and safety that people who usesocial care have a right to expect, whether that be in asmall care home or an acute NHS hospital.

CQC have published guidance titled ‘EssentialStandards of Quality and Safety’, and they have alsoannounced they will be using a new ‘Quality and RiskProfile’ tool to track and gather information abouthealthcare services.

It is against this changing compliance and regulatorybackground that Renray are helping providers by flaggingup important issues connected to proper cleaning toimprove infection control in respect of furniture.

This is based on the company’s broad experience overmany years of supplying furniture and soft furnishings tothe NHS, the majority of the major care home groups, aswell as individual care homes.Enquiries: Visit www.renrayhealthcare.com for free

guidance.

30 20/7/10 16:36 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.comwww.dimensions.co.uk/Boyd_Cooper

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

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

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

Towergate Patrick is a trading name of TowergateUnderwriting Group Limited. Registered Office:Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road,Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN. Registered in Englandno. 4043759. Authorised and regulated by theFinancial Services Authority

LaundryElectrolux Laundry Systems99 Oakley RoadLutonBedfordshireLU4 9GETel: 08444 631 260info.elsuk@electrolux.co.ukwww.laundrysystems.electrolux.co.uk

MieleFairacresMarcham 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

TrainingHealthcare Training College7200 the QuorumOxford Business Park NorthOxford6X4 2JZ0844 8006801info@healthcaretrainingcollege.com

31 A-Z 22/7/10 12:57 Page 1

PRODUCTNEWS32

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

Specialist shower company supports lifetime homes initiative

LEADING healthcare showering company Impey UK Ltd discusses how local authorities and buildingdevelopers can invest in lifetime homes while at the same time catering for the needs of an ageingpopulation and those with limited mobility.As people get older their ability to climb into a bath or negotiate a step-up onto a shower tray can diminish,and the likelihood of trips and falls increases, as does the risk of injury. In order for people to remain independent in their own home, changes or adaptations to existing layoutsoften need to be made.

Removing a bath and replacing it with a level-access shower floor can prove to be of great benefit,although such adaptations can often be expensive and time-consuming to carry out - a prospect which isquite unappealing to the landlord and inconvenient for the tenant.To address this problem an increasingly popular solution with developers involves installing a level-accessshower floor into all new properties from the outset, and then installing a bath over the top using theImpey bath-adapter. This helps to meet the demands of tenants with full mobility, while future-proofing the room for easyadaptation when a level-access shower is required. Because all structural work is done at the time of construction there are corresponding savings to be madeboth financially and in terms of limiting the time and disruption. In addition to the bath-adapter, Impey UK also produce a broad range of products such as level-accessshower floor solutions, shower trays, shower seats, grab rails, half-height carer doors and so on to helppeople with limited mobility shower in comfort and safety.

Enquiries: For further details on lifetime homes or Impey UK Ltd, visit www.impey-uk.com,email info@impey-uk.com or telephone 01460 256080.

Argyll unveils two applications for loneworkers

ARGYLL, the UK leader in lone workersafety, introduces two new health and safetysoftware applications specifically designed todiscreetly monitor those at risk without theneed to deploy expensive ‘specialised’ devices.

‘Blac’ for Blackberry and ‘Blu’ for WindowsMobile devices enable any ‘at risk’ lone workerto maintain reliable contact with an in-houseresponse team and a BS8484 compliant end-to-end solution incorporating a policepreferred status Alarm Receiving Centre(ARC).

At any given time the worker is able toupdate the ARC with data relating to theirpersonal safety. If immediate assistance isneeded, this can be summoned by pressing the assigned ‘DURESS’ button on the mobile device.

The application is fully configurable enabling employers to control lone worker policy, managecompliance and view current status. The ARC is constantly updated with the geographic location of thedevice using its GPS coordinates, and other device status information, such as battery life or signal strength,means the applications easily exceed the BS8484 minimum requirements.

Enquiries: Visit www.argyll-loneworker.co.uk

Kent and Sussex Security install system atEssex site

KENT and Sussex Security installedan access control system at Peterhouseretirement home in Bexhill-on-Sea inboth its sheltered housingaccommodation and registered carehome.

The solution in the case of the NABSowned and managed facility was anetworked proximity access controlsystem made by Paxton Access.

Rather than relying on keys orkeypads, the system uses a proximityfob, which may be carried on a key-ring or worn on a necklace. The devicesimply has to be placed close to areader outside a door for the lock torelease.

As it is an intelligent, networked system, controlled by a PC in an office, each door and each user of thesystem may be assigned an appropriate profile. For instance, a main entrance door may permit free accessduring the day when reception staff are on duty, but then automatically revert to controlled access outsidethose hours.

Enquiries: Telephone 01233 622025.

SimplyUnite home wins IT Innovator AwardSIMPLYUNITE are delighted with the

award winning successes of one of itscustomers who use its system to improvethe quality of care provided to theirresidents.

TV presenter Fiona Phillips presentedKaren Cooper, manager of Mount EphraimHouse in Tunbridge Wells (part ofGreensleeves Home Trust), the award forIT Innovator at the Great British NationalCare Home Awards.

Karen said: “We are delighted that ourefforts to introduce IT to our residentshave been recognised.

“It is so refreshing to see our residents,some of whom are in their nineties,embracing new technology and so keen tolearn new skills.”

With the Get Connected Fund available from SCIE there has never been a better time to bring email, lifestories and the internet to those in registered care homes, as well as providing easy access to online trainingmaterials for carers.

Enquiries: Telephone 0845 388 4453, email info@simplyunite.com or visitwww.simplyunite.com

A practical and stylish flooring solutionfrom Gerflor

TARALAY Premium is one of the most durable and easy-to-maintain vinyl flooring solutions on the market and is available intwo ranges: Comfort and Compact.

A versatile solution for architects, end users and contractorswho have new and refurbishment projects in the healthcare,education, office, retail and leisure markets, Taralay Premiumoffers both practicality and an impressive high-end range ofdesigns at affordable prices.

Where excellent acoustic and shock absorption properties arerequired, Taralay Premium Comfort is ideal as it incorporates aVery High Density (VHD) foam yielding a 16dB sound insulationrating, while also providing safe underfoot cushioning.

Taralay Premium Compact has an outstanding resistance tostatic and dynamic loads, with excellent indentation recovery(0.03mm) and dimensional stability

Both the Gerflor ranges offer ultra-low whole lifecycle costsdue to Protecsol, a UV cured surface treatment, which facilitateseasy maintenance and permanently eliminates the need for acrylicemulsion.

Enquiries: Telephone 01926 622600 or visitwww.gerflor.co.uk.

IDS adds market leading Altro wall claddingbrand to its portfolio

IDS has become the exclusivenational distributor for the market-leading Altro brand of PVC wall cladding,Altro Whiterock, with ex -stock productavailability from its 16 regional branchesacross the UK. Guaranteeing swift supplyfor projects, Altro Whiterock will beavailable over the trade counter or witha 24-48 hour delivery, whether for asingle project or national call-offprogramme.

With an estimated 55 per cent marketshare, Altro is recognised as the best-in-class supplier of PVC wall cladding. AltroWhiterock is a 2.5mm thick semi rigidwallpanel system which provides a hygienic surface certified to EU hygiene standards, as well as fireresistance to Class O (BS476 Part6).

In addition it is exceptionally resistant to impact, does not crack or chip and is almost maintenance freethanks to careful detailing on joints which eliminate bacteria traps.

The Altro panels come in widths of 2.5m or 3m x 1.2m high along with extrusions and accessories whichensure a professional and long-lasting finish.

Enquiries: Telephone 08457 298 298.

32-33 20/7/10 17:12 Page 1

33PRODUCTNEWS

Barnetson Court selects Girbau laundry

STAFF at Barnetson Court Care Home in Great Dunmow,Essex are delighted with the quality, reliability, versatility andoutstanding cleaning performance of Girbau’s new high-speed HS-6008 washer and accompanying tumble dryer.

The company recently supplied the new laundry equipmentto replace the home’s ageing machines.

A popular and successful care home which caters for up tosixteen residents, Barnetson Court is owned by the news tradecharity NewstrAid Benevolent Fund.

Effective, energy efficient and reliable laundry equipmentplays an essential part in helping the home to maintain thehighest standards of overall care while tackling a daily flow ofsoiled sheets, towels and residents’ clothing.

Strong and durable, Girbau’s 6 Series washer range offerspin speeds of up to 1,000rpm and is designed to provideexcellent washing performance with reduced cycle times. TheHS-6008 model chosen by Barnetson Court has been namedthe most energy-efficient in its class by US body Energy Star.

Enquiries: Telephone 01462 427780.

Access’ door systems help you meet DDArequirements

ACCESS Protection Ltd are experts inthe installation of access controlledfully automatic and low energy doorsystems to help meet the requirementsof the Disability Discrimination Act(DDA).

The ‘semi-automatic’ operator is theYorkshire-based company’s mostpopular and cost effective solution,consisting of a simple retrofitinstallation to an existing door.

This system allows a door to operateas a conventional manual door untilassistance is required. Then, by pressinga push pad, the door opensautomatically and stays open for afixed time.

Complete adaptive entrancepackages are available, integrated with fire, access control and other entry systems.

Access Protection offer a full range of complementary integrated solutions including audio/videoentry, access control, platform lifts, sliding doors, exit doors and mechanical locks.

Enquiries: Visit www.accessprotection.com

Plenty of choice in new Elective cabinetfurniture range

KNIGHTSBRIDGE Furniture hasextended its collection of cabinetfurniture for care and residential homeswith the introduction of the extensivenew Elective range.

All Elective furniture is dominated by ageometric framed look: inset doors anddrawer fronts are complemented bymetal D-handles to present a stylishsquare profile, while coordinated interiorsurfaces add to the design appeal.

The range comprises bedside cabinetsin four different configurations, togetherwith a writing desk, 3/4/5-drawer chests,and wardrobes in single, double andcombination styles. Matching single anddouble headboards are also available.

Cabinet carcases are in a sturdy 25mm MFC with 18mm solid backs, and all unit tops, drawers and doorsare in vinyl-wrapped MDF. 2mm PVC lipping gives added protection to vulnerable areas and durability isenhanced further by the use of metal drawer runners and the fitting of 170o hinges to all doors.

Enquiries: Telephone 01274 731442 for a healthcare collection catalogue.

Revolutionary back-saving boost forgardeners

GARDENING is on the agenda this summer for back painsufferers and the less mobile thanks to the award-winningEziMate.

The accessory is part of a range of equipment available fromNottingham Rehab Supplies that can help ease the strain andensure that anyone with restricted movements can continue totend to their flowerbeds and lawns.

It can be attached to all long-handled household and gardentools and, apart from reducing back-ache, is also proven torelieve hand and arm pain and help prevent blisters.

EziMate encourages a posture that is less stressful on the backby altering the pivot point, where the hand meets the tool. Andthe improved leverage point minimises unnecessary bending andstrain.

Other products available from NRS that will help the lessmobile to enjoy gardening include the Garden Stool on Wheels,and the Garden Kneeler.Enquiries: Visit www.nrs-uk.co.uk or telephone 0845 121

8111 to request the new catalogue.

Exciting developments in IT from ZestSolutions

ZEST Solutions’ staff have more than 40years’ experience of the care sector betweenthem, making them the number one specialistsin the provision of IT to the industry.

The company is already preferred suppliers toa number of privately owned care operators,both large and small throughout the UK.

The unique service Zest provides means thecompany work alongside their customers aspartners, to assist them to achieve their goalsand objectives.

This approach means it has established andmaintained a loyal client base, creating honestworking relationships with many care providers.

Zest’s services range from the latest computer hardware and software installations to state-of-the-artnetworking.

The company has nationwide reach, with offices in Leeds, Bedford and Northampton providing coveragefor operators whose property portfolios cover the length and breadth of the country.

Zest will advise, consult and meet all your IT needs to take advantage of new opportunities quickly andcost-effectively.

Enquiries: Telephone directors Mick Sheehan or Martin Jones on 0844 504 4883 or email info@zestcare.com

New Clinell hand sanitiser gelTHE Clinell Infection Control range from

Steroplast has been extended with the launch ofa new hand sanitiser gel to meet the needs oforganisations that prefer an alcohol basedinfection control system.

This innovative product combines a uniqueblend of 70 per cent alcohol and biocides toprovide a superior level of effectiveness againstsuperbugs, offering a 99.999 per cent kill rate likethe rest of the range.

The new hand gel uses a formula developed bydoctors, which incorporates natural moisturisers,aloe vera and green tea to leave hands feelingclean and refreshed with no sticky residue. Itcomprises gel in 50ml, both with and without beltclips, 100ml sizes, along with 250ml and 500mlpumps.

Enquiries: Telephone 0161 902 3030 oremail janice@steroplast.co.uk for further

information and pricesfor the Clinell Hand Sanitiser Gel and the

range of products.

To advertise in our Product News section please contact:

01226 734 480

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CARINGNEWS

Transport

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Gardiners Lane North, Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex CM11 2XETel: 01268 521033 • Mobile: 07860 894331 • Fax: 01268 284951 • sales@hwpickrell.co.uk

Visit our website for photos of current stock www.hwpickrell.co.uk

No.1 in used Wheelchair Accessible Transport

Always wanted late wheelchair accessible vehicles

ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTAT AFFORDABLE PRICES

• We specialise in the sale and purchase of quality usedwheelchair accessible and ambulance vehicles.

• They can be bought as seen or refurbished andsignwritten to your own requirements.

• 12 months MOT Class 5, and 12 months warranty.

• Independent engineers report supplied FOC.

• Delivery service available.

• All buses fitted with seatbelts and comply to seatbeltlegislation.

Signs

Firm offers infectioncontrol servicesnationwideFALCON Swift Environmental Ltd provides specialistinfection control services to the care industry nation-wide.

Tried and tested products and services supplied by thecompany are used in confidence by private and councilrun care homes, Harley Street medical practices and theNHS.

The unique approach of Falcon Swift is based around removal of pathogens from an environmenteither as a preventative programme or as a reactionary measure should a site be experiencing anoutbreak.

Our approach combines the best aspects of air sanitation, high quality hygiene products and fast professional decontamination services to provide clients with the highest level of protection available.

Our expert technicians have experience in the industry and will tailor packages to suit clients’ needs, whether it is to help raise CQC ratings, deal with an outbreak or provide protection from future outbreaks.

Fire safety company offersone-stop online shopSAFELINCS offers a one-stoponline shop together with tele-phone support from its friend-ly and knowledgeable team toenable you to fulfil yourresponsibility for fire safety.The product range includes:� Portable and automatic fireextinguishers. � Fire extinguisher servicing.� Smoke alarms and fire alarmsystems.� Emergency lighting and sig-nage.� On-site fire risk assessment.� Fire escape chutes, fireescape ladders and rescuehoods.� Carbon monoxide and gasalarms.

� Fire doors and fire doorretainers.� Fire and Data safes.

Why Safelincs is your bestoption for fire safety:� User-friendly site with ‘drill-down’ product information.� Our overviews and question-naires put you in the drivingseat.� Telephone support to helpyou make the right decisions.� Price guarantee. We pay thedifference should you find aproduct cheaper anywhereelse on the internet.� Next day delivery for mostproducts.� Low shipping charges (£4

including VAT per order).� Fire extinguisher servicingand risk assessments at fixednationwide prices.� All services available withoutbeing tied down by contracts.� Brand names with excellentwarranty periods.� Clear prices to avoid nastysurprises. � Secure online checkoutprocess.� Most health sector organisa-tions can request 30 days’ pay-ment terms.� Attractive discounts offeredfor larger orders.� Strong work ethics: The cus-tomer is always our priority.

New systems set to ‘revolutionise’AIDCALL’S new Touchsafe CP5000 and ATX5000are set to revolutionise efficiency and safety inthe nurse call market.

Most nurse call systems display alarm callsfrom patients on a central display panel, possibly some distance from the patient’srooms.

Response times can be slow as nurses attendto the call and then return to the central screento pick up details of their next alarm call.

It is inefficient for your staff, costly for you andcauses potentially dangerous delays for yourpatients.

Aid Call’s new Touchsafe range of products

combine unique features that make it the mostreliable, efficient and safest wireless systemavailable.

The centrally placed Touchsafe CP5000 displaypanel shows location, patient’s name andattending nurse’s identification on its high visi-bility display, whilst permanently logging allinformation.

The new Touchsafe ATX5000 call points feature an LCD screen which displays a ‘next call waiting’ message, enabling staff to accesstheir next call from the current patient’s roomwithout having to revisit the central displaypanel.

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