T H E P U B L I C A T I O N F O R N U R S I N G A N D R E S I D E N T I A L C A R E H O M E S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
An Employer’s Legal Duties During The Covid-19 Pandemic W W W. T H E C A R E R U K . C O M
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SPRING 2020
Issue 48
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THIS
Clarity Needed Over Emergency Coronavirus Funds, as Care Costs Grow by £1bn
The Government has been urged to provide clarity on how much individual authorities will receive from the government’s latest £1.6bn of emergency funding, with analysis revealing that the Coronavirus is adding almost £1bn to care costs in counties. Earlier this month, ministers announced the further tranche of emergency funding would be provided to councils to help fund higher service costs created by Coronavirus. The government is yet to announce how this funding will be distributed to councils, with fears growing that stretched social care budgets could receive less resources. New analysis from the County Council’s Network (CCN) reveals that due to the outbreak of the
Coronavirus, the 36 county and unitary authorities initially estimate they will need to provide care and nursing home providers with an additional £322m to meet their escalating costs, with a further £259m needed to meet increased demand for services and to ensure that the NHS has sufficient spare beds for virus victims. Councils are also planning to spend an additional £71m recruiting carers to meet demand, £144m has been spent on activity such as procuring personal protection equipment (PPE). Alongside this, an additional £138m has been allocated to support the most vulnerable children during the crisis. The network argues that in the short-term govern-
ment must ensure that emergency funding is targeted at meeting additional costs in social care services, with government providing further funding and support to councils to meet shortfalls in lost council income. CCN say that it is inevitable that councils will need a comprehensive multi-billion package of measures to meet their loss of income, with county authorities most exposed to a drop-in council tax revenue. However, the network says that any short-term funding to cover lost income should be met outside the £1.6bn to ensure funding is not reduced for care services.
(Continued on page 3...)
PAGE 2 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
VIEWPOINT Welcome to the Spring edition of The Carer and THANK YOU!!!
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” JF KENNEDY A very warm welcome indeed to the Spring issue of The Carer. We can only imagine how difficult the conditions you find yourself under during this current crisis are. This is why we here at THE CARER thought Editor it vitally important to ensure that a printed edition be delivered to residential and nursing care homes in spite of the crisis and lockdown. We would like to begin by sharing our sincere good wishes from the whole team here at THE CARER to you all. We have always recognised that, alongside NHS staff and other essential services, care professionals really are ‘the front line’, having to deal with the same anxieties, stresses and struggles as the rest of us, while at the same time caring, comforting and keeping safe the some of the most vulnerable people across our county. Often putting yourselves at risk working long exhausting hours away from families and friends. So a big thank you to you all, and I would also take this opportunity to thank our valued advertisers. As you are aware this publication is always sent out free of charge to the residential and nursing care sector and is funded solely through advertising. In these very difficult times our advertisers have supported us and helped us to support you, we could not have done it without them and I will also take this opportunity to offer a sincere thank you to them! Our printers Precision Colour Printing in Telford have also helped to support us in getting this issue out to you and we would also extend a big thank you to them! We have called on some of the leading industry specialists to offer their insight and advice, as well as bringing news and views, most importantly without the spin! We are delighted to have been continually receiving uplifting and positive stories from homes within the sector keeping spirits high. Since the crisis began we have been producing a new weekly digital edition of THE CARER - very much the same format, but available online delivered to your inbox at 3.30pm each Wednesday. Please do signup via our website - again no charge, no gimmicks available at www.thecareruk.com I would also ask that once you do sign up, check your spam folder on the first occasion and if it has fallen into span please whitelist us. Mainstream media in particular, along with the Government, have finally realised the value, the dedication and compassion of those working in the care sector. It has been a long time coming but they all appear to be falling over themselves to demonstrate their support. This is something we here at THE CARER recognised years ago when we launched our “Unsung Hero” award. Which regular readers will know has been running twice a year now since 2016. We have introduced an extra Unsung Hero award in this time of crisis please see page 25 of this issue. No frills no gimmicks no fancy award ceremony, a straightforward no-nonsense recognition award for somebody in the sector from any department who deserves to be recognised for what they have done. It isn’t much, I know, given the current circumstances, and how we wish we could award everybody! So, please get nominating! This lockdown is not going to last forever and the hotels will be open for business soon - a luxury two night break for two people in a choice of over 300 hotels awaits! nominate@thecareruk.com
Peter Adams
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 3
Clarity Needed Over Emergency Coronavirus Funds, as Care Costs Grow by £1bn (...Continued from Front Cover) If the proportion of funding provided to authorities responsible for delivering social care services is reduced when allocations of the latest £1.6bn are announced, councils say they face unpalatable decisions to reduce support for life-saving care services and may be unable to meet higher care home fees being demanded by providers. They also fear their capacity to assist in key areas such as ‘shielding’ the most vulnerable, care home testing, and meeting shortfalls in PPE supplies locally could be drastically reduced. Overall, it is estimated that the 36 county and unitary authorities face £1.3bn of additional Coronavirus costs across all their services. This is on top of a precrisis funding black hole for those councils of £1.8bn that would have been needed to have been filled this year. Local authorities face the potential loss of billions in lost income from council tax, business rates, fees and charges over the coming year. However, the true scale of these reductions is not currently known. CCN has previously told ministers to that in order to prevent councils facing real financial difficulty, the government should underwrite any loss of income and provide short-term financial flexibility to councils, such as a relaxation of borrowing rules so councils can borrow to fund revenue spending and a suspension of section 114 requirements.
Cllr David Williams, chairman of the County Councils Network, said: “The government has stated that the £1.6bn for councils, announced last week, has been provided to respond to the additional service costs faced by local authorities. It is clear from the evidence provided to ministers that social care is adding the most strain to council budgets as we battle the spread of the disease locally. “If the government changes the distribution of emergency funding it will disproportionately and unfairly impact those councils responsible for adult and children’s social care, reducing the funding available for these vital care services. “It is inevitable that government will need to provide a comprehensive package of measures to compensate councils for billions in potential lost income. This will require additional resources, but this should be a targeted and tailored response outside of the £1.6bn allocation which is to address additional costs from the virus, and particularly those in life-saving care services and initiatives that will reduce the strain on the NHS. “Alongside written confirmation that the government will meet additional costs and underwrite income losses, there are a number of other measures that ministers could bring forward to provide short-term financial flexibility, such as a relaxation of borrowing rules so councils can borrow to fund revenue spending and a suspension of section 114 requirements.”
Government Launch New Improved Data Report on COVID-19 Deaths The Government have introduced a new system for reporting data on COVID-19 deaths across all settings on a daily basis. Previously, only data on deaths in England occurring in hospital settings of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been included in daily updates. PHE have updated their data reporting and collection in England and from this week the daily UK count will show the total number of deaths for anyone with a positive test across all settings, including those out of hospital. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales already report out of hospital deaths. The figures, dating back from early March 2020 up to today, will be set out tomorrow afternoon at the daily press conference and published each day as part of the daily data reporting going forward. The new figure will cover the whole of the UK, showing the number of deaths across all settings, whether they are in hospital, in a care home or in the
community. This will include anyone who has died who has tested positive for COVID-19. With more data available covering a wider scope, the new figure is expected to be higher than previous counts. The new system links positive test results in labs with the central NHS Digital patient record of all deaths for the first time, and includes deaths outside hospital. To further complement our understanding of the virus and its impact, the ONS and CQC has also set out a more up to date assessment of deaths specifically in care homes, drawing on existing death registration data from ONS but also adding in new data from CQC notification processes. The ONS and CQC’s weekly series includes data with a time lag of up to 11 days, and includes suspected cases of coronavirus as denoted on death certificates. Tomorrow’s data will be accurate as of today and will only include those cases confirmed through testing.
PAGE 4 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
Advice For Care Sector Employers In The Wake Of A Pandemic
Comments from David Sillitoe, partner at Leeds-based specialist employment firm, Robinson Ralph
Over recent weeks, the media has described care home workers as the ‘forgotten front line’ in Britain’s fight against COVID-19 – an army of individuals willing to put their lives at risk in order to care for others in a demonstration of true selflessness. While many other sectors are unable to maintain their existing workforce as a result of the outbreak, the care industry’s workforce has never been more crucial. Despite this, employers in the sector are faced with what are likely – and hopefully – the biggest decisions of their professional lives and there are questions around the legal duties for employers within the residential nursing care sector. On 20 March, Rishi Sunak announced an unprecedented package of measures designed to protect jobs through the coronavirus crisis – strongly encouraging employers within both the private and public sectors to think long and hard before making redundancies for this reason. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is designed to help employers that can’t maintain their current workforce because operations have been severely affected by coronavirus. It allows companies to retain their current
staff – and re-recruit staff whom they had previously laid off or made redundant or who have recently left the company – by enabling employers to put an employee on furlough and claim for 80% of their wages (subject to a cap of £2,500 per month) plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions on that subsidised wage. In a sector such as care though, where services are required now more than ever and companies are less likely to need to furlough individuals, things are less clear. Government guidance states that “where employers receive public funding for staff costs, and that funding is continuing, we expect employers to use that money to continue to pay staff in the usual fashion – and correspondingly not furlough them. This also applies to nonpublic sector employers who receive public funding for staff costs.” Unsurprisingly, this led many to think that organisations receiving public funding where staff costs would be paid from that funding would not be eligible under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. However, the Treasury Direction does not distinguish between public and private sector organisations and nor does the portal to reclaim the money. Therefore, this suggests that as long as the reasons for furloughing are legitimate – i.e. “by reason of circumstances arising as a result of coronavirus or coronavirus disease” – a business within the care sector will be eligible. Such employers should think carefully about whether furloughing is necessary though. Employees not coming to work because they are shielding due to coronavirus can be furloughed but they will also now be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (although not whilst on furlough) – so there’s a decision to be made about the best route to take. New statutory sick pay regulations provide that a person is deemed incapable of work if they are unable to work
because they fall within the extremely vulnerable category and have been advised to shield. This means that an employee who is shielding will be entitled to SSP. The guidance still confirms that “employees who are unable to work because they are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) can be furloughed.” It also points out that if a sick employee is furloughed, they “should no longer receive sick pay and would be classified as a furloughed employee”; we presume the same applies to shielding employees. Annual leave can be taken whilst on furlough and Working Time Regulations (WTR) require holiday pay to be paid at the normal rate of pay or, where the rate of pay varies, calculated on the basis of the average pay an employee received in the previous 52 working weeks. Government guidance also states that whilst furloughed, employees will continue to accrue leave as per their employment contract. If someone usually works bank holidays, as is common within care, then their employer can agree that this is included in the grant payment. The policy on holiday pay remains under review and it’s also important to remember that this is government guidance as opposed to a Court decision interpreting the Working Time Regulations. Moreover, the question of whether an employer can require an employee to use holiday still remains. There is a wealth of free, accessible advice from professional bodies such as the National Care Association and experts in the legal and financial industries are poised and ready to offer valuable advice. I’d urge employers within the care sector to turn to the experts at this time, so they can focus on the most important task of keeping their staff and residents safe.
Why Protecting Mental Health Is Key To Resilience During This Crisis By Lindsey Appleby-Flynn, Adult Health and Social Care Lead at Connect2Care
These unprecedented times have seen the health and social care sector experience a huge upheaval. We’re all acutely aware of the immense pressure carers and front line staff are under as they fight an uphill battle day-in, day-out, with the country relying on them to care for the most vulnerable in our society. I think I speak for everyone when I say how incredibly proud we are of their amazing work. While some positives have come from this situation, in terms of the huge wave of recognition and gratitude for workers in this sector, it has also brought a signifi-
cant amount of stress for individuals and even greater pressure for the sector as a whole. Afterall, the sector is partly responsible for ensuring the nation's success in fighting this virus. This, combined with staff shortages, years of chronic underfunding within the sector, issues around accessing sufficient PPE, not to mention the fact that health and social care workers are putting themselves and their loved ones at increased risk of infection – it's no wonder that underlying mental health issues of workers will come to the fore, now and following the conclusion of this crisis. During these unsettling times, protecting our mental health and those of our colleagues is of utmost importance. Here are my tips on how to manage difficult conversations and provide a support system for the workforce:
1. OFFER A LISTENING EAR While it’s more essential than ever to check-in with colleagues to see how they’re coping, it’s also important to remember that people may find it difficult to come forward and express their worries or ask for help. By offering a listening ear and regularly checking-in shows that you care and makes it clear that you’re willing to talk when
the time is right for them. Remember you are not there to judge or diagnose, just make time to talk.
2. SOMEONE TO TURN TO
Having qualified First Aiders for Mental Health in your team is an effective way to support employees’ wellbeing. Not only do these team members have the skills to identify pressure points and manage difficult situations, your employees will have a trusted member of the team that they can turn to.
3. CHECK ‘FINE’ REALLY MEANS IT
We all know that if someone says they are ‘fine’, it isn’t always the case. When we are going through challenging times it’s no surprise that people don’t want to burden others, which can lead to feelings of anxiety or stress to build up. It might sound simple, but by checking if someone is really fine, or by saying “no, how are you really feeling?”, can encourage them to open up. If someone does express any feelings of worry or anxiety with you, it can help to relay what they’ve said back to them, to show you’re actively listening and make sure you’ve understood them correctly.
4. REMEMBER WE’RE ALL DIFFERENT
We all react differently to difficult situations and it’s vital
to remember that people will be impacted in different ways. While we are all uncertain about the long-term effects this outbreak will have on our lives, some of us will have increased anxiety about the health of loved ones, others will have decreased job security, financial worries, and some of us will have concerns about the effect on our children’s education. I believe it’s essential to open the conversation and support employers and employees in mental health first aid. This is fundamental to both the individual and the organisation. There are a range of First Aid for Mental Health courses available, which provide learners with the knowledge to recognise a range of mental health conditions, enabling them to signpost a person to appropriate help, recognise and manage stress, as well as the opportunity to qualify as a First Aider for Mental Health. Right now, it has never been more important to look after mental health and wellbeing and listen to each other’s concerns. By continuing to support each other, as an industry, we can remain resilient and weather this storm together. For more information, please visit www.connect2care.net.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 5
Care Sector Calls on NHS and Government to Build the Ring of Steel
Members of the National Care Forum (NCF) have highlighted growing concerns that frontline care homes need more clinical input to fight the challenges of Coronavirus head-on. They are calling for more direct input from their health sector counterparts. Last week, it was revealed by the NCF that more than 7,500 care home residents had died of Covid-19 before 13th April – more than 4,000 of those passing away within their care home residence. The social care
sector, in supporting many of society’s frailest and vulnerable individuals, is on the frontline of this crisis. Care homes urgently need more input from GP’s and other community clinical leaders, to ensure frontline care managers are not faced with the reality of responding to this enormous health challenge alone. It warns that without improved clinical input, care home residents and staff face greater risk, and that many more care home residents may require support within hospital settings – placing greater demand on the acute NHS services. The NCF is asking that every care home has a minimum standard of access to GPs for emergency advice, as well as regular phone and online consultations to share clinical best-practice. They are also requesting that every care home is provided with the essential medical monitoring devices and medication necessary to respond to an outbreak. The NCF believes that it is essential now, more than ever, that there is a consistent joined-up health and care approach to managing this pandemic in care
homes and the wider community. It is asking for GP’s, community nurses, Allied Health Professionals and acute clinicians to help build a ‘ring of steel around’ vulnerable care homes, to do everything that is reasonably possible to protect the health of their residents. Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum, says: “If a person was to enter a hospital with the acute effects of COVID-19, they would rightly be given the clinical support that they need as an absolute priority. Unfortunately, the frontline of this virus has moved into care homes, and the clinical focus needs to shift with them. Care homes have highly skilled and talented social care experts in their ranks, but they need the input of specialist clinical support to respond to such a complex and unpredictable health crisis. It is essential that they have the support of specially trained health professionals when necessary, and that they are given every resource required to prevent, prepare for and mitigate the impact of a Coronavirus outbreak.
People living in care homes have the same right to health care as anyone else in the country. The vision for our nation, both now and into the future, has to be one of health and social care working in harmony for the good of all people. Now, as we face the biggest health crisis of a generation, this is the absolute moment to make that vision a reality.” This appeal comes just one week after the NCF shared a national review of the impact of Coronavirus on care homes, where it highlighted the desperate need for Government to provide greater support to care homes and the wider social care sector. The review highlighted ‘widespread concerns about the lack of prioritisation of social care, including access to PPE, a lack of testing within care home settings, and considerable financial and operational pressures’. The National Care Forum is continuing to highlight these issues, with many providers sharing that few meaningful changes have been observed in frontlinecare homes to date to aid their fight to keep their residents safe and well throughout this crisis.
Warning Over Care Provider Survival During Virus Campaigners have warned that unless the Government steps up funding for local authorities many social care providers could go to the wall as they battle to look after older and vulnerable people during coronavirus. The Government announced an extra £1.6bn in March and a further £1.6bn this month to help local authorities support social care. But the Independent Care Groups says the Government must heed Local Government Association warnings that this extra £3.2bn won’t be enough. It is calling on the Government to treat social care the same at it has treated the NHS because all are working together to conquer Covid-19. ICG chair, Mike Padgham said: “Of course any extra funding for local authorities will, I am sure, be welcome, but we are told the £3.2bn pledged so far is nowhere near enough to support local authorities to a point where they can in turn help social care providers during coronavirus. “At the same time, that money is simply not getting to the front line as some local authorities pass it on to providers whilst others don’t. Across the country, it is patchy to say the least. “There is a very real danger that there will be social care business failures in the coming weeks. Care providers have been suffering financial hardship for
many years due to chronic under-funding. Now they are facing huge increases in costs, for instance the costs of bringing in agency staff to cover for staff who are unwell, sick pay costs and the increasing cost of protective equipment. Due to stopping admissions, some care homes are also seeing a dramatic reduction in income and homecare providers are suffering a reduction in contracts. “We need the Government to treat social care the same as it is treating the NHS. For example, NHS debts have been wiped by the Government; can we not see similar support for social care? “We have written to the Chancellor asking him to make social care zero-rated for VAT, which would help providers to invest in care. For example, social care providers are currently paying VAT for PPE whilst NHS and local authority providers don’t. We need that anomaly to be ended so we are all treated the same. “The Government has repeatedly promised to do whatever was needed to get the country through the pandemic. Social care now needs that action, otherwise providers will not be able to play their part in beating Covid-19 and many could cease to operate at all.” Social care currently looks after 400,000 people in care and nursing homes – that is three times the number in NHS hospital beds. Social care looks after a further 640,000 people in their own homes.
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PAGE 6 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
Regulator’s Policy On Registering The Right Support Looks Unlikely To Change By Duncan Astill, Partner, and Amanda Narkiewicz, Principal Associate, at national law firm Mills & Reeve.
There is no shortage of column inches devoted to the CQC’s controversial guidance document Registering the Right Support (RTRS). The guidance issued in June 2017 remains in force and informs the CQC’s approach to the registration of any new service provision for people with a learning disability and/or autism. A significant feature, is that it includes a presumption that accommodation will be for six service users or less. The CQC say that this is not a rigid rule, however, it is the experience of many that it is being operated in that way.
BUT HOW CREDIBLE IS THE SIX PERSON RULE?
The CQC claim that the numbers are based on NHS England guidance from 2015 Building the right support although, the care model in that document makes no reference to the number six. In the appendix of RTRS, it also refers to NICE’s 2012 guidance, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, as a basis for its six person rule, however, that document only relates to adults with autism and does not define “small scale”, it states: “If residential care is needed for adults with autism it should usually be provided in small, local community-
based units (of no more than six people and with wellsupported single person accommodation). In 2018 NICE published new guidance, Learning disability and behaviors that challenges: service design and delivery. This makes no reference to the six person cap. However, it does make the following observation: “… evidence suggests that people with learning disabilities … want to have a choice about where they live and live in spaces that are ‘homelike’.” It is also worth noting that the guidance recommends to commissioners: “If adults prefer not to live alone with support, or it is not suitable for them, offer them the option of living with a small number of other people in shared housing that has a smallscale domestic feel. Involve people in choosing how many people, and who, they live with”. The CQC’s guidance is currently under development – a brief consultation took place at the start of 2020. It appears, however, that this is additional guidance, rather than a replacement. Indeed, the draft document includes the following statement: “Our policy on regulating providers that support autistic people and people with a learning disability remains unchanged from Registering the right support, but, having sought feedback, we have aimed to clarify to providers how we might implement the policy in this update.” So, the number six is here to stay and whilst not the only condition, it is clear that there are many at the CQC believe it to be sacrosanct, despite its rather tangential origins. Whilst the focus of most column inches has been on the rights and wrongs of RTRS, little focus has been given to the impact of the guidance on existing services. What does it mean for those trying to maintain larger services currently registered? Is it possible to transfer
an existing service to new owners without falling foul of new registration criteria?
MAINTAINING REGISTRATION
It is clear that the CQC are conducting inspections of learning disability services with a mind to the RTRS guidance. We regularly see statements made at the start of the reports to the effect that existing services do not meet RTRS guidance and would not be registered if they applied now. However, the CQC are not taking steps to close existing services – recognising the impact and distress that this would have on service users. RTRS recognises that existing providers “… have to work within the physical constraints of existing buildings and locations’’. However, they expect them to meet the “underpinning principles” and “evidence-based best practice” and make changes where they can. This has meant, for some providers, a lot of time and effort going into making sure that the support they provide is more personalised, replicating the community: offering choices instead of planned activities and making sure that mainstream NHS services are accessed where appropriate. This is important, as it does seem that these simple changes really do help to demonstrate a service model that ensures people are supported to have a “good and meaningful everyday life”. It must, however, also be recognised that some services offer a genuine community to residents (we have seen examples of 20 year friendships) and facilities, such as, on site hydrotherapy, that simply might not be available to service users living in the community and this also helps to enrich people’s lives. From what we have seen, it is clear that the CQC must work hard to find a genuine balance.
CHANGING OWNERSHIP
Whilst new applications are subject to the strict
Death, Dying and Social Work Under COVID-19 Dr Denise Turner, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, examines some of the pressures now put on social workers as people around the world lose loved ones to coronavirus. The Prime Minister’s stark warning only a few short weeks ago, that ‘many more people will lose loved ones to coronavirus,’ signalled an increase in fatalities that is now a grim daily reality and personal nightmare for many. Whilst media reporting and public support has understandably focussed on the work of NHS staff, social workers nationally are under pressure as they grapple with people who have experienced the sudden, unexpected death of someone close to them. These daily struggles are set within an already stretched Health and Social Care sector, where the average retention rate for social workers prior to the COVID-19 outbreak was the lowest in the public sector (ONS, 2019). Deaths from coronavirus are also set within a national context where dying and bereavement remain largely sequestered from public dis-
course. A major national survey, carried out by YouGov in 2018 on behalf of the Co-op, found that 18 million people in the UK are very uncomfortable talking about death, whilst 5 million would not talk about their own deaths. Amongst the recommendations of this research were the need for more opportunities for talking about death, increased education on death and training, and greater support following bereavement. A parallel study, undertaken by the Royal College of Physicians in 2018, titled ‘Talking about Dying’, also showed that many medical staff struggle to have honest conversations about death and dying. Amidst this public and professional context, a collaborative study carried out by the Social Work department at London Metropolitan University and the University of Chichester, during 2019, investigated bereavement support and training for social work students and those in their first year of practice. Findings from the study further demonstrate a lack of training on death and bereavement within initial social work education and continuing professional development, leaving a pervasive gap in the knowledge available to social workers. Participants in the study also reported an extensive deficit in bereavement support, leading to a social
application of size criterion in RTRS, how will the CQC approach a change in ownership of an existing service? If there is a share sale of an existing company – there is no actual change in registration. There is a requirement to notify the CQC of changes to the board (Regulation 15(e)(i)-(iii) Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009) but the legal entity actually carrying on regulated activity will not change. However, many services are part of a group and the transfer of a single location will require a new application on the part of the new owner. That proves more problematic because technically a new application must be made. However, RTRS itself recognises this: “In the case of existing services, whether they are transferring to a new provider or not, CQC acknowledges that providers have to work within the physical constraints of existing buildings and locations. Subject to constraints that cannot be changed within existing arrangements, CQC expects providers to ensure that the underpinning principles and evidence-based best practice are demonstrated in their registration applications and, where appropriate, evidence that providers plan to make changes to adapt premises to meet best practice guidelines.” So, all is not lost. In the same way that inspectors are making judgements on the ability of current service providers to flex their services to address new models of care, a new owner who seeks a new registration of an existing service will be asked to demonstrate planned changes that will deliver the principles envisaged by Building the right support and RTRS. That should enable current services, with more than six residents, to be transferred to new owners, especially if they are better placed to deliver that change.
work student who experienced the death of a service user being told simply: ‘You have to be more resilient about death.’ Funerals and mourning customs Additionally, the study found a similar deficit in culturally specific bereavement training, for example, funeral and other mourning customs which are crucial for aiding the bereavement process. This is highly significant during the current outbreak of COVID-19, where the restriction on numbers of mourners at funerals has led to an increase in live streaming, with restricted access to the body, and an absence of the physical proximity and comfort often associated with mourning. In these circumstances, traditional bereavement rituals such as the Muslim practice of washing the body may be impossible, creating potentially major repercussions for those experiencing a difficult and unexpected death. Bereaved people in these circumstances will often turn to social workers who may lack both the expertise and the professional support to offer effective assistance. At a time when death and dying are confronting everyone through the news media and personal or professional experience, findings from this 2019 study and other major national research indicate a critical need for education and training to equip social workers, members of the public and other practitioners, with the language, knowledge and resilience needed to manage both the immediate and longer-term outcomes of death, dying and bereavement.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 7
Testing Offers “Silver Bullet” For Crisis In Care Homes Two care operators have described the government’s announcement on coronavirus testing for keyworkers as a “silver bullet” for the care sector. In a joint interview, Chris Mitchell Chairman of Park Lane Healthcare and Tony Stein, CEO of Healthcare Management Solutions have hit back at the misconception that care homes are a “war zone” while praising the government’s new testing measures which they see as the solution to the sector’s problems. The two care leaders, said that, while the global pandemic creates challenges, care homes are well equipped and practised in managing infectious diseases. Chris Mitchell said: “It’s business as usual in our care homes. Of course we face challenges but every year we tackle infections like norovirus and winter flu, so we’re more than up to the job of meeting quarantine and barrier-nursing protocols where necessary. “While normally our homes would be filled with residents’ family and visitors from outside, we now have staff and carers who are going the extra mile to keep
everybody connected and ensure that the people we look after have fun and a great quality of life in our homes. “After the government’s recent announcement extending coronavirus testing to care workers and their families, I had a new spring in my step! This is the means by which we can eventually return to some form of normality and ensure that our residents, staff and their families remain happy and healthy.” On the issue of PPE, Tony added: “Certainly, more needs to be done by the government to get PPE supplies into the country but at the moment, we are managing to source PPE for our homes. In perspective, that means sourcing 100,000 facemasks for our homes across the UK but at the moment we are managing.” On testing, he added: “Testing for staff and their families is a game changer. We will now be able to test those staff who are self-isolating, perhaps because a family member might be showing symptoms, and potentially, get them back into the homes.”
Care Home Residents in Armley Deliver Powerful Message to the Community War veterans at a HC-One care home in Leeds are urging the community to stay at home by delivering a powerful message during lockdown. Staff at Rievaulx House have taken individual photos of Residents holding up cards displaying the message ‘we went to war for you, stay at home for us.’ The photographs deliver a strong message in order to encourage people to do their bit to overcome this new battle against coronavirus. Rachael Hall, Home Manager at HC-One’s Rievaulx House, commented: “Our Residents are extremely passionate about people following the guidelines and staying at home to protect us all from the spread of coronavirus. “I was exceptionally proud
to see them come together to spread the word with these creative photographs. “Seeing these images really helps you realise that staying indoors to keep family, friends and neighbours safe isn’t a big task. We are all in this together and are committed to keeping everybody safe during this pandemic.” One of the Residents delivering the message in the photographs was a young girl who worked during the war as a switchboard operator and another worked as a machinist making parachutes. Rachael Hall added: “It was fascinating for the team to hear Resident’s stories from the war, such as jobs they had during it, and their contribution to the war effort.”
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 9
Mobile Coronavirus Testing Units to Target Frontline Workers Essential workers and the most vulnerable will receive increased access to coronavirus tests after the government unveiled a network of mobile testing units to travel where there is significant demand, including care homes, police stations and prisons. The number of new mobile units is being scaled up after a successful pilot last week, which saw Department of Health vehicles refitted to fully functioning testing sites, following a design developed by the Royal Engineers of the British Army. Today, there are eight existing mobile units carrying out tests across the country, including in Salisbury, Southport and Teesside. Mobile facilities can be set up in under 20 minutes, allowing the testing of hundreds of people each day and are now travelling to those most in need and hard to reach. Specially trained Armed Forces personnel will collect swabs at the mobile sites, before they are sent to mega-labs for processing. Those tested will receive results within 48 hours. Rapid expansion of a network of mobile test units is now underway, with new units being fielded in the coming weeks and at least 96 ready to be deployed by the start of May. This follows the announcement last week that other frontline workers would join the priority list for coronavirus testing, alongside the existing commitment to make sure patients and NHS staff are tested for the virus. New mobile sites will travel to frontline workers in places including: • Care homes • Police stations • Prisons • Benefits centres • Fire and rescue services Testing Minister Lord Bethell said: “Everyone who needs a coronavirus test should be able to have access to one. New mobile testing units will travel the country to provide vital frontline workers with tests so those testing negative to safely return to work. “We have built up capacity in the system with new testing facilities backed by Britain’s world-class scientists and industry partners. This means more workers can know if they have coronavirus if they have been demonstrating symptoms. “Testing is key in our battle against coronavirus. We now have the ability to provide more people with the certainty they need to get back
to the front line when it is safe to do so.” Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our Armed Forces will help deliver testing to where it’s most needed, using a network of up to 96 mobile units that will be rolled out in the coming weeks. They will make sure our care sector get the testing required to remain in the frontline of the fight against this pandemic.” National Testing Coordinator John Newton said: “Across the country we are creating new infrastructure to rapidly increase our capacity to test for coronavirus. New mobile testing units will help us achieve our goal of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day, providing tests to vital frontline workers wherever they need them. “In a matter of weeks we have worked with Britain’s leading scientists, academics and industry partners to build scores of new testing facilities and Britain’s largest network of diagnostic labs in history. Each day we are delivering more coronavirus tests, and allowing more frontline staff testing negative for the virus to safely return to work.” The Government’s objective is to deploy 96 mobile testing units during the month of May – 92 will be staffed by the Armed Forces and a further four, located in Northern Ireland, will be operated by civilian contractors. Earlier this month the Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the UK government’s 5-pillar plan to rapidly scale up coronavirus testing across the UK. The new 5-pillar plan outlines the ambitions to: • Pillar 1: Scale up swab testing in PHE labs and NHS hospitals for those with a medical need and the most critical workers to 25,000 a day in England, with the aligned testing strategies of the NHS in the Devolved Administrations benefiting from PHE’s partnership with Roche through a central UK allocation mechanism • Pillar 2: Deliver increased commercial swab testing for critical key workers in the NHS across the UK, before then expanding to key workers in other sectors. There are now more than 30 drive-through sites collecting these samples across the UK. • Pillar 3: Develop blood testing to help know if people across the UK have the right antibodies and so have high levels of immunity to coronavirus • Pillar 4: Conduct UK-wide surveillance testing to learn more about the spread of the disease and help develop new tests and treatments • Pillar 5: Create a new National Effort for testing, to build a mass-testing capacity for the UK at a completely new scale.
Time to Cherish Our 'Greatest Resource' Glorious Gardens at Borough Care’s Homes
Care England wants to ensure the wellbeing of adult social care staff as they are our biggest resource. The report published today by IPPR, Fit for Carers, for example reflects on the implications the Covid-19 crisis has had upon the of wellbeing of the social care workforce. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “If there is one thing that this dreadful pandemic has shown us it is that the social care workforce is our greatest resource. We must learn from this and train, resource and cherish the workforce accordingly”. There is a need to recognise the efforts of health and care professionals as a whole nation. These are the heroes on the frontline leading the fight against Covid19. Care England is acutely aware of the sacrifices that the adult social care workforce has made during this pandemic, consequently we are working tirelessly to ensure that these efforts are reflected through institut-
ed policies and gestures from central Government. An unhealthy care workforce will not be able to manage the health of the population, we must strive to protect the workforce that protects us. Members of Care England are implementing overarching wellbeing strategies to ensure the physical and mental health of their staff. For example: 24/7 telephone counselling; specialist guidance around financial, wellbeing and lifestyle topics; specific guidance on health and wellbeing as well as home learning, remote line management and technology and wellbeing toolkits. Martin Green continues: “An important legacy of this crisis must be securing the status of social care as one on equal to the NHS. Never again must social care be the underdog. Social care must retain its rightful status which will therefore necessitate adequate resourcing, funding and status”.
Monday 27 April to Sunday 3 May is National Gardening Week and residents at Borough Care’s eleven homes for older people in Stockport have been making the most of the homes’ gardens during the recent lovely spring weather. Residents have been enjoying gardening, sitting in the sunshine and playing outdoor games. Gardening is one of a wide range of activities arranged by Borough Care and is popular with lots of residents, as many used to enjoy tending their own garden. During isolation, due to the current coronavirus (Covid 19) pandemic, the gardens at Borough
Care’s homes have become a welcome distraction for residents, as well as providing health and wellbeing benefits. Members of the Green Thumbs community garden group in Brinnington have donated plants to Borough Care’s two homes in Brinnington. Green Thumbs volunteers, Julie Eastwood Loftus and Lucy Eyles, visited Bryn Haven and Cawood House to pot bedding plants they have gifted to Borough Care. Both Julie and Lucy’s mums have been cared for by Borough Care and they wanted to give something back at this difficult time and help brighten up residents’ lives.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 11
Government Campaign to Recruit Care Workers During COVID-19 A new national recruitment drive has launched to bring “thousands more people” into social care jobs. Leading the charge for ‘Care for Others. Make a Difference’ is health and social care secretary Matt Hancock and care minister Helen Whately. The campaign includes the new CARE brand for social care which symbolises the entire care profession – like the iconic and recognisable NHS logo. The brand aims to raise the profile of the care sector and allow businesses to show them the same appreciation as NHS workers. Free-to-access e-learning courses and webinars for local authority and care provider staff are also being developed. Key topics will include: safeguarding, person-centred care, dementia, Mental Capacity Act, infection control and supporting care at home. Commenting on the campaign to recruit care workers during COVID-19, Matt Hancock said, ‘During these unprecedented times we are all grateful to the huge number of social care workers working day and night to provide quality care to the most vulnerable in our society. ‘The whole country wants to thank the 1.5 million of you for your inspirational and tireless work.
‘I want this campaign to reignite the search for people with a zest for caring and protecting our most vulnerable to step forward to join them.’ Helen Whately, Minister of State for Care, comments, ‘The care sector is a vital part of our society, and this pandemic has truly brought home the skill and commitment of care workers who are looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. ‘We want to make sure everyone knows what an important and valued job care workers do, and inspire more people to step forwards to join the care workforce. We also want to support care providers who are looking to recruit staff, so we are offering free initial training to applicants considering a job in care. This should help job seekers looking to work in care for the first time and their future employers. ‘We want to bring together all those thinking they might work in care with social care providers looking for new recruits, and to make it as simple as possible for the doors to open up for thousands more compassionate and committed people to work in care.’ Skills for Care has worked with Government to make rapid online induction training accessible. This includes key elements of the Care Certificate
and is available free of charge. This will provide good practice resources and support for social care professionals to help the sector meet the challenge of COVID-19. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, commented, ‘There are thousands of people who are kind, skilled and dedicated and who have the necessary values and qualities to become part of the social care workforce. Social care transforms lives and enables people to live well. The satisfaction and rewards of delivering social care are incalculable and we hope that there will be many people who will come into the social care workforce and achieve a satisfying and rewarding career.’ Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth said, ‘We know that significant numbers of social care staff are unable to work so realising this ambition of recruiting thousands of people to where they are needed by providers right across the country is absolutely vital. ‘Some of our network of endorsed training providers have secured funding to deliver learning for new staff so they have the skills and knowledge needed to make a real difference in the lives of the people they will be working with and in their communities.’
'Adopt A Grandparent’ Campaign Sees 72,000 Sign-Ups Globally
Care home group, CHD Living, is calling for fundraising support for its digital ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ scheme – which has seen over 72,000 people sign up from around the world – as it looks to establish ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ as an independent, not-forprofit organisation for public benefit, creating an app to facilitate, streamline and speed up the ‘adoption’ process. Given the thousands of signups, the group is now looking to develop an app to help orchestrate and manage the pairing process – and, having provided seed funding to get the project this far, is now looking for public fundraising support to help get it off the ground, as it opens up the ini-
tiative to other care homes across the world. Aimed at combating loneliness and encouraging companionship, the initiative is centered on digitally connecting the public with care home residents, helping them to form meaningful, intergenerational friendships. The campaign devised by CHD Living, a Surrey and South London based care home group consisting of 13 residences, two specialist rehabilitation centres and a domiciliary care business, was initially launched last autumn and looked for local volunteers to physically visit the home to meet and bond with residents. However, given the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the current restrictions on movement, the group decided to take the campaign digital – aiming to harness video technology to spread the message further and encourage connections from anywhere in the world. The call for ‘virtual volunteers’ was met with an astonishing response, with 72,000 people signing up within 3 weeks from all over the world including from the US, Canada, Dubai, New Zealand and more –
far more than the care home group could possibly look to pair up. Shaleeza Hasham, Head of Hospitality, Communications & Commissioning at CHD Living, said: “We’ve been absolutely astounded by the sensational response to our campaign! It’s been a complete whirlwind the past few weeks, but one that’s brought in much needed positivity at an incredibly testing time for the care industry. Some of the messages we’ve been receiving have been so lovely, and we’ve been pairing up people, facilitating video calls and encouraging communication; the start of which has been extremely heartwarming.” To make this happen, CHD Living is currently in the process of registering the ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ scheme with the charity commission as a social, not-forprofit enterprise, which will run independently to CHD Living. The group is asking for public support in fundraising to launch the charity, as well as for the development of the app and the forming of partnerships with other care providers, enabling as many residents as possible across the globe to participate in the programme.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 13
CQC Books Testing Appointments For Nearly 12,500 Care Staff
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been contacting adult social care providers to book appointments for their staff to be tested for COVID19. Since 10 April, 24,590 locations have been contacted and 12,422 appointments have been booked for staff. Working with Public Health England (PHE) alongside local decision makers, including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), CQC’s national infrastructure is being used to book appointments at a national testing centrefor any staff who are self-isolating with symptoms of coronavirus. This will give care staff more peace of mind about their own safety and that oftheir families and the people they care for – and means that those who test negative can return to work and help relieve the pressures services are facing. As some adult social care staff cannot visit a drive-through
testing centre as they do not have access to a car, a scheme is being piloted this week for staff to order home testing kits. CQC will also be coordinating testing appointments for staff from other sectors who are not already covered by an existing NHS or local authority scheme, including GPs and practice teams. This does not replace existing local systems but will offer an extra option to help make sure that if anyone is struggling to get a test quickly, they have another route. CQC will contact individual practices from this week with details of how to book testing for their staff and more information on eligibility. Other measures CQC has taken to support adult social care include: • designing and launching a regular data collection on COVID-19 related pressures – such as shortages of PPE – from services who provide care for people in their own homes. This information will be combined with information already gathered from residential and nursing homes togive a much more complete picture of how coronavirus is affecting people who use adult social care services and those who care for them. This information will be shared across organisation who can help mobilise support as well as CQC’s owninspection teams. • In response to concerns raised by providers about the possibility that advance care plans, with or without Do Not Attempt to Resuscitate (DNAR) form completion, could be applied broadly to groups of people during the COVID-19 pandemic, CQC has issued a joint statement with the British Medical Association (BMA), Care Provider Alliance (CPA) and Royal College of General Practice (RCGP) to make it clear that this practice is unacceptable, and that these decisions must continue to be made on an individual
basis according to need. • CQC is also working with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to explore how to provide a more detailed and timely picture of the impact of Coronavirus on adult social care, using the data on deaths of people with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 that they collect from providers. This will also give a regional view of which areas are being most impacted and may need additional support as a result. This data will be used to support weekly ONS reporting on deaths from 28 April. Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of CQC, said: “We’ve taken some really practical steps to support adult social care during a time of unimaginable pressure, and we’ll continue to develop the package of support we’re offering across all sectors to help providers prioritise the safety of people using services and of staff delivering care. “It is especially important – at a time when staff may be looking after more patients than usual, working outside their normal competencies or in new environments – to highlight the value of safety culture. Ensuring an open and transparent culture where people can speak up when they have concerns about safety is crucial. “Staff must feel confident that they will be listened to – without any fear of blame or reprisal – when raising concerns and reporting incidents. In these exceptionally challenging times, identifying and reporting risk so that action can be taken to ensure that safe care is maintained will be more important than ever. CQC will be listening, and we want to help you to keep people safe.”
Family Care Homes Call for Ashton Care Home Gets Fit and Fabulous to Shake Lockdown Volunteer Befrienders Family-led care provider, Morris Care has issued a call for volunteer Befrienders to spend time with Care Home residents missing the company of family and friends. Helping set the ball in motion, young members of the Morris family volunteered to trial the Befriender concept and were a huge hit immediately across the homes. The call is now being extended to residents’ families and the local community, who may be able to give up some time to make a difference. In addition to providing company and a listening ear to residents, the first new Befrienders have helped residents to connect with families using Whatsapp, Facetime and Skype, walking around the beautiful gardens and grounds the Homes enjoy, as well as playing games, joining in activities and
generally socialising and befriending residents. Katie Morris said: “Our staff are working incredibly hard caring for our residents, but inevitably, they are missing their regular visitors. These are extraordinary times but if we can find the right people to give up some of their time, it will make a huge difference. “We are looking kind and compassionate people who are IT-literate and enjoy social interaction and making friends and we welcome all enquiries.” Befrienders will be health checked and prepared for their new role through an easy elearning programme before joining the teams with plenty of support and practical guidance within the Home environment. To find out more about the scheme visit www.morriscare.co.uk or email info@morriscare.co.uk
Downshaw Lodge in Ashton-under-Lyne is treating residents to fun and fabulous fitness sessions to banish their lockdown blues. Staff at the care home, which caters for gentlemen living with dementia, wanted to ensure that the residents’ lives were disrupted as little possible during the period of lockdown. Alex McClusky, the head of the domestic team at Downshaw Lodge, is a keen fitness fanatic, and offered to run engaging and energetic cardio sessions in the home’s car park, to keep both residents and staff active when movement outside the home is restricted. The activities have been positively received by both the home and its neighbours, with locals regularly coming out to wave and clap, encouraging them to keep going. Kasia Kapalka, home manager at Downshaw Lodge, said: “It is a difficult and frustrating time for everyone, particularly for people living with dementia because they may not always fully understand the reason for the lockdown. We wanted to make life as normal as possible for our residents while putting a smile on their faces at the same time. “Alex is doing an amazing job running the sessions, and the residents love the high energy cardio and bums,
legs and tums classes, all run to fun and engaging music out in the fresh air. “It’s heart-warming to see members of the community smiling and waving when they see us out there getting fit. Someone even posted a little porcelain angel through the door to thank the team for doing such a good job. We’re hoping to continue it even after the lockdown’s over, as long as the weather stays nice.”
PAGE 14 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
Why Cyber Attacks Targeting Care Homes Have Increased During The Pandemic In early March, Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), which provides compliance management systems to over 4,000 UK care homes, received a suspicious email from the ‘IT-Services desk’. This email was addressed to “ALL STAFF” and entitled “Corona virus awareness”. At first glance, even to the trained-eye, the two paragraph email, which called on staff “to take a compulsory survey” to help combat the Coronavirus, looked genuine. But, experts at QCS, who have developed a raft of policies around cyber awareness, data protection and confidentiality, immediately identified that the correspondence was fake. Just as well because if any subscriber had clicked on the link, they would have been sent to a fake Outlook Web App. Thinking that the webpage was genuine, anyone who completed the survey, would have unwittingly given their personal details to hackers. “Unfortunately, this is just one of several ‘phishing’ scams perpetrated by criminals, wishing to capitalise on the Covid-19 pandemic”, says Becky Newman, from Howden, a specialist insurance broker for the UK care sector.
LARGE INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS-LED CYBER FRAUD With the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau reporting 994 instances of Coronavirus-related fraud and cybercrime in the first 21 days of April*, Newman, an Associate Director for Howden Care Division, says that “phishing emails remain the most widespread security breach”, but “Impersonation and Ransomware attacks” are also on the rise. She adds, “Cyber criminals are opportunistic. They’ll target everything. There’s been a dramatic increase in Ransomware attacks because they’re quick, easy and highly disruptive. What’s more, all the proprietary information extracted is of value because it can also be sold on the Dark Web should the company not pay the ransom.” But why are cyber criminals taking aim at care providers rather than the big banks and large corporates? Newman explains, “Care providers hold vast quantities of personal and sensi-
tive information and a greater number are using technology to deliver services. Unfortunately, the majority of care providers don't have the funds to allocate adequate resources to cyber protection programmes. Nor do they have time to educate their staff on “cyber-hygiene”. This makes care businesses a relatively easy and fruitful target for attackers.” Another obstacle, thinks Newman, is the high turnover of staff in the UK care sector, which she says “makes it difficult to cement learning”. “We know from Skills for Care that staff turnover in the care sector in England is over 30.8%. That means 440,000 people leave their jobs each year**. High turnover makes it very hard to instil a cyber security culture amongst staff, especially when the nature of the threat is constantly evolving and is growing in sophistication.”
STRONG CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE NEEDED In this challenging environment, Newman believes that well-led care providers, that have embedded a strong culture of compliance within their services, are better able to protect themselves from cyberattack. She also thinks that companies such as QCS, who supply compliance management systems with integrated risk assessment technology, have a major role to play. She explains, “Cyber-related policies and procedures require risk assessments in the same way a provider assesses more tangible risks. Procedures around the handling of data - and the ongoing training of staff in cyber awareness procedure - is key. Awareness and the re-iteration of the risk are also essential. We think QCS’s extremely robust and thorough systems are a great medium for communicating cyber security updates to carers, as and when new information comes to light.” To download a cyber awareness factsheet, visit www.thecareruk.com/qcsfactsheet * Action Fraud website https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news All figures were obtained from Action Fraud press office on 21st, April and are accurate at the time of writing. ** Skills for Care Workforce intelligence The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, September 2019 (Page 8) https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/adult-social-care-workforce-data/Workforceintelligence/documents/State-of-the-adult-social-care-sector/State-of-Report-2019.pdf
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PAGE 16 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
The Care Sector and Coronavirus – An Employer’s Legal Duties During The Covid-19 Pandemic
By Charlotte Farrell, employment solicitor at Paris Smith (parissmith.co.uk)
The residential nursing care sector has been in the news a lot recently, with a clear focus on a lack of PPE in the sector. There is mounting concern amongst those working in this industry that they are being let down by the system and, in some cases, their employers and that more needs to be done. In this article we examine the legal duties for employers within the residential nursing care sector and what they can do to meet them during these unprecedented times.
WHAT ARE THE GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY OBLIGATIONS ON EMPLOYERS DURING THIS CRISIS? The normal rules on health and safety in the workplace continue to apply during this pandemic. Both criminal and civil law apply to workplace health and safety. Employers have an obligation to protect their workers and others from getting hurt or ill as a result of their work. Failure to comply with these obligations could attract action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or local authority under criminal law or a compensation claim by the employee for negligence under civil law Employers therefore need to make sure they continue to follow all their normal health and safety rules. This includes but is not limited to appointing a competent person to manage health and safety, preparing and following a health and safety policy, maintaining complete first aid kits and staff trained in first aid, displaying the legal poster, providing the correct facilities for staff and providing training on their health and safety obligations. The key point during this pandemic will be to make sure that risk assessments required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 are kept up to date and regularly reviewed and acted upon, especially where that means changing the course of action to protect staff.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC OBLIGATIONS AROUND PROVIDING PPE TO STAFF, ESPECIALLY FACE MASKS, GIVEN THE CURRENT SHORTAGE? Distinct from the guidance for those working in hospital settings, the current guidance from Public Health England (correct as at 7 April 2020) states that residen-
tial care homes only need to provide PPE face masks for people to wear when in close personal contact with patients who are suspected/confirmed cases of coronavirus or for those who are cleaning an area that an ill person has been in if there are visible bodily fluids. The guidance also indicates that those with suspected cases should be kept in isolation and those caring for people with symptoms should not (where possible) also look after those who don’t have symptoms. The Care Quality Commission has also confirmed that all visits by friends and family must stop and there must be hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities available by the entrance for any medical staff or couriers who need to access the building. These are the minimum guidelines care homes are required to follow. If a care home is meeting this requirement it is likely that they will meet their health and safety obligations in these areas; however, that will not necessarily stop employees raising concerns or feeling worried that they are not using PPE for all tasks.
WHAT OTHER PRACTICAL STEPS CAN EMPLOYERS TAKE TO MITIGATE THE RISKS THEIR STAFF ARE EXPOSED TO? It would be wise for care homes to take as many additional steps as they can to ease the concerns of staff and help protect all those in the care home setting; however, these are not strictly legal requirements. Steps may include regular briefings with staff, extra cleaning, extra hand washing, removing unnecessary items from rooms (where possible), leaving doors open so door handles don’t have to be used, regularly disinfecting door handles and communal areas. If someone does fall ill with suspected symptoms, and it is appropriate in the setting to do so, the care home could also consider rearranging rooms temporarily to create a space that is dedicated to caring for those who are showing symptoms. This may also help reduce the amount of PPE needed and minimise the number of staff members who are potentially exposed to the virus.
CAN A STAFF MEMBER REFUSE TO COME TO WORK BECAUSE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS? If an employee refuses to come to work because they believe they are at a risk of serious and imminent danger which cannot reasonably be averted and they are then dismissed for refusing to work in those circumstances, they may have a claim under s.100 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 if they are dismissed as a result. This likely to cover employees who are in the
vulnerable category due to their age, underlying health conditions or pregnancy and such employees may also have a discrimination claim if they were dismissed. It is also likely that concerns over the lack of PPE or other health and safety issues related to the Coronavirus would be covered too, especially if a care home doesn’t have any PPE at all and/or residents are showing symptoms. In this situation an employer should carry out a health and safety risk assessment as a first step and consider whether the risks can be adequately mitigated or averted. If that is not possible and the risk of serious and imminent danger remains, the employer could investigate alternatives such as taking holiday or unpaid leave until the risk has changed. As this claim exists from day one of employment, any employee dismissed in these circumstances is likely to have the right to bring a claim.
ARE THERE ANY CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS? It would be unusual for a normal contract of employment to contain provisions specifically dealing with a pandemic of this kind. However, normal employment law rules haven’t stopped because of the Coronavirus. An employer must make sure any steps it takes don’t breach an employee’s contract of employment. A good example of this is that if staff have mandatory training that is about to expire that training will need to be updated despite the current pressures.
CAN EMPLOYEES WORK MORE HOURS TO COVER STAFF SHORTAGES? Yes, as long as their hours don’t exceed the limits under the Working Time Regulations. The key things to remember are that the normal working week should be under 48 hours. If extra shifts will exceed this, employees need to agree in advance that their working week can be longer by signing a separate opt out agreement. The 48 hours is averaged over 26 weeks for those working in residential institutions or 11 hours for those providing care in a person’s home, so a one-off extra shift shouldn’t cause a problem but regular or numerous extra shifts would. The normal rules on rest breaks are also slightly different for those working in residential care institutions. Employers should ensure that where possible employees have 11 hours uninterrupted rest each day between shifts and 24 hours uninterrupted rest each week (or 48 hours each fortnight) or a compensatory period of rest as soon as possible afterwards if this isn’t possible. It’s important not to forget that daily rest breaks are vital too; at least 20 minutes if a shift is more than 6
hours long. It is also possible for care homes to recruit volunteers to fill gaps in staff availability if existing staff aren’t enough. Such volunteers must be background checked, given any necessary training and supervision and carefully supervised whist volunteering.
WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT CARRYING OVER HOLIDAY REALLY MEAN IN PRACTICE? The newly enacted Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 allow employees and workers who haven’t been able to take their leave this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic to carry over up to four weeks annual leave into the next two leave years. Employers can also agree for any remaining contractual holiday to be carried over as well. Employers can refuse new applications for holiday if there is a business reason for doing so and can also give notice to employees to cancel a planned holiday if enough notice is given. This should help those in residential care to keep as many people as possible available to work. Although employers should bear in mind the health and safety benefits of annual leave and where it will not cause a staffing issue, employees should be encouraged to take their holiday.
CAN THE CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME (“THE SCHEME”) BENEFIT THOSE IN THIS INDUSTRY? Yes, if the employer is considering lay-off or redundancies then the Scheme can be used in the same way as in other industries. Staff can be selected for furlough, notified of the terms and their employer can recover up to 80% of their wage costs (or £2500 whichever is lower) from the Government. In reality, the Scheme is unlikely to be the first option for employers in this industry because there is a increased workload and a shortage of workers not work. However, it might be useful for employees who are struggling to work because of childcare commitments, pregnancy or long-term health conditions to avoid unpaid leave.
WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS DO NEXT? This pandemic is having a disproportionate effect on all employers and employees in this industry; the pressures are high and the stakes even higher. But with the right legal support employers can weather this storm and come through the other side stronger. Following the regulations and seeking prompt advice on any issues is the best way to keep on top of the current situation and ensure that inadvertent breaches are avoided.
How a Nottingham Care Home Helped 78-Year-Old Resident Beat Coronavirus A GOOD supply of tea and biscuits, decorated PPE and music are just some of the tactics a specialist care home in Nottingham used to help a 78-year-old dementia patient successfully recover from coronavirus. Sandra Whitcombe’s family has applauded the care she received while a resident at Church Farm at Rusticus, in Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire. The grandmother-of-two has been a resident at the care home since August 2019. As one of the most bubbly and social residents, the staff were determined to help Sandra recover quickly, whilst maintaining a high quality of life and, of course, protecting others. Sandra’s son, Steve, said: “We are so pleased to see mum happy and back to her bubbly self. The great care she has had and continues to receive has helped her to get through this tough time – we can’t thank the team at Church Farm enough. We just can’t wait to be able to spend time with her as soon as lockdown measures allow us to see her!” In addition to strictly following all government guidelines, the Church Farm Care team, which includes its own full-time carers, nurses, and GPs, has been taking the temperature of all staff on arrival each day. This meant that Sandra was moved into isolation as soon as she developed a tempera-
ture. The business also made a significant investment in PPE to ensure staff have the necessary equipment to keep safe. Patrick Atkinson, owner of Church Farm Care Ltd., said: “This has been an anxious time for residents, family members, and staff but Sandra’s recovery is proof that, with a thorough and sensible approach, recovery and containment is possible – and in a way that retains a high quality of life for those in care. “One of the challenges was the use of masks and other PPE as seeing our staff with their faces covered was understandably confusing for residents living with dementia. The team decorated their masks to make them bright and colourful which Sandra really responded to – it's just one example of how a personal approach really helped. We also used books and music to entertain Sandra while in isolation – as well as keeping a good supply of tea and biscuits! “We’re so thrilled that Sandra is better. This success is really testament to the dedication of our staff – they are on the frontline and truly going above and beyond to keep our residents healthy, safe, and happy. We’ve personally packed 400 bags of treats for all our staff and there has been amazing community support such as donations from local businesses for staff and residents, as well as pictures and letters of support from local children.”
Orchard Care Homes Karaoke Halstead Community Thanked For Support Video Shared Around The World An Orchard Care Home in Sunderland has attracted the attention of national TV. Since it was uploaded to Facebook, a video of staff singing has received over 1.5 million views and is the talk of the local community. Staff at Lansbury Court in Castletown organised a karaoke night earlier this week, walking around the home and encouraging all the residents to sing along with them. They sang from the doorways and along the corridors, making sure everyone joined in the fun. The video footage was featured on Good Morning Britain when Piers Morgan and Suzanna Reid told viewers that despite the conditions in care homes, staff around the country were ‘playing their part’ in making sure the elderly were keeping their spirits up despite the lack of visits from family and friends. Home Manager at Lansbury Court, Suzanne Mckie, is very proud of her team, saying; “It’s incredible, we never expected the video to be viewed so many times. Every member of staff is working hard to ensure
we are providing a safe and secure environment where residents get the care they deserve, and we have fun and raise a smile at the same time.” The video can be viewed at www.facebook.com/watch/?v=503531726981953 or by visiting Orchard Care Homes social media pages
A group of individuals with learning disabilities and complex needs have been overwhelmed with support from the Halstead community during the coronavirus pandemic. The individuals, who live at TLC Care and Support’s Blamsters Farm, a collection of seven residential homes at Mount Hill, have received numerous items for their brand new ‘pop-up shop’, which has been set up in a summerhouse in their grounds. TLC Care and Support committed £150 to stock the summerhouse with sundries such as sweets, crisps, fresh fruit and cold drinks. Service Manager Sabrina Cross appealed for item donations from locals through Facebook and within hours received offers of CDs, jewellery and games. Mandy O’Halloran, Operations Project Manager at TLC Care and Support, said: “Our residents loved exploring Halstead and its shops before lockdown, so our new ‘Over the Rainbow’ shop means they can safely enjoy browsing the variety on offer, thanks to kind local businesses and individuals. “We help one resident at a time at the pop-up shop in order to carefully monitor social distancing measures and it provides them with a welcome change of pattern. “Our team are very passionate about ensuring the individuals we support are at the heart of what we do. As the COVID-19 pandemic
became more and more serious there was no hesitation in getting our thinking caps on to see what we can do to keep our residents happy and engaged.” Blamsters Farm has also put up a Rainbow display at the bottom of its drive to showcase residents’ art in support of medical staff on the frontline of the outbreak, which residents made with craft kits donated by TLC Care and Support. Care worker Sam Raz, winner of Innovation in Care at the Essex Care Sector Awards, also created an outdoor bowling alley at Blamsters Farm from various materials donated by businesses to replace residents’ usual weekly bowling trip. Mandy added: “Our activities wouldn’t be possible without the support of a number of individuals and businesses over the last three weeks. This includes Tesco in Braintree that agreed the bulk purchase of 200 Easter Eggs provided by TLC Central Support team and delivered to the services on Easter Sunday, KFC in Braintree donating cooked chicken meals, plus The Hook fish and chip shop in Halstead donating over 60 cod and haddock fillets. “We would also like to say thank you to Sainsbury’s in Halstead who rewarded our staff with bouquets of flowers, Eareys Butchers in Sible Hedingham, Lidl in Halsted and Prima Catering – as well as our staff for going above and beyond to ensure everyone has a good food supply.”
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 17
7 Tips For The Caregiver
During these difficult times, many of us have become caregivers to those who need it the most, this could be a family member or a neighbour. You play a vital role in looking after their everyday needs – it is natural to feel overwhelming and exhausted at times, especially when there is no end date in sight. The most important thing is to remember your health should be looked after too, don’t let your sleep be affected and ensure you’re still eating on a regular basis. To give you some extra support and encouragement, experts at Forest Healthcare (www.foresthc.com) have shared their best advice on how to strive as a caregiver. 1) Take a break without guilt When you’re supporting someone alongside dealing with your own stress
and mental health, it is important to take breaks. Allow yourself to respite a couple of times in the day, without feeling guilty. A happy and refreshed carer is much better for everyone when they’ve taken a break themselves. Don’t ever be too hard on yourself, you’re doing the best you can do during these difficult times. 2) When they look good, they feel good It can be a fun task to make your loved one feel good by giving them a makeover! Washing their hair, giving them a haircut or changing their outfits can make a big difference to how they feel and see themselves. Even the simplest thing as wearing something with brighter colours can uplift their mood for the day. 3) Be patient Given the current climate, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and stressed. It is important to provide loved ones, care in respect of their independence. Your patience might be tested so always remember to go for regular walks for a breath of fresh air. Work together as a team and you will find that communication is key. 4) Look for guidance If you’ve suddenly been put into the role of a caregiver, you might have a million questions. What should they eat? When should they be asleep? Just because you’re inside, doesn’t mean help isn’t available. Some organisations such as the Red Cross, have a lot of information online and a helpline. You can also use social media such as Twitter or LinkedIn to find a geriatric caseworker that can help identify any problems and resolve them. 5) Be proactive Take charge and have a plan in place to prevent any panic during
iHASCO Offers Free Training to All Key Workers Across the UK Bracknell based eLearning provider, iHASCO, have announced that all key workers across the UK can obtain free access to their Mental Health Awareness and Infection Prevention & Control training programmes. The announcement was made shortly after they were listed on the Crown Commercial Service’s COVID-19 Catalogue of supplier offers. Mental health and wellbeing has long been high up on the agenda for employers, but now, it's more important than ever before. The coronavirus pandemic could have a "profound" effect on people's mental health - now and in the future, say psychiatrists and psychologists who are calling for urgent research. It’s the same with Infection Prevention and Control training; incredibly important in day-to-day life but with the recent Coronavirus pandemic affecting tens of thousands in the UK alone, it's crucial that key workers are given high-
quality training to stop the spread of the virus and save lives. iHASCO’s Mental Health Awareness Course is IOSH approved and recently won the THS Health & Safety Awards. Their Infection Prevention & Control training has been recently updated and is currently in the IOSH approval process. They also offer 2 variations of the courses listed above that have been specifically designed for the care sector. “We can’t thank our key workers enough for the sacrifices they are making everyday, but if our training can help those who are struggling with mental ill-health or even contributes to stopping the spread of COVID-19, then we’ve made a genuine difference” says Alex Morris, Director at iHASCO. If you're a key worker or you're an employer of key workers, get in touch with iHASCO today and they can get your account set up, free of charge. Visit www.ihasco.co.uk for details.
last minute emergencies. This will help prevent a sense of control to the situation, by ensuring you know who to call if anything happened, it would give you a sense of security and reassurance. 6) Be organised Develop a daily routine and stick to it, find something that you will stick to such as a wall planner, notebook or a Google calendar. Make a note of daily tasks such as personal hygiene, meal preparation and dressing as well as important things, such as paying bills on time. Have doctors’ numbers handy in case you need them and set up any alerts for prescription pick-ups. 7) Don’t be hard on yourself Being a carer triggers a lot of difficult emotions, you will feel resent and then guilt because you feel resent. This doesn’t mean you don’t care for the person in question, it just means you’re human. Instead of bottling your emotions, write them in a journal, talk about them with a loved one or share them in an online support group so you know you’re not alone.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 19
Is Stopping Visitations To Care Homes Against Our Human Rights? By Stuart Wright, Dementia Care Lead at Brunelcare Did you know, legally speaking, temporarily suspending visits to loved ones at Care Homes, Extra Care Housing Sites or Community Living Schemes is fundamentally against a person’s Human Rights? It infringes not only a Right to Family and a Private Life but also our Freedom of Choice. With the majority of care homes closing their doors to visiting loved ones across the UK, our human rights are cast away to protect the people we care for. Morally, it's the duty of each and every care provider to protect residents, tenants and guests, allowing carers to continue providing top quality care with residents best interests at heart. We know the lack of family visits can be very frustrating and isolating for people during this difficult time, but equality we have NHS and Government advice that supersedes in this public health emergency. These temporary regulations aren’t made up, they’ve been put in place to keep older and vulnerable people safe and must be followed. Of course we would like to maintain visiting but have to protect the rights of the many not the few. The virus poses a threat to the people who are highly vulnerable - alongside the dedicated employees continuing to help care for the elderly people. We also need to protect the key workers here and allowing continued visitation is dangerous to all parties. As a nation, we have been told very clearly to stay home, enforcement of this telling isn’t written into any law - people have the capacity to understand the information and people don’t want to put themselves or others at risk. This is where our human rights become secondary and basic common sense comes into play, alongside a hope that people will follow the Government enforcements.
TECHNOLOGY FRIEND OR FOE? A court in Northern Ireland ruled just last month that a Care Home needed to make “effective communication” between a family member and one of the home’s residents. But, isn’t this what each and every care provider across the UK is attempting to do? At this time we have seen that technology can be our friend, allowing people with capacity to maintain a connection, whether this is talking to a loved one via a video call, sending and receiving text messages or daily phone calls. However, there is a thin line between technology being our friend and our foe. Technology and lack of understanding and/or capacity could cause more distress and concern than it does good. Someone living with a dementia, for example, could find it extremely difficult to understand why their loved one isn't visiting, or why their loved one is on a small screen in front of them. Majority of us rely on physical contact within relationships, this is how they flourish, how they grow, when thinking about contacting a loved one, think about how they would feel, not how the contact with them would make you feel. Odds are, a person living with a dementia isn’t aware of how long ago you visited, if you decide technology could hinder relationships or cause confusion there are alternative ways to stay connected. Why not write letters? Something that will be more familiar to the people in care. Ask carers and Key workers to take pictures of your loved one taking part in activities or simply enjoying their time relaxing in their home. Homemakers work extremely hard to ensure family and friends are kept up to date with how loved ones are getting on, all you have to do is ask.
IF CARE HOMES DID ALLOW VISITS, WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE? The clinical and moral response to visiting a loved one during this time is simple, it’s a no. However, we could, hypothetically, consider what this may look like. In short, it would look scary, visitors would have to wear masks, gowns and gloves and would all look unrecognisable to loved ones. All a person will get each visit is communication from the eyes, whereas personable communication and interaction comes from the entire face - this
could increase stress and confusion not only for the person in care but for the loved one visiting as well. Some people in care may be cognitively able to understand, but others, a person living with a dementia, will not.
WHAT ABOUT VISITS THROUGH THE WINDOW? There’s been a lot of press about loved ones visiting family and friends in care through a window. This isn’t okay, it simply brings a stark realisation of distance that some people can not understand. We can no longer kiss, cuddle and touch our relatives, primarily, with this in mind, and if a loved one is already living with a dementia, why would people want to visit loved ones in care through a window? This also leads to journeys being non essentials and people being out of their homes for a reason the government isn’t deeming as essential travel.
ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS? There is one exception for end of life care visits. The Gold Standards Framework is recognised across all of our Brunelcare homes. Managers are aware of when a resident, tenant or guest may sadly pass, This is when the Centre Manager would make the difficult decision as to when family and friends need to come to say goodbye to someone in care. PPE would have to be worn, hands would need to be washed and the fastest, safest route to get to the loved one would be thoroughly thought out. This will be a much more surreal experience, very controlled and also time limited. We have a public health emergency declared please don’t ignore it. Stay home, protect our care homes and stay safe. Stuart Wright has worked in the health and social care industry for more than 30 years, starting his journey working with people with learning disabilities and behavioural issues before specialising in dementia care. Stuart has implemented and developed the human rights frameworks and standard for people living with dementia. Brunelcare is a Bristol based charity which has been providing housing, care and support for older people in the South West for nearly 80-years.
The Royal British Legion Calls on the Nation to Mark 75th Anniversary of VE Day from Home The Royal British Legion has announced a programme of activity to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day on Friday 8th May for people to participate in from home. With members of the public no longer able to attend VE Day 75 events, the Legion is calling on the nation to get involved from home throughout the day and pay tribute to the entire Second World War generation from British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces, to evacuees and those who served on the home front. Activities include a VE Day 75 livestream, national moments of Remembrance and thanksgiving, and activity packs for individuals and families. At 11am the Legion is encouraging people across all generations and communities to take part in a national moment of Remembrance and pause for a Two Minute Silence to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation, and also take the opportunity to reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world. Following the Silence the Legion is hosting a VE Day 75 livestream, sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the Second World War, and recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today. Hosted by TV presenter Sonali Shah, the programme will feature contributions from social historian Julie Summers and cook and influencer Melissa Helmsley. The programme will be live from 1115 on the Legion’s website. Later in the day the Legion has partnered with the BBC to honour and celebrate the Second World War generation with an evening of memories and music from 8pm on BBC One. Members of the public are invited to enjoy a moment of celebration and
thanksgiving during the programme by taking part in a UK-wide rendition of Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at 9pm. Alongside these events on 8th May, The Royal British Legion has developed a VE Day learning pack which is available online. Designed for 7-14 year olds the pack includes first-hand accounts from the Second World War generation, veteran interviews and range of activities to allow families to explore and commemorate VE Day together. The Royal British Legion’s Assistant Director of Commemorative Events, Bob Gamble OBE, said: “As we face some of the most challenging times since the Second World War, now more than ever it is important to unite in recognition of people’s service to the nation, just as communities did 75 years ago. “There is no right or wrong way to take part in the Silence at 11am, some people may wish to stand at their windows or step outside their front door, but we hope that individuals and families across the UK will embrace the opportunity to share in a national moment of reflection. Then later on we invite people to open their windows wide and join us to celebrate and give thanks as we singalong to Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime classic, ‘We’ll Meet Again’, which has added poignancy in the current circumstances. “There are many parallels between the struggles of the Second World War and what we are going through today. As we mark 75 years since Victory in Europe, we look to our Second World War generation to learn from their experiences, and the Legion continues our critical work to protect them from the threat we currently face.” Members of the public can access the activities at www.rbl.org.uk/veday75 and on social media using #VEDay75 and #VEDay75Live during the livestream.
Covid-19 Care Death Figures ‘Likely to Be Higher’ Care providers have warned that new figures showing the number of deaths in care and nursing homes from Covid-19 could be below the true figure. Figures released showed that at least 5,500 people could have died due to Covid-19 in care and nursing homes so far, according to the Care Quality Commission and Office for National Statistics. The Independent Care Group (ICG) have warned that the real figure may be higher. ICG chair, Mike Padgham said: “Any death in a care or nursing home is a cause for great sadness and care providers are seeing Covid-19 take a terrible toll. These are our loved ones – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends who have been taken from us early. They deserve
better. “Due to the lag in collating these figures, we do fear that the true number of people who have died in care and nursing homes since the start of coronavirus may be higher than these figures suggest. It may well be that they are increasing whilst hospital deaths are falling. “We hope not, but it might be that the numbers will actually be higher. “Social care providers are now on the true front line in the fight against Covid-19 and we need more support. The Government must provide better support for care providers in terms of PPE, testing and finance so that we can protect more people and keep these numbers as low as we can. There must be no let up.” The ICG has previously warned that care providers are being hampered in their fight against Covid-19 through a lack of PPE and insufficient testing. It has also called on the Government to provide better financial support for care providers amidst concerns that the £3.2bn pledged for local authorities to help them support social care is not getting to the front line. Mr Padgham added: “Care providers have been suffering financial hardship for many years due to chronic under-funding. Now they are facing huge increases in costs, for instance the costs of bringing in agency staff to
cover for staff who are unwell, sick pay costs and the increasing cost of protective equipment. Due to stopping admissions, some care homes are also seeing a dramatic reduction in income and homecare providers are suffering a reduction in contracts. “We need the Government to treat social care the same as it is treating the NHS. For example, NHS debts have been wiped by the Government; can we not see similar support for social care? “We have written to the Chancellor asking him to make social care zerorated for VAT, which would help providers to invest in care. For example, social care providers are currently paying VAT for PPE whilst NHS and local authority providers don’t. We need that anomaly to be ended so we are all treated the same. “The Government has repeatedly promised to do whatever was needed to get the country through the pandemic. Social care now needs that action, otherwise providers will not be able to play their part in beating Covid-19 and many could cease to operate at all.” Social care currently looks after 400,000 people in care and nursing homes – that is three times the number in NHS hospital beds. Social care looks after a further 640,000 people in their own homes.
New Guarantee on Death in Service Benefits for Frontline Health and Care Staff During Pandemic The families of health and care workers on the frontline in England will benefit from a new life assurance scheme during the pandemic, developed after discussions with health and social care unions. The scheme recognises the increased risk faced by staff during the crisis and will cover coronavirus related deaths of workers in frontline health and adult and children’s social care roles during the outbreak. It will cover staff who provide hands-on personal care for people who have contracted coronavirus or work in health or care settings where the virus is present. Bereaved family members will receive a £60,000 lump sum worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for NHS staff, with the cost met by the Government. This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including GPs, dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles. Within social care, the scheme will cover
employees of publicly funded care homes, home care, directly employed carers including personal assistants and frontline child and family social workers. The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them. “Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to NHS and social care workers delivering publicly
funded care on the frontline. “We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives.” The majority of NHS staff are already members of the NHS Pension Scheme. For these individuals, the new lump sum will provide an extra layer of financial protection in addition to cover they have already bought through membership of the pension scheme. Employers will be asked to initiate claims on behalf of the individual’s families and claims will be verified and processed by the NHS Business Services Authority, who will work with employers to ensure claims are handled swiftly and sensitively.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 21
Covid-19: Managing Staff in the Residential Care Sector The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the care sector has been significant. Although many public facing organisations have closed and employers have been asked to work from home, for the majority of those providing day to day care, this obviously isn’t possible. This article concentrates on the employment issues relevant to employers of residential care workers.
RISK ASSESSMENTS
As an employer you have a duty to protect the health and safety of your staff and separately have duties to the people you are caring for. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is: • identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards) • decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk) • take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk Coronavirus poses a substantial risk to your staff and, depending on their age, health and other factors could cause significant harm to them. You will also need to consider how they travel to work and you shouldn’t expect any member of staff to get onto an overcrowded bus/train and may have to show some leeway around start and finish times to ensure you have appropriate cover to accommodate this.
‘HIGH RISK’ STAFF
You also need to identify anyone considered to be at high risk of harm if they catch the virus. The government has published a list (https://tinyurl.com/t6ssvqa) and this includes anyone over the age of 70 (even if they are otherwise fit and well), anyone with an underlying health condition and pregnant women. Your staff may not have shared their medical history with you, or told you that they are pregnant and you should therefore ask them to let you know if they believe they are vulnerable so that you can take steps to protect them. Guidance (https://tinyurl.com/ql6ak74) for this high risk group was last updated on 30 March and says they must ‘be particularly stringent’ when following social distancing measures. . Carers providing day to day personal care to others are not able to socially distance themselves in this way and should be given alternative duties if any are available. The NHS has published guidance (https://tinyurl.com/u6p3gsz) and continues to contact those who are particularly vulnerable to the disease. Many are being told to "shield themselves and stay at home" for at least 12 weeks and therefore must not be asked to work.
If it is not safe for a member of staff to come into work, you must ask them to remain at home. Depending on the nature of your contractual arrangements, you may have to continue to pay them their normal salary, unless they are self isolating on medical advice, or because they, or someone they live with has coronavirus symptoms. Where that’s the case, they are entitled to SSP and may also be eligible for contractual sick pay (this will depend upon your policy wording). Pregnant women have special rights. If you do not have any suitable alternative work they can do, or the employee reasonably refuses it, you must suspend them on full pay. You may be able to ‘furlough’ anyone who has been asked to shield themselves on medical advice or who is sick – but if you do that you have to move them off contractual sick pay or SSP. Under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, employers can recover up to 80% of a worker’s wages (subject to maximum of £2,500 per month). The Scheme will not up and running until the end of April, but payments can be backdated to 1 March 2020.
STAFF LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD AS ‘HIGH RISK’ PEOPLE
Some staff will not want to come into work if it increases their risk of catching the virus where they live in the same household as someone in the ‘high risk’ category. If they are living with someone who is ‘shielding’ in line with public health advice, they can be furloughed – even if there is no redundancy situation. Unfortunately, the position, is less clear for those who are living with someone in the high risk category who have not been told to shield. Our view is that you must take these concerns seriously – not least because, insisting they go to work and be in close contact with clients who may have the virus, could expose them (and their families) to severe risk. In these circumstances, it could be a breach of the implied duty of trust and confidence to insist they continue to perform their normal duties. Other options are: • Giving them the option to take holiday if they can’t work from home; • Agreeing a period of paid or unpaid special leave with the individuals; • Prioritising staff in this category when deciding who to furlough; • Carrying out a specific risk assessment to identify the risks associated with the individual continuing to come into work; • Transferring them, if possible, to a different place of work where they can socially distance at work and are not required to take public transport to come into work.
RESIDENTIAL CARE GUIDELINES
When the Government published its guidance in relation to PPE last month it said that “If neither the care worker nor the individual receiving care and support is symptomatic, then no personal protective equipment is required above and beyond normal good hygiene practices.”
New Guides To Supercharge Your Care Home Management Is continued customer satisfaction important to you? Could your communications with residents and their loved ones be improved? Does your care home's website need to be brought into the 2020's? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you will be pleased to learn about a series of free expert guides for care home managers and owners. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a series of guides for the care home industry. These guides provide you with specialist advice on fair trading practices, complaints procedures, communications methods and website layouts for care homes written by
and for those working in the care homes sector. UK consumer law is among the best in the world, but this also means that it can be complicated and in-depth. Care home regulations are no exception, and you may be overwhelmed by it all. These guides make it simple and straightforward so that you can avoid the regulatory pitfalls and improve your business for the good of you and your residents. The guides are hosted on Business Companion, a government-backed website containing a wealth of in-depth knowledge on every element of consumer protection written by industry experts in every sector. Download your free guides at: www.businesscompanion.info/focus
Silversurfer Launches Tech. Website Dedicated to Professional Architects, Specifiers, Construction Companies & Installers The Assisted Bathing Company who manufacture the highly rated Silversurfer specialist baths at their factory near Southampton, have launched a technical data webportal specifically for Architects, Specifiers, Construction Companies and Installation Engineers. The website which is accessed by Login & Password carries product Technical Data, downloadable Installation Instructions, Customer Manuals and helpful information and images to help clients with crucial early days site planning requirements. Silversurfer have also appointed a team of highly trained and experienced people to install, service and provide after sales care on a nationwide basis. Dennis Goodes, who heads up the Silversurfer business for The Parker Anderson Group has said, “ The quality and precision that we use in the manufacturing of our Silversurfer range of power assisted baths is such, that we
want to offer our growing customer base an installation and service facility that is equal in quality and professionalism to our manufacturing skills”. “Although our motto is “Fit & Forget”, we will not forget the trust that our customers place in Silversurfer baths. It’s only right that we should offer them a comprehensive data and service package that they can depend on”. Dennis continued, “ our Silversurfer baths are so good that we can offer clients 3 YEARS L.O.L.E.R. Service absolutely FREE”. Dennis, who has just celebrated 36 years in the specialist bathing industry, teamed up with Ray Metcalf, the founder of Parker Anderson Ltd. to build what he calls an exceptionally high quality power assisted bath, aimed directly at the care home and nursing care market. SPECIAL NOTE. COVID-19. During the government restrictions, our offices are closed for the time being. IF YOU WANT ANY INFORMATION or ASSISTANCE ON SILVERSURFER SPECIALIST BATHS, PLEASE CONTACT DENNIS ON 07805028950 OR EMAIL dennis@assistedbathing.com or see the advert on page 20.
This was recently withdrawn this and on 2 April it has published new guidance which can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/u3huvuh in the following report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): admission and care of people in care homes. Contained within these new guidelines, which were most recently updated on 10 April, are enhanced PPE recommendations for a wide range of health and social care contexts.
RESIDENTS WITH SYMPTOMS
If a resident in your care home or retirement living complex displays symptoms of Coronavirus, you must follow strict guidelines laid down and provide suitable PPE equipment for staff caring for them. Given the ongoing difficulties in procuring suitable equipment, this will be a challenge. However, if you can’t provide this your staff could refuse to work because of concerns about their health and safety – and shouldn’t be dismissed or disciplined in these circumstances. They could also resign and claim constructive dismissal if they have two years’ service.
SELF ISOLATION
Any member of staff who displays symptoms of the virus must self isolate for 7 days. If they become unwell whilst at work, you must make sure that they can sit somewhere away from residents and other members of staff until they are able to go home. Any staff member who has someone in their household who also has symptoms must self isolate for 14 days. Unless testing becomes more widespread, this is likely to cause staff shortages. You may therefore need to ask staff to cover additional shifts. Workers shouldn’t work over 48 hours a week (averaged over a 17 week period) unless they have signed an opt-out. You’ll need to monitor working hours and step in if someone is doing too much and not getting enough rest. Anyone who is self-isolating – even if they aren’t actually ill, is entitled to SSP for up to 14 days The usual ‘waiting days’ are dis-applied and payment is from day one. Your organisation will be able to recoup its SSP costs (up to 14 days) if you employ 250 or fewer staff. Unfortunately, if you don't fit that description, you'll have to meet the costs yourself.
CHILDCARE
Schools are closed and many parents are juggling work and childcare. Some schools and nurseries have remained open to look after the children of any key workers who can’t keep their children at home. However, they are not (to our knowledge) open at weekends, and this may cause problems for some of your staff who work shift patterns and who, in normal circumstances, may have relied on their family or friends to help them. If staff can’t get into work, then they may be able to take paid special leave. Continuing to operate care homes is going to remain extremely difficult during this pandemic. It could go on for many months. Care providers will have to do their best to cope and employers in the sector will need to keep a close eye on government guidance which is changing every day.
Medequip Turns Training Into Action At COVID-19 Units Across the country, it's a growing challenge for companies to make vital deliveries and install equipment to help reduce the load on hospitals and critical care facilities. When Gallions View Care home in Greenwich was being set up as a specialist centre for COVID-19 patients to ease the burden on the local hospital and other care facilities, the local Medequip team based at Woolwich was tasked with installing beds and associated items to equip 30 care rooms. Medequip Centre of Excellence trainer Paul Cockburn proposed a novel solution. "With 10 trainees on my cohort at our training centre in Woolwich, it seemed like an excellent idea to put their studies and knowledge to good use in support of our team on the ground," said Paul. "Following discussions and planning with our local operational team, it was decided to mobilise our newest technicians to complete the work." The equipment was delivered in to the care home, some of it directly from suppliers and some from Medequip's Woolwich depot. At 9 o'clock on 7 April, the team of trainees began work; no special PPE was needed as the facility was empty, awaiting its first patients. By lunchtime they had successfully installed a total of 30 Accora floor beds (low level profiling beds) and mattresses, commodes, overbed tables and high back chairs as well as two mobile hoists and two floor standing hoists, and the rooms were ready to admit their first patients. Following the success of this initiative, the team of trainees has been in action again, this time at Time Court in Charlton, a care unit with COVID-19 patients already on the wards. Here, Medequip
COVID-19 Game Raising Awareness To Promote Safe Behaviour Because COVID-19 is causing confusion and anxiety Focus Games has developed a simple online COVID-19 Game that offers the facts and challenges myths (from UK government and NHS). It's free-to-play and works on any device through a web browser. It only takes couple of minutes and there is no registration required. The game is intended for anyone and everyone: https://games.focusgames.co.uk/coronavirus/game/ The game is being played by adults and older children and here is feedback from a teacher in Egypt: “I teach grade 8 students (14 years). My students are in COVID-19 isolation and their response to eLearning was disappointing. I needed to attract their attention. We were exploring diseases in populations and I sent them
the COVID-19 Game. It was like magic! Within 2 hours they were sending selfies of their scores, encouraging others to play and sharing information. The students were engaged, they learned and were entertained. Thank you.” Haidy Wael, Science Teacher, Egypt. The game is based on similar health education games: Flu Bee Game and Dementia Awareness Game. Both games were investigated by Queen’s University Belfast and within the NHS and they concluded that the games can and do change perceptions and behaviour. So, it is hoped that the COVID-19 Game will have a positive effect on some members of the public. Here is a comment regarding the Dementia Awareness Game from Dr Gillian Carter, School of Nursing and Midwifery
at Queen's University Belfast: “The dementia awareness game has been played over 1,000 times and research conducted by Queen's University Belfast on its impact shows that after playing the game, a person's attitudes to people living with dementia improve! This statistically significant information is being prepared for an international journal” For further information, please contact: Andy Yeoman – Director, Focus Games Ltd andy@focusgames.com +44 (0)141 554 5476 games.focusgames.co.uk/coronavirus/game/
took extra care with government-approved PPE, maintaining strict distancing from patients and staff. Within one and a half hours four beds had been installed complete with siderails, mattresses and two hoists, all ready for use with minimal disruption to the work on the unit. A spokesperson from the unit commented: "Medequip arrived in force to deliver the beds. Very professional, like a military operation; they were briefed outside and came in two by two, directed to the individual rooms, all went like clockwork." "At Medequip, we're very proud of our teams around the country who are handling an increased workload to ensure vulnerable people continue to get the support they need and to help with hospital discharges," stated Medequip's MD David Griffiths. "This is a great example of the Medequip team at its very best, working together for the good of our service users, using ingenuity and expertise to make sure we can match the new challenges we are currently facing on a daily basis." Visit www.medequip-uk.com for further details.
PAGE 22 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
Liberty Protection Safeguards And What The Changes Mean Authored by Neil Grant (Partner) and Lucy Bowker (trainee solicitor) on the health and social care team at Gordons Partnership. The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 sets out the framework for the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), which will replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards or DoLS as they are commonly known. Officially the implementation date for the LPS remains 1st October 2020. However, almost certainly the start date will be pushed back into next year in light of Coronavirus. However, it is important for carers to have an understanding of what is coming down the line.
DEFINITION OF “DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY” Under the LPS, the definition of a Deprivation of Liberty will remain unchanged. If the answer to both of the following questions is yes, then there is a Deprivation of Liberty. Is there constant/continuous supervision and control of the service user? Is the service user not free to leave?
SCOPE The DoLS regime currently only applies to care homes and hospitals, but the LPS system replacing them will apply to any setting. So, it will also include supported living, shared lives, private and domestic settings and even transport.
THE THREE ASSESSMENTS Three assessments will be necessary before a Deprivation of Liberty can be authorised: Capacity Assessment – Does the person lack the capacity to con-
Retired Major General and New Mum Take on 26-Mile Challenges for Royal Star & Garter
1. A court decision is being sought; sent to the arrangements? Medical Assessment – Does the person have a mental disorder? 2. They are pending an assessment under LPS; or Necessary and Proportionate Assessment – Is the deprivation of 3. In an emergency. liberty ‘necessary and proportionate’ to prevent harm to a person? Is WHO WILL REGULATE THE LPS? depriving the person of their liberty proportionate to the likelihood The Government have the power to identify one or more bodand seriousness of that harm? In this assessment attention must be ies to monitor and report on the LPS. It seems likely that this will paid to the service user’s wishes and feelings. be CQC in relation to adults and Ofsted in respect of children, THE RESPONSIBLE BODY although this has not yet been confirmed. In most adult social care cases, the local authority will be the WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE BACKLOG OF DOLS APPLICA‘Responsible Body’ granting applications for LPS authorisations TIONS? or rejecting them. The Responsible Body must arrange the This is not clear from the legislation. We await the regulations assessments outlined above. In some cases, the task of arrangwhich should shed further light on this. It is an important issue as ing the assessments could be delegated to care home manthere is a huge backlog of cases, over 120,000. agers, as well as consulting with the service user, relatives and It is likely that existing DoLS authorisations, put in place before other people with an interest in the issue. the LPS regime comes in, will continue to have effect until they In order delegate this responsibility to a care home manager, expire, typically 12 months after the date they are granted. the local authority would have to prove that there is no conflict
of interest and it is considered appropriate to do so. Quite what is WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The current DoLS system will remain in place until implemenmeant by this is yet to be seen. We are awaiting regulations that tation of the new LPS system. should clarify what is meant by a conflict of interest and explain The LPS Code of Practice was expected in Spring 2020, howwhat will prevent a person associated with a care home from ever this is not going to be achievable in light of current circumbeing actively involved in the pre-authorisation process. stances. INTERIM AND EMERGENCY DEPRIVATIONS OF LIBERTY An update is awaited at the time of writing. In all likelihood, we Interim and Emergency Deprivations of Liberty will replace the current Urgent Authorisations. A person can be deprived of their will not see the new Code of Practice and the regulations until next year. liberty as an interim and emergency deprivation of liberty if:
Scammers and Offers of Non-Existent PPE HOW DOES THE SCAM WORK? 1) Scammers are sending emails offering this equipment for sale. The email may link to an official looking website. The email may mention attractive volume discounts or "clearance" offers. 2) In most cases you are encouraged to call a mobile phone number to place an order. 3) You will be sent an invoice for immediate payment to "lock in" your order. Urgent payment is typically stressed due to high demand and limited stock. You may be offered a small "discount" for same-day payment. 4) The PPE will not be delivered. It is highly likely you will lose a large sum of money. As an authorised transaction it is unlikely to be traced or returned by your bank.
WHY IS THE SCAM WORKING? The Chairman of Royal Star & Garter has taken part in a 26-mile indoor row to kick-start a long, gruelling challenge. Major General Tim Tyler is rowing the equivalent distance from his home in Ovington, Hampshire, to the charity’s Surbiton Home, before ‘rowing’ between the Surbiton, High Wycombe and Solihull Homes. In total, he will cover 156 miles. He used the 2.6 Challenge on Sunday 26 April to kickstart his initiative, by rowing the first 26 miles. Major General Tyler is looking to build on the £4,000 he has already raised for Royal Star & Garter, which provides loving compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia. The 2.6 Challenge is a nationwide initiative aimed to help charities which are feeling the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic from the result of cancelled mass-participation fundraising events such as the London Marathon. Royal Star & Garter has joined with thousands of other charities to take part in the challenge. Also raising money through the 2.6 Challenge is the charity’s Marketing & Communications Officer Nadia Rehman, who is walking 26 miles over a number of days with her husband Hamaad and four-month-old daughter Maryam. Speaking about Royal Star & Garter, he added: “Like all organisations, the coronavirus outbreak has pushed our operations in a way that I could never have imagined. Our amazing staff are caring with courage on a daily basis to support vulnerable residents. I want to lead by example and do my bit to ensure Royal Star & Garter can continue offering the very best care through this pandemic and beyond.” The 2.6 Challenge launched on Sunday 26 April, on what would have been the 40th London Marathon. It aims to inspire people to carry out their own fundraising activities around the numbers 2.6 or 26, while observing isolation and social distancing guidelines. Nadia, who lives in Kingston, wants to raise £2,000. She was motivated by the work of the charity, and her faith in Islam: “We're really excited to be raising funds for Royal Star & Garter who provide such amazing care to the veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country. It was really important to us as a family and as part of our faith that we do our small part towards helping those that are vulnerable and in need of support. We decided that there was no better time for little Maryam's first fundraiser.”
www.astonlark.com. New, fraudulent websites are more likely to have had their domain registered in 2020. You can check the domain age here: https://smallseotools.com/domain-age-checker/ 2) Check the historic content of the website You can see what a website has looked like in the past. This will help you understand if a website is "new", and therefore more likely to be fraudulent if offering PPE for sale. https://web.archive.org/
As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads through the care home sector, there are serious shortages of essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We are now seeing scammers take full advantage of this with a number of fraudulent actions, one of which is the offer for sale of non-existent PPE.
A desperate need for PPE demanded by colleagues makes us vulnerable. We are more likely to take any opportunity to source necessary materials, even if it means taking a risk - a leap of faith that we ordinarily wouldn't, in order to keep our businesses and teams operating safely. Scammers are preying on our good nature. Our society is typically very trusting. We don't expect individuals will try and take advantage of us when our communities are rallying together during the pandemic.
FURTHER SENSIBLE CHECKS
On the telephone, scammers will often speak perfect English. They will state that, if you don't take advantage of their offer, the next caller will, and you will miss out. They will sound convincing. Their language is specifically designed to manipulate you into making an immediate payment. This scam is cheap and easy to perpetrate. It will only increase in volume as PPE remains in demand and short supply, and as other scammers realise how successful the scam can be.
HOW TO AVOID BEING A VICTIM • Be extra cautious of all commercial offers made during the pandemic. • Do not trust email offers appearing from companies that you haven't previously heard of or dealt with. • Do not provide payment card data or enter bank account details into websites that you do not trust.
Verify the business with Companies House If the business does not present their registration or VAT number on their website, it is more likely to be fraudulent. If a registration number is offered you should check the reference against Companies House records here: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/. The company name should match the name provided on the website. Please recognise that a fraudulent website may circumvent this check by using a legitimate company's reference number. If you identify a scam email or website: • Report and forward the email to Action Fraud https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ • Help others avoid falling victim to the scam, spread the word on social media of the attempt on your business. • Report the email as spam. • Report the website domain name to the registrar as fraud.
HOW TO SPOT A SUSPICIOUS WEBSITE 1) Check the age of the domain name A domain name, or website address, looks like:
(Article produced by Aston Lark in partnership with Cyberami)
Care Staff from the White House Care Home Move in With Residents to Protect Them from Coronavirus
The White House Care Home, in Teignmouth, part of Centrum Group, is a specialist care home for people with dementia. The staff who work there have temporarily moved into the home to protect the residents from the Coronavirus. The Care Assistants at the White House Care Home realised that they could not guarantee social distancing as the residents all have dementia. They wanted to move into the home in order to minimise the risk to the residents, they have now been living at the home for a month. Demelza Lamport Coles, Registered Manager said that it was the Care Assistants who fronted the idea of moving into the care home: “A lot of the staff came to me collectively and said I think this is something we should consider.” This incredible sacrifice by the staff at the White House Care Home has meant they are unable to go home and see their own families. Many of them have had to make arrangements for other family members to take care of their children in order to do this. Katie Smith has only started working as a Care Assistant at the home recent-
ly. She was nervous about the lockdown, but she is remaining very positive: “The positive of us all being here is the residents all seem a lot calmer. Seeing the same faces each day has made a massive difference. “The thing that keeps me going is the staff and the residents, because it’s just like one big family living together.” Sorelle Martin, Domestic and Maintenance Co-ordinator at the White House Care Home echoed this, she said: “We all try and keep each other’s morale up- the residents have fun with us as well. They seem very calm, the majority of them are eating better.” The team at the White House Care Home have organised video calls to connect residents with their families. The Care Assistants are still working their regular shifts to ensure they all have well-deserved breaks from work. Tushar Shah, Director of Centrum Group, which runs The White House Care Home in Teignmouth, said: “During this crisis, it has been heart-warming to see our staff put the needs of our residents ahead of their own and moving into the care home to self-isolate. “The crisis is a challenge for all of us, however those living with Dementia will not be able to understand the concept of social distancing and self-isolation. The only way the staff could protect and care for our residents was to move in with them. What has been really positive is how the lock-in to the home has allowed the residents and carers to develop a stronger bond. “We always knew that care staff were superheroes, but this pandemic has brought the best out of all key workers in society. For this, our residents, their families and local community are really grateful for their sacrifice and dedication.” The White House Care Home made a Youtube video on the whole experience, to watch visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlFV5WNoyU0&feature=youtu.be.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 23
Leadership in the Care Industry By Rebekah Cresswell, Chief Operating Officer of Priory Adult Care Leadership within the care sector can simultaneously be the most rewarding and difficult job – and nothing really prepares you for leadership during a pandemic. Why difficult? This is not always easy to answer; it can feel very ‘uphill’ on occasions. But then there follows the exhilarating feeling that everything is falling into place. You can’t escape the yin and yang. It makes the role of leadership fascinating, but you need a head for heights and the ability to embrace uncertainty. Social care is multi-faceted. There are complex structures, regulations, different professional groups. It involves leading large groups of people, each with their own skills, backgrounds and personal circumstances, who in turn are caring for a large number of individuals with their own unique needs. And, like life itself, it’s not a static situation. Teams are constantly evolving, and learning from events and from one another. It doesn’t stop there. As Jack Welch (who led General Electric through two decades, and became one of the world's most respected and celebrated CEOs) once remarked: “A leader’s job is to look into the future and see the organisation not as it is but as it should be”. So you need to encourage all the people you lead to follow the same goals and values. This is layering complexity on to complexity. One way of breaking it down is by looking at three areas that should, especially in the care sector, make lead-
ership effective. You can’t just rely on whatever intelligence you think you might have (IQ). That will only get you so far. You need Adversity Quotient (AQ), which I prefer to call Adaptability Quotient. How able are you to change swiftly, and have a positive impact? If you can’t, or you insist on operating the same way, you will become stuck, your people will become stuck and your business will become stuck. Thirdly is Emotional Quotient (EQ), which is your capacity to build relationships and, in turn, to lead. To be able to exercise this, you have to be authentic and genuine. You have to “walk the talk”. Leadership is not about being “liked”, although this is an important by-product and you have more effect if there is strong rapport and mutual respect. When we think of our own personal development, some of the people we have had our hardest conversations with are those who genuinely cared about us and were able to tell us the truth about our areas for development. But there has to be trust and a good relationship to begin with. There’s also the culture of your organisation; its vision and values. Management guru Peter Drucker is credited with saying that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. So, what does "culture eats strategy" mean for you and your organisation? In a very practical sense, no matter what business strategy or strategic plan you try to implement with your team, its success and efficacy are going to be held back by the people implementing the plan if the culture does not support it. You can’t get anything done if you don’t set the tone for a positive culture. Communication forms part of this, and it’s both verbal and non-verbal. It’s about working collaboratively with teams so they know their opinion counts - this makes people much more invested in the vision; connecting them up with each, and all levels understanding their accountability; ensuring devolved leadership, and abandoning any kind of “hero leadership” model. The vision needs to be a compelling one. For us in Priory Adult Care, with 240 care homes supporting thousands of vulnerable individuals 24 hours a day, it’s not about just meeting the needs of the people we support. It’s about being alongside them as they enjoy their lives to the maximum. I don’t need to ask those who work here to do this. It is lived out through actions. That’s the ‘exhilarating’ part. (Priory Adult Care, part of the Priory Group, the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health care, provides a range of specialist residential and ‘supported living’ services for adults with a learning disability, autism, Prader-Willi Syndrome, brain injuries or a mental health condition. It also supports older people who require residential, nursing and dementia care in later life, running more than 240 care homes.)
Coronavirus Could Close of Half of Welsh Care Homes
A social care leader has warned that half the care homes in Wales could be forced to close unless urgent action is taken. According to Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, many care homes are already having to take out loans and consider imminent closure because of the “perfect storm” of spiralling costs and falling income. The sector was already fragile before the coronavirus crisis began and the pandemic threated to put many providers out of business. The scale of the problem, he said, was illustrated by the fact that Wales’ 650 care homes provided 20,000
beds which was 8,000 more that the number of beds in hospitals. He feared that mass care home closures would lead to the NHS being “completely overwhelmed by a tsunami of need”. Mr Kreft said: "We have members who are increasing their staffing costs. They're increasing other costs like buying their own PPE. "And of course we're seeing falling occupancy as people pass and as other homes choose not to admit people, because they're terrified that it's going to introduce the virus into those homes and obviously affect the residents they have." “A typical care home needs to have 90 per cent occupancy to be viable and anything below 85 per cent is not sustainable - but some homes are down 25 to 30 per cent occupancy. "We have got people that are seriously talking to their banks, seriously talking within their organisation, whether the best thing and the safest thing for everybody is simply to close the doors," he said. "We've never, ever encountered anything quite like this in the history of the care sector in Wales, and the UK. “Unless urgent support is forthcoming we will be seeing care home closures week on week over the summer months. Among those who is under severe pressure Glyn Williams, who runs the 28-bed Gwyddfor Residential
Care Home in Bodedern on Anglesey. In desperation Mr Williams has launched an online appeal to raise £33,000 towards the costs, fearing he will have to shut within the month. Mr Williams said: “The simple truth is we are in dire straits as things stand. The welfare of our residents is vitally important they are like our extended family. But we just can’t survive as we are so underfunded.” Mr Kreft added: “The problem we are facing is that our residents are uniquely vulnerable because the majority of them are elderly and all of them have underlying health problems. “We have 20,000 care home beds in Wales which is 8,000 more than the number of beds in hospitals which underlines the scale of the challenge. “The £40 million in emergency funding promised by the Welsh Government should be a first instalment only because it is not enough to save the sector which was already chronically underfunded. “To compound the problem, it is going to be distributed by local councils so I do not have confidence that all of it is going to reach the front line where it is desperately needed. “The shortage of PPE remains a major concern as does the lack of a proper testing regime to screen staff and residents. “It’s no wonder that many of our members feel they have been abandoned by the authorities because they sense there has been an acceptance about the
inevitability of residents dying. “This is why Care Forum Wales launched campaign in February to shield social care and save lives. “Before this crisis care homes on average were running at around 90 per cent occupancy which has just about enabled them to keep going despite the funding challenges. “As a result of the outbreak, occupancy levels are falling and wage costs are going through the roof while income is dropping. “If average occupancy drops to 85 per cent or even below the whole of the infrastructure of social care in Wales is under genuine threat. If average occupancy drops below 80 pe cent we would be looking at mass care home closures unless the government gets a grip of the situation. “The other side of the coin is that care homes are fearful of accepting patients from hospitals. They feel unsafe because they haven’t got enough personal protective equipment and support. “The message I’m getting from providers is that they’re not taking anybody in because they are terrified about injecting death into their homes. “Wales has very well run care homes with well trained staff who are heroically working on the front line but we are now in the midst of a perfect storm. “It’s therefore vitally important for us to see the whole picture regarding loss of life so we can mitigate and sustain these vital community assets.”
PAGE 24 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
Care England Report Highlights Sector’s Financial Difficulties Care England, has published a paper highlighting the severe financial implications for the sector, and urges the government local authority to use the £3.2bn in crisis funds allocated to them on the frontline. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “The pandemic presents social care providers with unbearable human costs, but also has severe financial implications. As an immediate priority we implore Central Government to instruct Local Authority Commissioners to use the funds allocated to them for the frontline”. Prior to COVID-19, the adult social care sector was underfunded, whilst the current context has merely compounded such difficulties. Thus, such delays in funding making its way to the frontline will only make financial sustainability issues even more acute. Care England has outlined three key aims:
• £3.2 billion given to local authorities needs to get through to independent adult social care services (the second frontline) • More funding for local government and CCGS to give providers the necessary funds to cover COVID-19 related costs • Central Government direct business support. Maintaining the financial sustainability of social care providers is of fundamental importance in maintaining the capacity of the health and care system at large. The Government need to support adult social care with the same financial commitment and urgency as shown with the steps it has taken around the NHS. If care services are rendered unable to operate as a result of the financial consequences of COVID-19, this will also have a very human impact upon existing residents, their families, staff, and the communities which they reside within. A number of Local Authorities are yet to engage, some are not following their own representative associations guidance by not offering 5% for National Minimum Wage and 10% for COVID-19 costs and quite a number are adding various conditions and bureaucracy. In fact, Care England has
received feedback from members that some local commissioners have stated that for care providers to receive emergency funding, they will in return be required to accept COVID-19 positive individuals to their services. Care England is of the view that this is, in fact, contravenes the rights of the provider to themselves make admissions based on their understanding of what they have the capacity to provide and to protect existing staff and residents. It is important to note that many of those costs arising as a result of COVID-19 are yet to have become fully apparent. Sufficient funding is therefore of fundamental importance in giving providers confidence in dealing with current issues, but also, the uncertainty of the coming weeks and months. Martin Green continues: “Ultimately, during this time of crisis, social care providers should be given the necessary resources to allow them to focus solely upon providing care and support to some of societies’ most vulnerable, as opposed to having to engage in a piecemeal manner with local authorities and struggle for every part of their viability”.
Medication Management: Why Increasing Numbers of Care Homes Have Fallen into ‘Special Measures’
By Helen Fuller, Managing Director at Care 4 Quality (www.Care4Quality.co.uk)
Despite The Health and Social Care Act 2008 introducing the care sector to the ‘5 KLOE’s (Key Lines of Enquiry) back in 2014, care services across England are still failing to meet the standards of this framework and legislation, which essentially protects residents from avoidable harm, abuse and anything that breaches their basic human rights. Worse still, as we face unprecedented times, the number of care providers falling into ‘Special Measures’ is still increasing across several areas including medication management. As the spread of coronavirus continues to be a prime concern for care providers right now, how can the sector take steps to improve management of medication to ensure safety for all? Recent collation and in-depth analysis of the current inspection reports (undertaken by Care 4 Quality), focusing on inadequate rated care homes across England*, has identified that medication management is one of the key areas that is impacting care providers’ ability to achieve a positive rating from regulatory bodies and is also a greater threat to the safety of those who find themselves in care during the current crisis.
CHANGES TO SPOT CHECKS AND AUDITS That said, given the right support, plenty of care providers across the country are more than capable of stepping up to the mark by adopting improved measures and making positive and necessary best practice changes for the long term. Educating care home managers and providers on the more common areas of poor performance such as the management of medicines, may help to raise awareness, shift mind set and help them focus towards improving care services and preparing more proactively for future inspections. Current research shows that medication issues have been found to be present in 83% of care homes that were rated inadequate. The responsibility rests with care provider’s management team to not only spot check medication practices, but also to audit their medication systems thoroughly and regularly. This is perhaps even more poignant during the crisis we currently face and the increased risk to the vulnerable and elderly. At the best of times, care homes have to be in a position to act quickly and administer emergency medication when needed, but they must also maintain accurate, up to date records in terms of those residents taking regular medication.
BEING TOO REGIMENTED STIFLES PROCESSES
The problem is, audits can become far too regimented in frequency, which prohibits the provider from being actively responsive in their auditing processes. For those providers experiencing issues with managing medication safely, a daily audit check should be introduced to focus on specific deficient areas until improvements are made and sustained. During these challenging times, medication management is firmly in the spotlight and care services are having to adapt their systems to accommodate boxed medication as pharmacies move away from ‘blistered’ medication systems due to potential infection risks. There is also the increased risk and likelihood of agency use within care provision, whereby staff may be administering medication to service users that they don’t know. It is vital, more than ever, that every care provider has a well audited, safe and clear system to store, administer and order medicines.
PREPARING FOR THE UNPREDICTABLE Once compliance in these areas is being achieved on a consistent basis, the likelihood is, the care provider will be actively more responsive in titrating audit frequencies according to each audit outcome. This shift in mind set means they will have developed the flexibility to increase or decrease the frequency of these depending on the actions picked up on each audit thus evidencing a truly responsive service. This is about adapting those rigid audit processes that are preventing care providers from building robust and responsive procedures for medication management, while building in the flexibility and agility to react and respond more dynamically. This becomes even more relevant, in the unpredictable but fast-changing climate we now face.
About Care 4 Quality (www.care4quality.co.uk) Care 4 Quality is a health a social care specialist, dedicated to delivering ethically-led, compliance support and advice within the care environment to care providers across the UK. Offering a range of tailored services within the care setting, Care 4 Quality works in partnership with individual care homes and care home groups, to provide a personalised, quality monitoring service to help providers achieve compliance and generate robust evidence for the CQC, supporting the fundamental standards, thus preventing warning notices and enforcement action. Services include carrying out mock inspections to planned/unplanned compliance audits, quality assurance surveys, medication audits, crisis management coaching and supporting homes with CQC action planning and local authority liaison related to non-compliance issues. *Research carried out by R.Drury, S.Bawden, R.Dowson-Wallace, H.Fuller (Care 4 Quality Ltd) Analysis of Inadequate CQC published reports between October 2018 – March 2019.
Accepting Hospital Patients into Care Homes Led to Doubling of COVID-19 Deaths
A social care leader says news that care home deaths from Covid-19 have doubled is “utterly shocking but not surprising” because the virus has been imported into them by patients discharged from hospital. Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, said the newly-published figures from the Office of Nationals Statistics (ONS)were an indictment of the failure to lock down earlier and harder. Accepting hospital patients into care homes had, he said, played a major role in enabling the spread of the infection at such an alarming rate. The report from the ONS showed that in the week ending April 17, there were 119 deaths from Covid-19 in care homes in Wales, compared with 56 deaths the previous week. According to Mr Kreft, the lag in publishing the statistics meant the situation now was likely to be much worse with an even greater number of Covid deaths in care home. Care Forum Wales has for weeks calling for the publication of the numbers to ensure transparency and also to identify the true scale of the crisis so it can be tackled more effectively. The organisation, which represents more than 450 social care providers in Wales, has also warned that half the 650 adult care homes in Wales face
the threat of closure unless urgent action is taken and more financial support is provided. Mr Kreft said: “The fact that the number of care home deaths from covid has more than doubled within a seven day period is utterly shocking but sadly not surprising. “The true situation will be even worse than these new figures suggest because of the time lag in publishing them. “We can also see a clear increase in care home deaths during the last few weeks – not all of which mention Covid on death cert but likely there are more that are hidden. “We have seen an increase in the number of care home deaths where Covid is not mentioned on the death certificate up from 95 in the week ending on March 13 to 183 in the week ending April 17. “The information from the Office of Nationals Statistics has unfortunately confirmed what we have been warning about since February. “The inadequacy in the policy to tackle the coronavirus crisis and the failure to lock down earlier and harder are now taking their tragic toll. “Anecdotally, the message from our members is that admissions from hospitals have been a major factor in spreading the virus like wildfire in care homes, as opposed to community transmission. “While those patients were not displaying symptoms when they were discharged from hospital, they later developed symptoms and infected other residents. “There is now a very heavy toll on the residents and it’s clear from those care homes who have taken in hospital patients that there has been a very high risk of importing the infection into the care home and this has had tragic consequences. “We understand from our members that they were assured these patients were Covid-free and they were accepted on that basis but in many cases that turned out not to be the case. “Every death from coronavirus is one too many and a tragedy for the family and friends of those who have passed away, as well having an incredible emotional cost on the staff who dedicate their lives to caring for their residents.
“If we are to continue without adequate support from the government there will be severe, existential consequences for the care sector in general. “The care home sector cannot function with high occupancy of 90 per cent or more and was in a fragile state even before this all began because of the way care homes are funded by local authorities and health boards. “If occupancy falls below 85 per cent it means the care home is not viable and we are seeing cases where occupancy is down to around 45 per cent or in one case down to 20 per cent. “Occupancy in homes that have not accepted hospital patients is also falling because of the natural way of things because these homes have very frail people. “We are very concerned about this and we have said that we would not accept a policy that would lead to mass care home deaths and residents being treated as collateral damage. “It’s vitally important we do everything in our power to shield social care and save lives. “We welcome the testing of everyone coming out of hospital and it really does need to be ramped up because if care homes don’t function, the NHS won’t function so we have to keep care homes running. “Care Forum Wales has been calling for a proper regime of testing since February and improvements in the supply of PPE. “We know people have been working very hard but there have been many promises on testing that have not come to pass but there is still a long way to go before we have the system of testing that we need, both to track staff so they can return to the front line and importantly to keep our residents safe. “PPE is being consumed in huge quantities every day so we are going to have to ensure the supply chain is very strong in the months and maybe years ahead. “The whole sector is under threat and without proper financial support we could see the closure of half our care homes within a year or less. “Without a masterplan, without surety it’s conceivable there will be significant losses at the very time the NHS needs the care sector most.”
DO YOU KNOW THE CARER’S NEXT UNSUNG HERO? Regular readers will know we here at the Carer have been awarding an Unsung Hero each Summer and Christmas since 2016! Now, in these unprecedented and testing times we are looking for another Unsung Hero! (How we wish we could reward you all!)
Say hello to some previous ers! A two night luxury break for winn
Care Home urst of Cloverfield Marion Brockleh
Debbie Day of Cedars Care Home
two people in a choice of over 300 UK-wide hotels is the prize! £50 Marks & Spencer vouchers for two runners-up! e Boynes Care Centr Sam Buckley of The
Tina Higginson of Sam brook care home
A no-frills, no glitz or glamour competition - all we ask is for you to send us a paragraph or two nominating your Unsung Hero from any department with a brief description of how they've gone that extra mile and deserve to be recognised.
✓ Do you know our next Unsung Hero? Email your nomination to us today at nominate@thecareruk.com
PAGE 26 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
There Will Never be a More Critical Time for Ensuring Good Practice in On-Premise Laundries By Mark Drinkall, Christeyns Professional Hygiene National Sales Manager, reminds us of best practice in a Care Home laundry. Running a safe, efficient and effective laundry is as critical as running a safe, efficient and effective kitchen in any care home, never more than in current circumstances. Every step of the process from collection of dirty laundry from a bedroom to the return of clean, hygienic laundry to that bedroom should be organized and controlled. As the care industry copes with one of its most challenging periods yet, it is crucial that best practice is consistently adhered to in all aspects of care home operation, every day with every process.
STAFF:
It is recommended that staff should change into uniforms at the site rather than travelling from home in them, and that the uniforms are laundered to the appropriate standard in the controlled environment of the on-site laundry. It is, however, recognised that this may not be possible in all homes. All practical steps to ensure that staff uniforms are hygienic when in use and do not present a contamination risk inside or outside the home must be taken. All staff should wear appropriate PPE when handling linen, particularly foul or infected linen, and when handling laundry chemicals. Follow the guidance provided by statutory bodies and on the packaging of the chemicals. Your machine and /or chemical supplier should be happy to provide training to ensure that staff are aware of how to get the best out of equipment, promote efficiency and ensure safety standards are met.
ROOMS:
Ensure that all linen which is, or is suspected to be, foul or infected is placed into a soluble red bag and then sealed in a non-permeable bag before it leaves the bedroom. It should be transported directly to the laundry. Any solids should be removed from the laundry before it is placed in the soluble bag. Keep clean and dirty laundry separate and ensure that there can be no transfer of infection from dirty to clean linen, washing hands and using clean PPE where appropriate.
TRANSPORT AND STORAGE:
Have separate storage and transport arrangements for clean and used laundry, ensure these are cleaned regularly.
HOUSEKEEPING IN THE LAUNDRY:
Keep the machines, floors, trolleys and surfaces clean. If a water softener is in use ensure that it is functioning correctly, hard water will cause results problems and damage the washers over time. Have separate containers or trolleys for soiled linen and clean linen. Do not open red bags before they go into the washer. Never store or leave laundry on the floor, it is unhygienic and will result in footprint stains which cannot be removed. Report any faults with machines immediately. Never leave hot linen unattended or overnight, it might cause a fire. Ensure that linen is below body temperature before leaving unattended. Handle and store clean linen hygienically.
DOSING SYSTEMS:
Ensure that dosing pumps are working. Report any faults immediately. Is the light or screen on, do they operate during every process? Are there any leaks, are the drums going down, do they need replacing, is the correct drum on the correct tube? Check drums daily. Always were gloves and eye protection when handling the chemicals. Never mix chemicals. Ensure that an appropriate stock of all the laundry chemicals is maintained
to eliminate the risk that you will run out. Even running out of one chemical will negatively impact the washing results.
WASHERS:
Do not significantly overload or underload the washers or dryers, this will cause results problems and may damage the machines. Make sure that the appropriate wash process and dosing program is selected, paying particular attention to making sure that foul and infected linen is processed on a disinfection program. If possible, wash dark and light items separately. Do not attempt to shorten a wash process by advancing the machine, it will impact upon results and may cause skin irritation for staff or customers. Use a prewash when required. Select a destainer process for any stained linen. Never use fabric conditioner on kylies or microfibres. Never put starch and conditioner in the same process.
DRYERS:
Load to the rated capacity of the dryer where possible. Do no overload as it will decrease efficiency. Select a cool down option where appropriate, particularly on polycottons. Never over-dry linen, this causes static build up, drives off conditioner perfume and wastes energy. Do not leave dried laundry in the dryer at any time as it poses a fire hazard. When removing linen from the dryer smoothing and folding it immediately and while still warm will result in a better finish and reduce the need for ironing. Clean the lint trap on a daily basis, otherwise it may become a fire hazard. Running an efficient and effective on premise laundry can give care homes peace of mind and a seamless supply of clean, hygienic linen. However, it must be well managed around strict guidelines and with staff who are kept up to date and knowledgeable about the important role they play in keeping everyone safe and sound.
Aston Lark - Media Guidance For The Care Home Sector As a care home owner or manager, you will be under immense pressures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is highly likely that you are dealing with staff shortages due to self-isolation, an inability to get agency staff, shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and food, residents suffering with the disease, along with scared and exhausted staff. We are seeing increasing reports about the numbers of deaths in care homes and it is likely that the press / media will be actively looking for such stories. It is best therefore to take some simple measures to ensure that your staff and the business are prepared to deal with the media if they do arrive on the doorstep. At this time, you really do not want the added burden, wasted time and reputational costs of bad press coverage. Some simple steps include: • Ensure someone suitable is appointed for dealing formally with media enquiries. They should be comfortable dealing with the media.
• Advise staff not to make statements to journalists. They should attempt to find out the following information and then report to the appointed person or their manager: o who the journalist is and which organisation they work for o what they want to know o what deadline they are operating to o their contact details – and let them know somebody will be in touch with them o NEVER say ‘No comment’ • If there has been an incident and it has already been made public, often it is better to be proactive and tackle the issue rather than saying nothing at all. • Be aware of content and comments on social media and respond accordingly. Failure to do so can mean that within minutes the reputation of a business is under threat. • When communicating with the media, DO be honest, provide useful information and seek to establish an ongoing relationship. • DO NOT let the media be the only source of information, ensure you communicate with your stakeholders.
Young People Write to Care Homes to Put Smiles on Faces of Residents A charity is offering to send packs of letters from young people into care homes to put smiles on the faces of residents. In normal times YOPEY runs befriending schemes where young people – known as YOPEY Befrienders or YOPEY Dementia Befrienders – visit care homes, mainly in the East of England. “These visits stopped with the lockdown, but our young volunteers still wanted to do their bit,” said charity founder Tony Gearing MBE. “So we started a letter-writing scheme where young people write to care home residents. “Some are writing to the elderly people they made friends with before the lockdown, but many want to do more and are writing to residents in any care homes. “We have also recruited young people from outside our area who were not YOPEY Befrienders before and also want to do their bit. The young want to show they are thinking of the elderly and concerned for their safety, and some are forming penpal friendships with particular residents.” YOPEY has already sent out hundreds of letters to well over 100 care homes nationwide, but is looking for more care homes to take part. All letters are sent in packs of about 20 – illustrated with photos of the young people, their hobbies and their artwork – to each care home that asks to take part by emailing hello@yopey.org. The charity is not putting anything in the post to avoid the risk of transmitting Covid-19 from one location to another. Once one pack has been read by residents – and maybe a few of the letter writers have received replies from those residents able to write back – the home can request another pack. Mr Gearing added: “This is a free service we are offering to all care homes in the UK. It is not compulsory to reply to the letters as we know care homes are under huge pressure. “The feedback we are getting from the care homes already taking part is that their elderly residents really love the letters from the young people.” For more information visit the charity’s new Facebook page @IwanttohelpCareHomeResidents.
Mattress Maintenance Services Helping Hospitals and Care Homes Spring into Action
By Truan Remmington - Contracts Development Executive – Spearhead Healthcare
In order to bring a mattress back into service after use, it needs to be completely cleaned and decontaminated to approved standards that guarantee bacterium and viruses such as C.Diff and MRSA are killed, and no cross contamination occurs. A challenge with mattress cleaning is not only that it requires large commercial washing machines but that different mattress types also require different treatment. The construction of air pressure mattresses for example means they cannot be washed in high temperature machines, requiring coldwater disinfection instead. The only certified process available, OTEX, injects ozone into each wash, killing all the harmful microorganisms without using the heat or chemicals of traditional laundering. However, having the time, staff, and the facilities required to provide this level of deep clean for each of your mattresses can prove very costly. In additional to it being potentially dangerous, there is also a high probability of reputational damage if standards slip and go unnoticed by your staff, because this is something patients and their families will always, quite rightly, notice and report. The right rental and maintenance service will not only provide you with an appropriate mattress when you need it, but offer fast cleaning, repairs, and replacements, ensuring mattresses are up to the required standards. This undoubtedly saves you money in the long term, provides the best possible levels of care to your patients and residents, and reassures all stakeholders that hygiene is a top priority; a must in the current climate.
WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR? So what should you look for in a rental service – apart from a wide range of special purpose mattresses? Here are a few key pointers: • Rapid breakdown response • All work carried out by trained technicians • Mattresses returned in fully certified working order with free loans while repairs are carried out to allow you continuity of service • Servicing and/or repair offered in a hygiene controlled environment where mattresses are PAT tested, static pressure leak tested and cycle tested • Mattresses placed in an infection controlled 'Cold Storage' zone to control cross contamination • Mattresses completely cleaned and decontaminated using a specialist, certified decontamination system to approved standards • Transparent and clear results reporting for peace of mind In today’s ever-more pressurised care sector, on-demand mattress rental and maintenance services are playing a growing role in helping providers respond quickly to growing patient and resident intake. This allows you to maintain the highest possible standards of infection control practises in all areas. Visit www.spearheadhealthcare.com or see the advert on page 4.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 27
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name” At Cash's, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients’ brand equity through quality and innovation, from design to distribution. Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels, woven badges, care labels, branded and promotional swing tags, garment accessories, packaging
and barcoding. Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers' brand by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity. Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost, improve efficiency and streamline supply chain management and will fully protect the integrity and accuracy of critical business data. The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and accessories. See the advert this page for details.
5 Reasons Why You Should Choose LaundryTec Chester based LaundryTec since its foundation in early 2016 has become one of Alliance Internationals major UK distributers. Founded by Jeremy Hartigan, the team of industry professionals with the backing of the Alliance Lavamac brand and supported by its service partner PDS Laundry based in Nuneaton. They supply a significant number of the UK’s leading health care operators with equipment, installation and after sale support. The LaundryTec designs offer not only washing, drying and ironing equipment but a full range of han-
dling, distribution, folding and identification systems, to create a fully functioning laundry complete with all items necessary for efficient operation. Every LaundryTec machine includes full installation options, including the removal and disposal of an existing machine. A training program and a minimum of 24 months part and labour warranty. The environment is at the forefront of every operator’s mind. Standard specification on a Lavamac machine includes functions that automatically weigh and control the energy input into the machine and
store the data in the machines memory. Our LS range of electric heat pump dryers require no ventilation or gas services and operates at 3kw per hour.
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1. Cost 2. Efficiency 3. Service 4. Design 5. Innovation Telephone 0151 317 3127 Web www..laundrytec.com
Don’t Lose the Laundry!
We at Nametags4Carehomes know from experience that the process of moving into a Care Home can be a very difficult time for everyone involved. So we try to make life a little bit easier. It’s extremely upsetting when items get lost in Care Homes, or when your loved one is found wearing someone else’s clothes. There’s a simple solution! Put Name Tags on clothing and other personal belongings. Our best-selling labels in Care Homes are the dual purpose Easyfix Clip & Iron on labels. They can be fixed on in seconds, either by ironing or by using a small button-like clip. The labels withstand very high washing temperatures and industri-
al tumble drying. For other items such as walking aids, toiletries and shoes, the Sticky SupaTags are ideal. Care Home managers can register for our bespoke online ordering system and benefit from discounts, invoicing, and next day delivery. Thanks to our high-quality products and very competitive prices we supply hundreds of Care Homes in the UK. Prices start at just £7.00 for a set of Easyfix labels and clips. Whether you’re buying for residents in your own Care Home, or as an individual for a relative, we’re always on hand to help - please call us on 01242 519191. Or visit www.nametags4carehomes.co.uk or see the advert on page 3.
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
0151 317 3127
www.laundrytec.com
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5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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PAGE 28 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Handwashing Gadget Launches To Help Care Homes
A motion-sensing gadget is launching to help and encourage better hand washing habits. Wavewash can be fitted above sinks in any business, home, or healthcare premises, reminding people to wash their hands more thoroughly and helping them to achieve a 20 second wash every time. Wavewash is intended for use in a wide range of businesses to help staff, customers or patients to wash their hands more thoroughly and meet their obligations under government guidelines. The product can also be especially useful in healthcare premises such as care homes where hygiene is crucial. Once activated with a wave of the hand, Wavewash begins a light-up timer to indicate how long a person should continue washing their hands. The 20 second timer gives users a clear indication of how long they need to wash, as recommended by the NHS and the government. Under the government’s recently published COVID-19 guidance for employers (www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-in-the-workplaceduring-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance), employers should advise workers to regularly wash their hands for 20 seconds and they should consider providing any additional facilities needed to do so. To help healthcare providers such as care homes to protect patients and staff from coronavirus, 100 Wavewash units are being offered to selected organisations in the sector, free of charge. As well as being used in healthcare premises, Wavewash can be used in the toilets of pubs, cafes and restaurants to improve hygiene and reduce the spread of germs and viruses. It can also be used by businesses involved in food processing and preparation, where hand hygiene is essential. Health authorities around the world, including Public Health England and the NHS recommend that everyone should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water to easily and effectively kill the
microorganisms which can cause illness, including COVID-19 coronavirus. Wavewash partner, Martin Hurworth said: “Health authorities around the world are urging us to wash our hands for 20 second using soap and water every time as it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways we can avoid getting sick and spreading germs and viruses to others. “Unfortunately, accurately counting to 20 seconds is actually pretty hard, even if you sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice and lots of people cut corners and forget to wash their hands for that long… and, of course, some people overlook washing their hands completely, which is disgusting. “Wavewash aims to solve all of these problems. It’s a smart but noticeable device which reminds people to wash their hands better and helps them to do it. “Telling people to wash their hands more thoroughly can work, but positive reinforcement, timely reminders and a little help can work so much better at nudging us into doing the right thing. I believe that Wavewash can make a real difference in getting everyone to wash their hands properly, helping to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses” The device has been designed to help all businesses, including those in healthcare to comply with governmental guidelines for hygiene and for the prevention and control of infections. As a result, Wavewash is intended to play a major role in helping businesses to prepare for life after the nationwide lockdown comes to an end, when good hand hygiene is expected to be crucial. As part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s social distancing guidelines (www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-inthe-workplace-during-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance), every business is expected to advise workers to wash their hands using soap and water for 20 seconds regularly, and should consider providing additional facilities to help with this. Wavewash can help companies towards fulfill-
ing these requirements, reminding workers to wash their hands thoroughly and helping them to wash for 20 seconds every time. Wavewash’s smart design and simple interface also makes it ideal for the home, helping parents and children to clean their hands and keep one another safe. Wavewash has been developed by a team of British engineers who were inspired after speaking to doctors and nurses about the problems caused by people failing to properly wash their hands in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. The gadget is a simple tech solution which works using a non-contact sensor, so there’s no need to touch the device at all. It can also be fitted to virtually any surface using screws or a self-adhesive pad which are included and its smooth surface avoids the build-up of dirt and germs. While washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is advised by the NHS (www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-towash-your-hands), Public Health England (www.gov.uk/government/news/public-information-campaign-focuseson-handwashing) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html). Studies have shown that a 20-second hand wash with liquid soap is enough to effectively remove dirt, organic matter and most transient microorganisms which are acquired through direct contact with a person and from the environment. Hand washing can minimise the spread of illnesses including influenza (annals.org/aim/fullarticle/744899/facemasks-hand-hygiene-preventinfluenza-transmission-households-cluster-randomized-trial), diarrhea and respiratory infections, and governments around the world recommend it as a central part of their advice to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) (www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/). Hand washing also reduces the risk of food poisoning (www.nhs.uk/livewell/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands). However, recent studies have suggested that just 5% of people wash their hands for long enough (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23621052), with the average wash lasting only six seconds. Wavewash is inspired by the ‘nudge theory’ of behavioural science which is widely used by governments and public health bodies. The concept is that individuals are more likely to make particular choices or behave in a certain way if they are positively encouraged and supported to make it through indirect suggestions, rather than coercion or education. The makers of Wavewash hope that the device will lead to more people thoroughly washing their hands in future, helping to make 20 secondlong hand washing a permanent habit. Wavewash is available for purchase now. Visit www.wavewash.co.uk for more information or call 01603 343 727.
PAGE 30 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Free Coronavirus Awareness Face Shields In Stock Now Video by iHASCO iHASCO , a market-leading provider of workplace eLearning, have released a free Coronavirus awareness video to help offer organisations and the general public practical advice on what Coronavirus is, how to reduce the risk of the virus spreading and what to do if you’re showing symptoms. This free resource is for anyone wishing to find out more about Coronavirus and how to minimise its impact. Employers can now, in under 10 minutes, provide a short video to all of their employees, spread awareness and help them understand best hygiene practices. Access the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJrpfmnOnpc or visit the free resource page on the iHASCO website at www.ihasco.co.uk/blog/entry/2716/covid-19. The free video contains information gathered from the NHS, the Direct Gov website, The World Health Organization, and it also includes a few useful tips from iHASCO’s Infection Prevention & Control course. As a leading provider of online Health & Safety, HR and Business Compliance training, iHASCO offers quality online training courses to over 10,000 UK businesses. With this in mind iHASCO felt it their duty to share this information in a short video.
Face Shields are now in full production and available for delivery from Numatic International, home of the famous Henry vacuum. Manufactured in the UK, the Face Shield offers a simple, comfortable and reusable solution. We are prioritising dispatch of these Face Shields to Healthcare settings, including Care Homes. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have urgently re-tasked our Design & Manufacturing Teams to deliver a Non-profit PPE initiative, supplying PPE to those that need it as quickly as possible. For more information and to order: Call: 01460 269270 Email: PPE@numatic.co.uk Visit: www.numaticsupport.com/faceshield
“Being Health & Safety training experts, we have a duty to play our part in raising awareness to help reduce the risk of infection spread and keep people safe,” says Nathan Pitman, Director at iHASCO. “We know how to source quality information and present it in an engaging way to ensure the learner takes away the key points. Rather than focus on panic and frightening news headlines we want to provide information that is of use and provide practical steps organisations and the general public can digest, despite the uncertainty of things to come. Visit www.ihasco.co.uk for further information.
Fight Back Against Bacteria and Viruses If the global COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it's that good personal and environmental hygiene and a deeper understanding of cleaning procedures is of the utmost importance in controlling the spread of pathogens. We know that having a thorough cleaning regime and the right cleaning equipment is important but how do you know which equipment is right and what a thorough clean actually is? Understanding more about the potential pathogens is a good place to start. Firstly, do you know what the difference is between antibacterial and antimicrobial? An antimicrobial agent protects against various types of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, mould and fungi, whereas an antibacterial specifically protects against bacteria. Knowing which products are best to use alongside chemicals, as manual cleaning is still vital, is also key. Some pathogens survive in different
conditions for different lengths of time and variations in temperature. For example, did you know, MRSA can survive up to 8 weeks on a mop head and 7 months on dust? Listeria Monocytogenes, (aka Listeria) which is known to cause fever, diarrhoea and can even affect your nervous system, is what is known as a resilient bacterium. That means it can harbour on seemingly clean surfaces and create a protective biofilm over itself that chemicals alone cannot remove. This is where the right cleaning equipment comes into play. Using a high-quality brush alongside the correct chemicals when cleaning will allow filaments to get into the crevices where bacteria may be harbouring and clean it away, creating a hygienic surface. For more information about the highest quality, anti-microbial brushes available for the job, visit https://bit.ly/39oRq5r or call +44 (0)17 4786 0494
Proven Technology Offers Greater Protection for Staff and Residents Against Covid-19
Care Homes are having to work around the clock to ensure their facilities are as clean and infection-free as possible, to try and prevent Covid-19 (and multiple other viruses and harmful bacteria) from entering their facility in the first place or containing it once it does. However, routine cleaning and disinfection, even with the use of other hand sanitisers and antibacterial surface cleaners, only sanitises the individual or surface for that moment in time, i.e. as soon as contact is made with an infected surface or introduced from the outside, the area or the person is no longer safe. In the tight confines of a Care Home, supporting one of the most vulnerable groups, cross infection via surface contamination is a major challenge. The transient nature of current cleaning regimes will always prove challenging, particularly as over 80% of germs are spread by hands. Now a proven, independently accredited technology that offers a protective barrier wherever there is a risk of infection is at the forefront of preventing and protecting against the spread of Covid-19. Once applied it stays active, providing up to 30 days protection on surfaces and 24 hours on the skin. In a
Care Home, this can dramatically reduce the chances of encountering a crisis by reducing the spread of dangerous pathogens either by hand or touch. OneSpray’s Hand Sanitiser offers 24 hours protection with one application, contains no alcohol, is ultragentle on the skin and won’t wash off during normal daily washing. This means it is very economical to use versus alcohol-based sanitisers, given that typically one person will apply those sanitisers up to 10 times per day. OneSpray’s Surface Sanitiser offers protection on nearly all surfaces including door handles, desks, door entry systems and keypads, touchscreens, phones, kitchens and taps. A single application forms an invisible barrier over the surface that lasts up to 30 days and will not wash off so normal, daily cleaning can continue. OneSpray products incorporate Zoono technology, world leaders in antimicrobial protection. Over 150 worldwide laboratory testing reports support the efficacy of their products. In earlier trials for London Underground a treated train came back 99.9% clear after 28 days of uninterrupted service. OneSpray is offering a Starter Outbreak-Prevention Package, specifically for Care Homes. It consists of a 5-litre Hand Sanitiser with two 1-litre dispensers, plus a 5-litre Surface Cleaner with two 500ml spray bottles. For more information contact 07811113108 or email russell@onespray.com or see the advert on page 8.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 31
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL
Haigh Engineering Resident and patient waste is a day to day practical matter that simply cannot become a problem for frontline carers and nursing staff. With the raised awareness of cross infection risks, the proven reliable waste disposal systems from Haigh are recognised more than ever as being a key part of the toolkit for ensuring that human waste is effectively and efficiently removed as a source of risk, day in day out, without the risks and complications of either washing pots or manual bagging waste for collection. The team from Haigh have been working hard to support this beyond just the manufacture of the
Incomaster and Quattro waste disposers here in the UK, but also developing innovative and safe methods to enhance the servicing provisions that are available to customers. The recently launched all-inclusive rental proposition has proven particularly effective and popular with new and existing customers alike, not least as it reduces the operational, maintenance and financing headaches from sites which have more critical matters to address. For more information about incontinence and bedpan waste disposal please feel free to contact the Haigh team on 01989 763131 or info@haigh.co.uk
Reduce Cross-Infection with Dorgard
As a measure to reduce the risk of cross infection care settings may introduce increased cleaning routines, but managing this with the increased workload can be difficult and easily overlooked. Preventing cross infection amongst residents and staff in care and nursing homes has never been more important. Staff may be concerned that contact with door handles and hand plates could increase the risk of spreading the coronavirus and finding a legal solution to hold your fire door open has never been more pressing than now. Dorgard Original and Dorgard SmartSound can offer you a quick and cost effective solution to this pressing dilemma. They can be fitted to your existing fire doors by your own handyman in around ten minutes, providing you with an effective solution to reduce the risks of cross infection. Once fitted, these fire door holders will hold
your fire door in the open position with the help of a foot plunger. The devices will constantly ‘listen’ for the sound of your fire alarm and on hearing it the Dorgard will automatically lift the plunger and allow the door closer, fitted as standard to all fire doors, to close the door, ensuring fire safety is maintained. By holding fire doors open in this way you remove the need for your staff to touch door handles and hand plates, reducing the risk of germs and viruses spreading. You can programme the Dorgard to automatically close at night should you require this. If you would like to know more about how Dorgard can help you meet your legal fire safety requirements and reduce the risk of cross infection, call our customer care team today 0800 612 6537 or visit www.safelincs.co.uk or see the advert on page 18.
How Best To Assist With Limiting The Transmission Of Airborne Viruses Care homes and hospitals have been of particular focus in the news recently and how best to assist with limiting the transmission of airborne viruses within these establishments. This is part of the greater discussion around Indoor Air Quality and how we can protect people who are working, studying or being cared for in increasingly airtight buildings for the majority of their day. Humidity control as part of the Indoor Air Quality discussion is very much part of the debate as we try to replicate good quality fresh air in our homes and buildings irrespective of the outside air quality, whilst being conscious of energy usage which could put greater pressure on climate change. The benefits of humidity control are well documented - creating a more comfortable condition, adding to thermal comfort and importantly reducing the transmission of bacteria and viruses. Scientific data does show that to maintain a humidity of 50%rh will reduce the transmission of viruses by keeping the bodies defence mechanism (mucus membrane in the nose and throat) moist and able to capture airborne bacteria and virus before it enters the body. Maintaining a relative humidity (RH) between 30-60% has been shown to influence the survivorship of viruses and reduce the transmission and infectiousness of viral diseases. More recent studies have taken aim at the influence of relative humidity (RH) on specific families of viruses,
• While coronaviruses are durable on surfaces relative to influenza viruses, survival rates are reduced at moderate RH of 50%. (Casanova et al., 2010) • The infectiousness of airborne influenza viruses was significantly reduced when RH was above 40% (Noti et al., 2013) • Humidification in homes can reduce survival of influenza and promote recovery, by improving restfulness, in sick individuals (Myatt et al., 2010) • Maintaining 40-45% RH in hospitals reduced perceived air dryness and airway symptoms of patients and hospital staff (Nordström et al., 1994). Figure 1: Effect of pathogens, microbes, and environmental contaminants on human beings. From Sterling et al. (1985).
like influenza and coronavirus. These studies focus on the observed survival on surfaces and in the air column, and the rates of infection under different environmental conditions. Below we outline key findings from commonly referenced or recent studies. Links to the studies are posted as well. • Maintaining an indoor relative humidity between 40%60% may help to limit the spread and survival of novel coronavirus. Humidification maintains hydrated and intact mucosal barriers of human occupants, resulting in an increase resistance against any microbial attack. (Dietz et al., 2020).
So, where a humidity control system is not already in place in a facility, is there a practical solution to retro fit into the office, care home, classroom etc? Mobile humidifiers can be used but they do require regular manual filling and take up floor space. Commercial systems can be installed into the fresh air supply (AHU), but sometimes this is not possible, or such a system is not already installed into the building. One excellent solution is to use the HomEvap, a cold water evaporative humidifier, which can be fitted to a heat recovery unit in a house or supplied with a fan to be neatly installed above a false ceiling in an office – out of the way, plumbed in, and providing excellent control automatically. Energy usage ranges between 20 -90 watts dependant on if you require a fan or not. A
single humidifier can evaporate 5 litres of water per hour which will provide humidity control to a space with a volume of approximately 1200m3. The result is a comfortable, healthier environment for net zero energy usage (temperature can be reduced by 2⁰C when the humidity is raised from 30 – 50%rh for the same thermal comfort). In a care home the solution is often not to put the humidifier in the day room or bedrooms but to control the humidity in corridors serving these rooms and to allow the humidity to migrate to the areas of concern. This way there is no noise issue (although very low in a bedroom a small fan can still be a nuisance) and maintenance when required does not disturb the occupant of the room. Humidity Solutions Ltd has a wealth of experience, expertise and application knowledge in the field of humidity control please do contact us for free advice. www.humiditysolutions.co.uk info@humiditysolutions.co.uk
The importance of humidity control maintaining Relative Humidity at 40-60%....
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Service & Maintenance
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 33
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL How Do You Control The Spread Of Infection? mint fragrance or with essential oils, should there be a requirement to remove odours. All Nocolyse gas when evenly distributed throughout isolated areas will eliminate dangerous viruses such as MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Norovirus, CPE, Coronavirus. In relation to the current Pandemic COVID-19 Coronavirus, our “Oxypharm One Shot” has now been fully accredited and a full copy of this declaration is available on our web site.
The severity of any build up of bacteria or pathogen could be fatal. At SFS Protect, high standards of hygiene are recognised and paramount to the ethos of our service. No sprays, no wipes, just vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide. The Nocospray 2, has been carefully developed around a heating and ionising turbine that transforms and emits the Nocolyse disinfectant into a non-corrosive, non allergenic, bio degradable gas – with no residue.
THE PRODUCTS The Nocospray 2 will eliminate 99.99% of all bacteria in as little time as 90 minutes. There is no requirement for the removal of electrical equipment, furniture, fixtures and fittings, just the room to be completely sealed for the gas to work effectively. Services At SFS, we offer 2 types of service. Curative “One Shot” Disinfection is where there is a known or recurring problem. Preventative Decontamination Disinfection is to maintain good levels of infection control. The “Decontimination” range is also available with a mild
OUR MISSION SFS Protect are dedicated to providing a caring and discreet service. Our mission is simple, to provide a safe and comfortable environment to work, play, learn and relax without the fear of contracting harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi.
TESTIMONIAL “SFS Protect are working with us to keep our employees safe by fumigating areas in any suspected COVID-19 cases. The team deliver a professional and efficient service, provide excellent technical support and respond quickly to any fumigation requests. Callout requests are fulfilled within 24 hours, leaving areas safe to return to within 40minutes of any suspected cases.” Book now on 07468 428530, email info@sfsprotect.co.uk or visit www.sfsprotect.co.uk
JET - A Powerful Sporicidal Disinfectant JET is a powerful sporicidal disinfectant for use on non-porous high-touch surfaces. JET is also a powerful cleaner destroying RNA and DNA in seconds. Its cleaning efficacy meets the requirements of a medical instrument cleaner, effectively reducing levels of protein and carbohydrate. JET is the best safeguard for residents and staff wherever the risks of infection are highest and is ideal for use in care homes. JET is sporicidal, mycobactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal and bactericidal in one minute. It has been tested in accredited laboratories and is proven effective against a wide range of microorganisms.
DOOR FRAMES & HANDLES
JET is built upon the same core chlorine dioxide technology as the Tristel medical device disinfectant products, but specially adapted for surface disinfection where cleaning and biofilm destruction are so important. Chlorine dioxide is widely regarded as one of the most effective disinfectants for biofilm removal and prevention. JET delivers chlorine dioxide as a foam. It creates no aerosols when used. Efficacy with the standard wipe in EN16615 means JET can be used with any sustainably sourced wipe, avoiding the use and waste of plastic wipes. Find out more: BIT.LY/JETCH20
CHAIRS & WORK SURFACES
BEDS & BEDSIDE TABLES
FACE SHIELDS
Clean Care Is In Your Hands Skin health and surface hygiene expert, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, has backed the World Health Organisation’s global call to action for health workers. The worldwide advocacy day for Hand Hygiene falls annually on 5th May, and this year its importance is even more significant, as the world battles COVID-19. As a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Private Organizations for Patient Safety group, GOJO Industries-Europe has always been a strong advocate of making hand hygiene second nature to everyone. Once again, GOJO is supporting the WHO’s annual ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ campaign and encouraging everybody in the healthcare industry to get involved. As the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, the campaign’s focus this year is on the central role played by nurses and midwives in achieving clean care. This includes hand hygiene best practices, as well as recognising their crucial contribution to strengthening quality health systems. The annual campaign and advocacy day targets a crosssection of influencers in the global healthcare sector, calling them to join together in celebrating and empowering nurses and midwives in the monumental work that they do to keep patients, families, and colleagues safe, by preventing healthcare associated infections. This year’s specific calls to action are: • Nurses: “Clean and safe care starts with you.” • Midwives: “Your hands make all the difference for mothers and babies.” • Policy Makers: “Increase nurse staffing levels to prevent infections and improve quality of care. Create the means to
empower nurses and midwives.” • Infection Prevention Control Leaders: "Empower nurses and midwives in providing clean care.” • Patients and Families: "Safer care for you, with you.” Chris Wakefield, Vice President, European Marketing & Product Development, GOJO IndustriesEurope Ltd comments, ‘Nurses and midwives account for nearly 50% of the global health workforce1 and play a vital role in providing health services and meeting everyday essential health needs. At GOJO, saving lives and making life better through well-being solutions is our mission and it continues to inspire our deep commitment to improving hand hygiene. In partnership with healthcare managers, we can help implement a tailored, effective, and total solution, which promotes compliant and healthy hand hygiene behaviour. ‘We are proud and loyal supporters of the WHO’s “Save Lives – Clean Your Hands” campaign, and urge everyone in the healthcare industry to join together in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.’ Free advocacy toolkits to support the WHO Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign are available on the WHO website: www.who.int/infectionprevention/campaigns/cleanhands/en/ WHO invites everyone to use the hashtags #SupportNursesAndMidwives #HandHygiene #InfectionPrevention on social media to ensure Save Lives: Clean Your Hands posts are picked up by the campaign. For more information, email infouk@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com 1 https://www.who.int/news-room/ fact-sheets/detail/nursing-and-midwifery
Please mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
PAGE 34 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
FURNITURE AND FITTINGS
The Benefits of Spillsafe
Renray Healthcare Design and Manufacture New COVID19 Response Beds for Temporary Hospitals
Every year, thousands of working hours are lost to the sanitisation of furniture which ultimately can never be completely sanitised. This can feel like a losing battle to “beat the bugs” as any attempt to truly clean soiled furniture will inevitably only be scratching the surface. The true challenge lies inside the chair, a haven for contamination, but therein lies the problem. How do you clean the inside of a chair that has been soiled? The simple answer is “you don’t”. There is no way to truly clean a chair that has been soiled as liquids will find their way into every part of your furniture, absorbed by wood and languishing in foam and fabric. So, what is the solution to sanitising
Renray Healthcare has developed a field response bed to supply to temporary hospitals, with our design expertise and manufacturing capability we have been able to put the COVID-19 Response bed and mattress into production quickly, with deliveries going out across the country to help in the fight against COVID-19. Renray has been supplying beds, mattresses and furniture for over 50 years and due to the increasing spread of Coronavirus, we are proactively using Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour (HPV) decontamination system in all our Heavy Goods Vehicles prior to delivery of your goods to eliminate the virus or any potential contaminant, making deliveries safer for our staff, customers and users. Let us know if you require beds for temporary or permanent hospitals, to ensure you have everything you need to continue caring for patients in this difficult time. Download our brochure now for more information: The COVID-19 Response Bed Brochure at https://tinyurl.com/unofs42 Please contact customer service on 01606 593456 or info@renrayhealthcare.com who will be happy to assist you. See the advert on page 3.
your furniture? Simply, you stop anything from ever reaching the interior. The truest way of maintaining hygeine is to prevent unsanitary situations from ever reaching the areas that cannot be easily cleaned. Investing in hygienic barriers today not only saves time and money, but ensures the protection demanded by those who need it most. This was our maxim here at SpillSafe when developing our patentpending cassette system – Why allow the uncleanable to become unsanitary in the first place? Matthew Holmes, Director of SpillSafe Ltd. Contact Spillsafe Ltd on 0330 088 4851 or www.Spillsafe.co. See the advert on page 9.
Euroservice Trolleys New LST Fan Heaters Join the Celebrating Its 40th Year Electronic 7-day Timer Range Euroservice Trolleys is delighted to be celebrating its 40th year. It has been involved in the sales and manufacture of trolleys since 1980. All manufactured in Leicestershire, the trolleys offer that extra touch of class to any establishment. For the growing and competitive Care Home sector, standing out from the crowd with trolley service is important. Euroservice offers a range of stylish and practical trolleys to add that homely feel. Why not bring a little glamour to the service in your care home and make everyday a special occasion.
Watch your residents’ eyes light up when the trolley is wheeled into the room with the cakes and that lovely cup of tea.... Style and practicality define Euroservice trolleys so call the friendly sales staff today to discuss your new trolley! All trolleys are available in any colour with a variety of styles to choose from. They look forward to your call. w: www.euroservice-uk.com e: sales@euroservice-uk.com t: 0800 917 7943
Three new low surface temperature fan heaters are the latest addition to Consort Claudgen’s Electronic 7day Timer range. The PLSTiE Slimline LST heaters now have two additional ratings, a 500W and 750W, both of which are compact heaters and ideal for use in narrow hallways or landings. A new 2kW fan heater has also been introduced. The CN2MLSTiE is equipped with intelligent fan control which detects the temperature in the environment and automatically adjusts its fan speed to quickly achieve a warm airflow temperature. This allows the heater to immediately blow hot air, even
when initially powered on in a very cold room, for the user’s comfort. The CN2MLSTiE also incorporates a mesh grille to prevent ingress of small objects. All heaters offer 6 heating periods per day, 7 days a week and have an optional open/close window detection feature. The digital control panel has an easy-to-read display and four large control buttons with tactile feedback. It is easy to operate and allows setting of comfort and setback temperatures which help reduce the overall energy consumption. For more details, visit www.consortepl.com or contact Sales at 01646 692172.
Why Specify a Yeoman Shield Fire Rated Door Edge Protector? When specifying for a structure, it’s important to be aware of the level of wear and tear a door can be exposed to in a public building. Door edges, in particular, can be easily damaged or worn down by regular use – which can then render them non-compliant for fire safety regulations. To ensure that a project remains compliant, an architect can specify durable door edge protectors to add durability and longevity to doors. Not only will specifying edge protectors increase the longevity of doors, they will enhance the cost efficiency of a project by reducing maintenance demands and the possibility of having to replace unsafe fire doors. Yeoman Shield fire rated Door Edge Protectors are unique with a 2.0 mm Vinylac outer and a specially formulated 9mm PVCu reinforced core. They are FD30 (1/2 hour) and FD60 (1 hour) rated
with intumescent seals that are in accordance to the fire door’s specification. Fire rated Door Edge Protectors are suitable for commercial applications such as residential blocks, schools and hospitals etc. Door Edge Protectors can also be specified with different fire seals, from a plain intumescent fire seal to a brush, fire and smoke variant. Of course, for doors that are non-fire rated in an architect’s project Yeoman Shield also provide quality edge protectors without seals to enhance durability and reduce wear. Source a full range of door protection panels and kick plates from a single supplier by choosing Yeoman Shield. Our door protection panels and kick plates offer the same lasting durability and quality as our door edge protectors. See page 12 or visit www.yeomanshield.com for details.
Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com
PM200
EBONY
PO 300
B007
CHC01
WM6
B39
BZ 006
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 35
CATERING FOR CARE
Promoting Good Nutritional Care in Care Homes food first approach are commonly used in care homes.
IDENTIFYING NUTRITIONAL RISK IN CARE HOMES
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITIONAL CARE BAPEN estimates that 93% of malnourished individuals with or at risk of malnutrition live in community settings (1). Unfortunately, malnutrition is often unrecognised and untreated, particularly in vulnerable populations (2). Malnutrition can affect every system in the body, leading to adverse changes in body form and function. Physical effects include (3): • Impaired immunity • Pressure sores • Delayed wound healing • Muscle wasting • Adverse changes to the gastrointestinal structure and function • Generalised weakness • Increased risk of falls • Increased risk of bone conditions (i.e. osteoporosis) Other studies have shown that malnutrition is associated with more hospital readmissions (4), longer length of stay, increased complications and greater risk of mortality (5). The good news is that dietary counselling given with or without oral nutritional supplements (ONS) is effective at increasing nutritional intake and weight (6). Therefore, interventions which combine ONS and a
Nutrition risk screening is a rapid and simple way to detect those with or at risk of malnutrition, so that suitable care plans can be implemented. Nutritional screening for malnutrition is recommended in NICE clinical guideline 32 for all admissions to care homes and when there is clinical concern (7). The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) (www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/must/must_full.pdf) is the most frequently used screening tool in the UK. It is a five-step tool suitable for screening adults across all care settings. It is used to detect those who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The five steps are as follows: • Measure height and weight to determine Body Mass Index (BMI) • Calculate percentage of unplanned weight loss in the past 3-6 months • Establish acute disease effect and score • Add scores together to obtain an overall score for risk of malnutrition • Use management guidelines and/or local policy to establish treatment plan All staff involved in nutrition-risk screening should be suitably trained to meet required standards for their organisation.
PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH TO NUTRITIONAL CARE Person-centred care (www.hee.nhs.uk/ourwork/person-centred-care) means “focusing care on the needs of the individual.” It’s about ensuring that people's preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, whilst delivering care that is respectful of
By Harriet Smith, Registered Dietitian on behalf of AYMES International
and responsive to their needs (8). One-size does not fit all when it comes to good nutritional care. People’s dietary preferences are highly individual due to religious, cultural and ethical factors. Additionally, nutritional requirements may differ according to medical need. Food provisions in care homes must be able to meet an individual’s needs. Having a discussion with care home residents and/or their family, friends or carers to obtain further information about food preferences can be useful when delivering person-centred nutritional care. Menus should provide variety and choice, with systems in place to gather the views about food and drink from their residents, families and friends. Every mealtime matters, and individuals should receive appropriate support and assistance to ensure optimal nutritional intake. Organisational approaches such as communal dining and protected mealtimes are useful strategies. Oral nutrition support should be considered in patients who have inadequate oral intake of food and fluids to meet their nutritional requirements. This may include a food first approach (i.e. food fortification, extra snacks, nourishing drinks, energy-dense meals), oral nutritional supplements (ONS) and dietary counselling. ONS products are used for medical purposes in patients who meet the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) prescribing criteria, have been screened using a validated malnutrition screening tool and have been deemed to be at nutritional risk. ONS should always be given under medical supervision and must be used appropriately and in accordance with local prescribing guidelines. Local prescribing guidelines for the treat-
ment of disease-related malnutrition often recommend powdered ONS products such as AYMES Shake (aymes.com/products/aymes-shake) as first-line interventions in care home settings. AYMES Shake is a nutritionally balanced, milkshake-style supplement, providing 383kcal and 19g protein per serving when mixed with 200ml whole milk. AYMES Shake is one of the best value powdered ONS products available (9), and is therefore a sensible choice for cost savings.
ABOUT AYMES INTERNATIONAL: AYMES International manufactures delicious, costeffective oral nutrition supplements for the dietary management of patients with, or at risk of diseaserelated malnutrition. For more information, visit https://aymes.com/ or call +44 (0) 845 680 5496.
References: 1.
2.
3. 4.
5.
6.
7.
8. 9.
Malnutrition Task Force. Malnutrition in the UK Factsheet. Available at: http://www.malnutritiontaskforce.org.uk/resources/malnutritionfactsheet/ BAPEN Nutritional Screening Surveys in Hospitals in the UK, 2007 2011 (2014). Available at: https://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/nsw/bapen-nsw-uk.pdf Gandy, J. Manual of Dietetic Practice, chp. 6.2 Malnutrition (2014). Sharma, Y. et al. (2017). ‘Malnutrition and Its Association with Readmission and Death within 7 Days and 8-180 Days Postdischarge in Older Patients: A Prospective Observational Study’. BMJ Open. Correia, M. et.al. (2003). ‘The Impact of Malnutrition on Morbidity, Mortality, Length of Hospital Stay and Costs Evaluated through a Multivariate Model Analysis’. Clinical Nutrition. Baldwin, C. & Weekes, C. E. (2012) Dietary counselling with or without oral nutritional supplements in the management of malnourished patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. [Online]. NICE, ‘Nutrition support in adults: NICE guideline CG32’, 2006. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32/chapter/1Guidance NHS Health Education England. Person-Centred Care. Available at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/person-centred-care MIMS April 2020
Cognition Health - Tips for Caring for COVID-19 and Keeping the Immune System Strong By Dr Emer MacSweeney, Consultant Neuroradiologist and Medical Director at Re:Cognition Health
Re:Cognition Health is a pioneering brain and mind clinic specialising in diagnosing and treating individuals of all ages, covering conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s, autism and ADHD through to Traumatic Brain Injury and Parkinson’s. Recognised as a world-leading centre for international clinical trials, the team are dedicated to paving a way for a future without Alzheimer’s disease.
TIPS FOR CARING FOR A LOVED ONE THROUGH LOCKDOWN: Living in “lockdown” is an extremely difficult time for when caring for a loved one with a dementia diagnosis. Normal activities such as meeting friends and family, attending support groups or going to the shops are not possible and this can create huge confusion and distress for them. The increased handwashing and hygiene measures plus the social distancing can also be very disconcerting. As humans, we all love and work very well within a routine so it’s important to stick to this as much as possible throughout the lockdown period. Adapting the normal schedule for the here and now are a great way to continue routine and provide a sense of normality. For example, if Wednesday is a day where you normally meet with friends, perhaps arrange a virtual appointment through Facetime or Skype over a cup of tea – we are so fortunate to have lots of technology available to us and keeping routines and staying in touch with people could not be easier!
ACTIVITIES IN THE HOME: It’s important to keep exercising within the home as well as taking advantage of the one hour a day exercise allowance for a walk outside. In conjunction with healthy lifestyle habits such as diet, sleep and managing stress, exercise can help boost the immune system. Dancing is an ideal way to keep active. It’s fun, provides cardiovascular fitness and also provides a workout for the brain as you remember new moves and routines. Puzzles, crosswords, quizzes and memory games are a great way to keep the memory active – there are so many free resources available online to keep the mind and memory active and engaged. Music has very powerful benefits for individuals living with dementia, it has the ability to raise the mood, calm behaviour, evoke happy memories and provide entertainment and enjoyment for everybody. There are many concerts that can be watched online spanning all musical genres which can provide an immersive experience and there are
also playlists that can be downloaded from bygone eras which are great for reminiscing. Simply listening (and singing along) to the radio or your personal music collection is a wonderful way to spend the time. When caring for somebody living with dementia, it is vital that you remain strong and healthy so you can deliver the best care, whilst also ensuring they have a high functioning immune system to protect them against any debilitating illness
DIET: A fresh Mediterranean diet filled with fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, seeds, grains and pulses is instrumental in supporting a healthy immune system. Below are some of the best immune boosting foods to support a healthy mind and body and remember you can also use frozen produce which still retains nutritional quality. Batch cooking and freezing is an excellent time-saving and cost-effective way to prepare meals. Vitamin C helps build up your immune system and increases the number of white blood cells which help fight infections, attacking bacteria, germs and viruses. Vitamin C is found in oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, berries, mango, pineapple and papaya. Red Peppers: Did you know that red peppers have the highest concentration of vitamin C? (twice as much as citrus fruit) They are also a rich source of beta carotene, helping to also keep your eyes and skin healthy. Broccoli: this delicious superfood is supercharged with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre and is thought to boost our immune system as we age. Other cruciferous vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and bok choi also help fight free radicals in the body and eliminate toxins and carcinogens. Spinach: Packed with beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin A and antioxidants, spinach is healthiest when eaten lightly cooked (where it releases its vitamin A content) or raw so it retains its nutrients. Almonds: Rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and healthy fats, almonds are delicious immune boosting nuts. A half cup serving will provide the recommended daily requirement of vitamin E. Chicken: Chicken soup is often a feel-good recovery remedy for colds but it can also help protect you against getting one. It is rich in vitamin B-6 which plays an important role in the body with chemical reaction and the formation of new red blood cells. Shellfish: Rich in zinc, shellfish such as lobster, crabs, mussels and clams helps boost the immune function. Sunflower seeds: Rich in vitamin E, phosphorous and magnesium which help regulate and support a healthy immune system.
Dark leafy greens: An excellent source of fibre, folate, calcium, iron and vitamins C & K, dark leafy greens help regulate the immune system, helping the cells in the gut to function effectively. Tea: Green and black tea are renowned for their immune-boosting properties and are also thought to help protect the body against certain harmful bacteria– put the kettle on! Spices: Add Garlic, ginger, turmeric and curcumin to your cooking for extra anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting benefits. Salmon: Filled with an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower blood pressure and inflammation, salmon also contains B vitamins and potassium which also help improve cognitive function. Yoghurt: live and active cultures in yoghurt help to stimulate the immune system to help fight disease.
EXERCISE: In conjunction with healthy lifestyle habits such as diet, sleep and managing stress, exercise can help boost the immune system. Exercise helps promote sleep and reduces stress hormones, which can weaken the immune system, and releases endorphins (feel-good hormones). It improves metabolic health, has anti-inflammatory influence on the body and helps delay the onset of ageing. Exercise helps more oxygen to be absorbed into the blood, helping to flush away bad bacteria and improves circulation. Dancing is an ideal way to keep active, not only does it help with cardio fitness but learning new routines is also a great workout for the brain as you remember new moves and routines. Sleep: Sleep is an essential function for the body helping to maintain a healthy brain function, physical health, executive function and emotional wellbeing. It also helps promote a healthy immune system. Cytokines, a type of protein which is made and released during sleep, targets infection and inflammation in the body and creates an immune response. Without sufficient sleep, fewer cytokines are produced which results in weaker immunity. 7-9hours are recommended each night, and naps are also a great way to top up on the slumber (particularly good for people living with dementia who may not be sleeping well through the night) Hydration: Drink plenty of water to help stave off infection and support your body to naturally eliminate bacteria and toxins. The mucous membrane, which covers the surface of the organs in the body, is your first line of defence against infection and if this dries out bacteria and viruses can get through more easily. Ensure your water is room temperature and try to sip water every 30 minutes for the best protection.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 37
CATERING FOR CARE Allergen Labelling: How to Meet Natasha’s Law the label design and can upload data to the printer. Label Direct for SOLO uses a “What you see is what you get” interface so designing labels is as easy as it can be. Unlike our competitors, Positive ID Labels will set up your label printer and software free of charge. We also set up the labels you will print and train you how to use your system as part of the price. The real benefit that we stand out on is that if you buy your labels from us we will alsways provide free on-going support for you at no extra cost!
Natasha’s Law was enshrined in the UK on 5th September 2019. The crux of the law is that all prepacked food will have to be individually labelled with ingredients highlighting all allergens. Nutridata LiteTM Data Management Software The law modifies the Food Infomation Regulations Nutridata Lite is a variant of our successful Nutridata (2014) with the statutory Instrument, Food Information Pro software. This Lite version (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019. This allows you to add ingredients to becomes a legal obligation in October 2021 but we your pantry. These pantry ingrediwant to help businesses get ready before then to help ents are used to make recipes protect your residents. which in turn are assigned to the The tragic events of 2016 leading to this law coming products you supply. into force were reported nationally. Natasha EdnanAll the panry ingredients are Laperouse was a 15 year old girl when she suffered an by the software and processed anaphylactic allergic reaction to poppy seeds in a and any allergens are identified baguette. She bought the baguette from a Pret A highlighted in UPPERCASE. Manger at Heathrow airport before boarding a flight to When you create a recipe, the France. The product was prepared on site for sale on software compiles the ingredi site and as such required no labelling under UK or EU ents in order for you with the law. allergens all highlighted. You then assign you recipe to Natasha’s Law changes that. a product. you At this stage, can also add barcodes, Positive ID Labels can offer you a range of solutions prices, use by or best before dates along with other to ensure you fulfil Natasha’s law: to be printed comments on your final Label. Once you • Printer – desktop, industrial or high speed industrial have completed the process, you can download a printers with printer software for your labels Microsoft Excel file (xlsx format) with all the ingredient • Labels – printed to order with your brand design to any data you need. specification you want Nutridata LiteTM is a web based software application. • Data Management Software – Nutridata LiteTM to You can use the software on any web browser on any ensure the data on your labels is accurate and legally operating system or on a tablet or phone. compliant Nutridata ProTM is a superior version of this software • Standalone Keyboard – allows you to run your printer that also allows nutrition data to be added to your without a computer labels, based on the pantry ingredients and recipes you • Printers & Labelling Software create. All of our printers are supplied with the appropriate We supply everything including the set up of your TM Label Direct for SOLO software. system. Rudimentary computer skills will allow you to This is a labelling software solution that allows you print any number of product labels with the correct to design the layout and content of your labels. The ingredient listing and all the allergens highlighted to software solution is licensed to the printer and can be protect your residents. installed on as many computers as you like. Visit www.pid-labelling.co.uk or see the advert Once you have completed design of your label, you below for further details.
ture. I find that this range has made a huge difference to my clients’ lives, they now enjoy their meals and I have found that many now look forward to meal times again. The meals are quick and easy to regenerate and they maintain appearance, texture and taste once cooked through. “So, if you have clients who have to be on a texture modified diet following a swallowing assessment by a speech and language therapist, due to perhaps a stroke, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease etc then I would highly recommend the Simply Puree range for them. “The range has now been extended to include reduced portion sized meals for those with small appetites, as well as snack pots for those clients needing to up their nutritional daily intake. All options are of the same high quality and are fully IDDSI compliant – who wouldn’t enjoy an afternoon snack of level 4 tea, with a chocolate bourbon biscuit!” Not only are we continually expanding our adult range, we’ve listened to our customers and have which now launched our Simply Puree Junior range also fully complies with paediatric IDDSI guidelines so now we can provide for all age groups. go to For more information bidfood.co.uk/simplypuree
Please mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
Simply Puree
Launched in 2019, Simply Puree is a range of IDDSI compliant, nutritionally balanced, texture modified meals from levels 3-6, catering for people with dysphagia. . All made to the highest safety standards with a wide selection of choices, this range ensures you can prepare each meal safely giving you total reassurance, every time. Each dish also has consistency in nutritional content, allowing All you to easily control calorie intake. meals come frozen and ready to serve, providing quick and convenient meals that simply need to be placed in the microwave or oven. But that’s not all, made to home-cooked standards these authentic making and tasty meals are packed full of flavour, them perfect for any meal occasion throughout all day parts! We work closely with a number of speech and so that we can ensure that we language therapists and innovate to the changing wants can adapt and needs of patients or residents with dysphagia. MRCSLT HCPC, Speech and Clare Park MSc Therapist says: “As Language a clinician specialising in swallowing, I have been using the Simply Puree range for many years. I would definitely recommend this texture modified meal range not only for the taste but also for the appearance, quality and tex-
NUTILIS CLEAR • Transparent results • Simple to use • Amylase resistant1 • Does not continue to thicken2 • IDDSI compliant
The Dysphagia Act
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AR NUTILIS CLE K RECIPE BOO
URABLE SAFE, PLEAS US FOOD AND NUTRITIO LIVING FOR PEOPLE AGIA WITH DYSPH
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 39
CATERING FOR CARE Are You In Need Of Dysphagia Training*? *This training is intended for healthcare professionals only.
social care staff caring for people living with dysphagia. It takes 60 minutes in total to complete, however you can complete one section at a time. How can this training help you? • Easy & convenient online solution to dysphagia training • Visibility to track progress in your care home • Raise the quality standard of dysphagia care in a consistent way
Did you know that between 50-75% of nursing home residents suffer from dysphagia1? Nutricia has a training solution for you, a FREE e-learning covering the fundamentals of dysphagia management using Nutilis Clear. The training is divided into 4 sections and has been specially designed for busy health and
The quality standards aim is for all new health and social care staff members caring for patients with Dysphagia to complete the modules as part of their induction programme. Existing health and social care staff members should also complete the learning to support their continuing professional development. There is a certificate that can be downloaded
once the training has been successfully completed. Use the camera on your phone to scan the QR code to access the e-learning and get started! For any questions contact your local Nutricia sales representative or our Resource Centre at resourcecentre@nutricia.com. Nutilis Clear is a Food for Special Medical Purposes for the dietary management of dysphagia and must be used under medical supervision. Reference: 1. O’Loughlin G, Shanley C. Swallowing problems in the nursing home: a novel training response. Dysphagia 1998; 13, 172-183.( https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/dysphagia)
Infection Control Thermometers UK thermometer manufacturer, TME, explains the important role being played by food thermometers during the coronavirus. Infection control has never been more of a priority for our hospitals, care and nursing homes keeping vulnerable people safe from the coronavirus. This critical task is obviously their number one concern. Careful food safety measures including the hygienic preparation and delivery of meals also continues to play an important supportive role. Tom Sensier, MD: “TME Thermometers is staying operational throughout the crisis to continue manufacturing and supplying food thermometers for those who need them, and our staff are ready with help and advice.”
venting bacterial cross-contamination combines waterproof thermometers, colour coded dishwasher-safe probes and colour coded stainless steel storage for an ultra-hygienic food safety solution. The CA2005-P thermometer with dishwasher-safe probe can be bought for as little as £65 and the CA2005-PK kit with 6 anti-cross contamination colour-coded needle probes is now just £125. TME offers a full range of temperature test and measurement equipment for food manufacturing, catering and legionella risk prevention at its online shopping site www.tmethermometers.com or by contacting 01903 700651 sales@tmethermometers.com
TME’S ULTRA HYGIENIC FOOD RANGE
TME – When temperature matters
TME’s CA2005 thermometer range for pre-
Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.
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With care plans running up to 100 printed pages, providers are increasingly turning to kitchen software to support their CQC nutrition and allergen responsibilities. With Caternet, care organisations build recipes and menus using live data from their suppliers. Going paperless means nutrition per serving is automatically calculated, with allergenic ingredients tracked and cross-referenced - transforming Regulation 14 risk management. Creating recipe cards using a bank of meal preparation steps saves a digital record, accessible to service users and care professionals alike. Organisations that share menus to apps or websites can build trust with families, removing dietary concerns around religious and cultural backgrounds. This saves time spent manually updating meal plans as menus change. Going paperless extends to purchasing with live prices and enforcing approved buying lists. Many organisations add in their HACCP food safety analysis guidelines to use as kitchen training packs. Included are forecasting tools that promote compliance across stock management too. Caternet is developed with operators, buyers and chefs, who have all experienced similar operational and financial challenges. It is specifically designed to help the sector remove manual processes. You will support nutrition and allergen compliance, buy more competitively, enjoy paperless financial administration, and reduce overheads. Start saving time and money today. 023 8212 4099 www.caternet.co.uk sales@caternet.co.uk
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 41
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Covid19: Accelerating the Use of Digital Technology in Healthcare or Excel so why do many operators still use this method when invoicing? How many industries with shift workers rely on manual payroll processing outside the care sector? Repeatable systems should harness the power of technology to cut back the massive waste of man hours spent processing and checking manual tasks. In order to work out the best technology for your needs, you should assess your current systems against your requirements. Think about what inefficiencies exist in your homes and how you could: 1. Capture relevant information, such as resident/staff details, in a simple, time-efficient way. 2. Manage your documents to ensure that information is dealt with logically. 3. Avoid duplication at all costs; completing handwritten timesheets which then need to be manually inputted into payroll is a massive, unnecessary waste of time & manpower. 4. Address technological obstacles. The perception that your staffs are not IT literate is out of date; most people own a smart phone so yes they are! See www.fusion4care.com for details.
As this crisis impacts every part of the health sector, significant vulnerabilities are being exposed. The NHS ‘digital revolution’ has long been touted as the key to futureproofing both Social Care and our health service in the face of increasing patient demand. That demand has now reached unprecedented levels and seems unlikely ever to revert to previous trends; against that background; there is an urgent requirement to move quickly to realise the opportunities which are available from digital technology. It is no longer an interesting speculation; it is an essential requirement to support staff and save lives. (Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell)
USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY Poor efficiencies in many areas of the sector are caused by the lack of investment in technology. Technology will improve the way your staff carry out tasks by either speed up existing processes or allowing new, more flexible and accurate ways of carrying out a job or process which will in turn enables live real time management information. Would you expect to check out of a hotel with an invoice and extras raised in Word
Evolving Technologies Technology moves forward at an ever increasing pace and forward thinking Care Homes are ensuring they are keeping in step with the tech. Quieter and calmer care homes are on the horizon and embracing various technologies can help with getting there. Smart phone and tablet technologies are a firm fixture in our everyday lives and these are translating into the Care Home landscape. Care Management plans can be developed and improved by collating data from these technologies in extraordinarily fast ways – leaving more time for staff to focus on their jobs and not painful administerial tasks. The information managers receive ensures that they can make informed decisions and keep accurate and safe records without impacting on time spent caring for residents. Real time alerts can be delivered to mobile tech
– resulting in faster response times. Meaning peace of mind for both staff and residents. It’s not just the mobile tech revolution that is having an impact on Care Homes. New developments in the field of Acoustic Monitoring are having dramatic impacts on staff and residents. Acoustic Monitoring has proven capabilities of improving the nights sleep a resident may have and freeing up time for night staff. A recent investigation into the benefits of Acoustic Monitoring has shown that the technology can result in up to 60% fewer nightly disturbances for residents and up to a 70% reduction in nightly visits by care staff. This translates to freeing up to 40% of staffs time during the night – leaving them to carry out other duties. This, in turn, can result in staff and residents having better, calmer days. The technology can be used to determine patterns in night time activity and, when coupled with the power of Care Management Apps, provide a better understanding of a residents needs and, therefore, enable more dynamic and relevant care plans to be deployed. For more information about solutions for care, see Courtney Thorne's advert on page 11 or visit www.c-t.co.uk
A Longer and Healthier Life Is A Goal to Be Pursued The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock addressed the AllParty Parliamentary Group to present its longer, healthier lives strategy. A positive approach to a subject that is often seen as a problem, instead of something to celebrate. Matt Hancock: “Longer life is not a problem to be tackled but a goal to be pursued. And not just for government, or even the NHS, but for each and every one of us.” A goal imminently linked to technology. Growing older every year is an accomplishment we should be very proud of. Not only because it’s the outcome of a continuously improving care system, but also because it shows that we’re all taking our health seriously. It’s no longer a side dish: it’s the main dish. Matt Hancock tapped into the momentum and presented the longer, healthier lives strategy: “There’s a huge prize ahead if we get this right: 5 more years of healthy life. More enjoyment out of life. More time for the things that matter most in life.” It’s an ambitious goal, but definitely one worth fighting for and, with the right knowledge, people and attention, a goal that can be achieved. There are three things that are key to making this goal a reality: people and place, lifestyle and technology. Technology is an ongoing and upcoming important conversation that Adaptive IT Solutions is humbled and proud to be a part of. One of our most special clients WCS Care and our CLB Acoustic Monitoring were referenced in Matt Hancocks’ speech: “Adult social care is increasingly a site of healthtech
innovation. Internet-linked devices can help people live at home for longer and stay connected to family and friends. They can also help providers deliver smarter, more responsive care. For example, there’s a provider up in Warwickshire – WCS Care – doing great things with acoustic monitoring.” Our CLB Acoustic Monitoring lets the care staff hear crying, moving around and breathing difficulty, just to name a few. When a sound like that is detected, it sends an alert to the night managers’ monitoring station. An important solution with big impact: it means care staff doesn’t have to knock on the residents’ doors regularly to check and see if they’re alright, ensuring the residents can have a good night sleep. This alone reduced the amount of night-time falls at WCS Care with 34%. It also provided WCS Care with another interesting insight, Matt Hancock: “…when they analyzed the data, they found that lots of people were staying awake late into the night. This led the care home to set up a ‘wide awake club’ to support night owls and get them back into a healthier rhythm.”
ABOUT ADAPTIVE IT SOLUTIONS
Formed in 2002, awardwinning Adaptive IT Solutions provides professional IT services throughout all commercial markets, predominantly within the Healthcare, Dentistry, Education and Retail sectors. Adaptive IT Solutions offers a vast portfolio of IT services including structured cabling, audio visual, hardware deployment and specialist digital clinical equipment. For more information about Adaptive IT Solutions: www.adaptiveit.co.uk. For more information about CLB Acoustic Monitoring: global.clb.nl.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 43
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE How Compliance Management Systems Are Creating Outstanding Person-Centred Risk Assessments Tools For those assessing risk in care homes, the guidelines set out in Regulation 12 by The Care Quality Commission are clear. Risk assessments must be “completed and reviewed regularly by people with the qualifications, competence and experience to do so”, while they “should also include plans for managing risk”.
The reality is, however, that effectively assessing risk in a busy care home is no easy task. There are a myriad of risks to consider. While the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought infection prevention risk assessments into sharp relief, health and safety hazards are everywhere. Registered Managers must constantly assess the dangers posed by windows, bedrails and legionella, scalding and slips and trips. There are fire risks, electrical equipment hazards and ergonomic risks to consider too.
BALANCING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS AGAINST RISK A CHALLENGE
But assessing risk in adult social care is not a binary exercise. Assessors must always weigh up a person’s individual freedoms and quality of life when analysing risk. The challenge is that service users often have complex needs and so their daily routines might have to be constantly assessed. Recruitment and retention presents another major challenge, especially if a service’s risk assessments tools are paper-based. If a skilled risk assessor leaves a service,
for instance, will the new assessor understand the systems and processes embedded by their predecessor? If not the risk to a home and those who live there are increased. So in a busy home where staff and service user turnover is high, how do you ensure that risks are always identified, assessed, recorded and reviewed? The answer lies in the QCS Risk Assessment Module: new technology created by Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), which helps risk assessors to proactively and continuously manage hazards in real-time.
INTUITIVE DASHBOARD
Using an easy-to-read dashboard, which lists all risk plans that have been created, the control measures and the action plan, puts an assessor in control. Risks that have been finalised are labelled ‘complete.’ If risks are timesensitive, the system will notify an assessor when they need to be reviewed. Managers can then instantly re-assess, assign or re-assign any risk assessments that need to be updated. And, if in the worst case scenario, an assessment is overdue, the system will issue a red flag. But what really separates this system from other risk management tools is content. Anyone subscribing to QCS has access to over 350-customised policies and procedures and QCS is integrating these protocols, including its Coronavirus policies and procedures into its risk management system. This saves time, and allows professional risk assessors to build on their existing risk plans, add a greater number of control measures and, in doing so, create even more robust strategies.
ENHANCED VISIBILITY ENSURES BETTER RISK OUTCOMES
Furthermore, unlike last-generation legacy technology, the system provides multi-dimensional visibility. A click of a button takes all the factors and
WristPIT from Pinpoint
unaware that a patient had had a fall for quite some time. Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call requesting help and informs staff exactly where the transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist. patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. (WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new a fixed call-point. WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology into existing Pinpoint Systems. (usually worn by staff for personal A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ safety) has, for the first time, been with good battery level. When the battery requires designed around patient use. The changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is WristPIT can withstand showering and changed and the device has been retested. brief submersion in water and also In addition to being water-resistant, the incorporates antimicrobial product WristPIT has been designed to withstand protection, reducing the ability for bacharsh environments and user tampering, teria to grow. meaning suitability for facilities where According to figures published by the service users may be at risk of selfNational Reporting and Learning System, harm. around 250,000 incidents where patients For more information: required assistance in hospital were reported in www.pinpointlimited.com 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained
dimensions into account and provides insight into potential risk outcomes. Therefore, whenever an action has been completed, it will instantly and intuitively assess the level of risk and then categorises each individual risk as low, medium or high. Enhanced visibility can also help when assessing risks to individual service users. With many elderly service users living with Dementia or some form of memory loss, risk assessments need to be completed frequently. For those requiring individually tailored support, that can often mean scheduling risk assessments many times a week. To ensure that the risks are constantly being assessed and managed, QCS has created a ‘timeline’ view, which showcases all of the risks, the control measures and the action plan on one screen. This not only gives a manager a ‘helicopter view’ of the most complex risks in a home, but also enables them to adjust risk assessment strategies to ensure the best outcomes for service users.
TIMELINE THAT IDENTIFIES TRENDS Finally, the timeline, which gives assessors both a ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ overview can help them to spot trends much more easily, and, in doing so, mitigate future risks. But, such technology also provides teams with the ability to gauge how well or how poorly a service is performing in a raft of different areas. If used correctly, in a CQC inspector’s eyes, using an enhanced visibility hub to evaluate strengths and weakness is a powerful way to evidence that a service is a Well-led organisation. To find out more about Risk assessments and to try the new module for free, please visit qcs.co.uk/risk-assessment-module/
CARE VISION – Outstanding Care is at the Heart of Everything We Do At Carevision, outstanding care truly is at the heart of everything they do. They have combined over 40 years of hands on experience running care homes and working with some of the smartest mind in tech, they have created Care Vision - An all-in-one, cloud-based system that incorporates all your care and admin in to one easy to use system. Carers can compile resident notes, health observations and EMAR. Care home managers can manage rotas, accounts, HR and housekeeping tasks and log visitors using the digital visitor book. Residents can use the system to make personal choices on meals and activities and use the app to keep in touch with family and friends. Rishi Jawaheer, director at Care Vision says “The 100+ care homes that use our
PINPOINT WRISTPIT The WristPIT is a wrist worn Personal Infrared Transmitter designed exclusively for patient use. The latest call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. It is also backward compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing Pinpoint Systems.
DID YOU KNOW? Biomaster Technology is incorporated into all surface areas of the product during manufacture, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria 24/7 for the lifetime of the product.
www.pinpointlimited.com
system have seen its benefits – They are saving 2-4 hours of staff hours per resident, per week and they are achieving outstanding CQC results. Carers love it, residents and relatives love it, and care home managers can’t remember how challenging managing a care home was before it.” Of course, taking on a whole new system can seem daunting, that’s why Care Vision offer minimal investment, all round support and flexible hardware options. They don’t feel the need for long-term contracts, Rishi says “We have total confidence, once you use Care Vision, you will love it as much as we do.” The Care Vision team would love to talk to you about what the system can do for you. Contact at info@care-vision.co.uk or call 0208 768 9809.
PAGE 44 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE Medpage Limited Medpage Limited have manufactured quality affordable caring technologies for over 30 years. We specialise in providing bespoke design and development solutions for patient care. We were challenged recently to develop an alarm solution for a wandering resident in a care home on a limited budget. The alarm was to operate independently from the house nurse call system and required to send notifica-
tions to the carer mobile phone with time and dated incident reports. This we did with 100% success. The alarm is now a mainstream product sold nationally. Reassurance and confidence in a supplier is paramount to a successful business relationship, especially where healthcare is concerned. You can rest assured that when you buy and use our products you are connected with a company with backbone and a passion to offer care technologies that deliver performance and quality. Visit www.medpage-ltd.com or see the advert on page 2.
Workforce Scheduling Solutions Workforce Scheduling Solutions deliver Electronic Time & Attendance systems worldwide, using the latest Face Recognition technology. Why should care homes move from paper to electronic time sheets
The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money.
How is time and money saved by doing things electronically?
Collecting payroll information from paper timesheets can be slow, prone
to errors, and very labour intensive. Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors. Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost".
There are many systems on the market - Why facial recognition is important and how it works
Some systems use tokens, which can be lost or left at home, requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure. Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways
Edison Telecom
We here at Edison Telecom Ltd have been providing specialist solutions to your call system requirements tailor-made to each customers needs for over 25 years, says director Bob Johnson. Is your current Nurse Call “legacy”, obsolete, so full of software bugs or commercially not viable for your current supplier/maintainer to maintain? We may have just the part and expertise that you are looking for to give your nurse call a further extension to
to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage using touch screen technology and web cams. Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually. It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words. Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint.
How is data protected?
With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater with paper. Visit www.wfsoftware.co.uk
life, adds Bob, “Edison will treat your nurse call with the same compassion that you give to those in your care. There will come a time when your equipment is beyond repair but Edison are experts in extending the life of obsolete systems.” www.edisontelecom.co.uk
NURSE CALL
IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS
EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)
have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.
Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.
www.edisontelecom.co.uk
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 45
TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE Is This The ‘New Normal’? With the COVID-19 crisis having such an impact on everyone’s life, is working remotely set to become the new normal? Care services are facing a massive challenge with workers, managers and owners having to isolate. GPs and other health professionals are also trying to avoid unnecessary contact. Electronic care management systems have helped services meet regulatory guidelines. However this crisis has led to many more benefits becoming apparent. With CAREis, our customers are giving remote access to GPs to review and leave notes and recommendations. Another service has their therapists working from
home and carrying out consultations remotely using CAREis to review and record their sessions. Managers using the system have reported that they find it reassuring to be able to remotely track and update care provision, audits and action plans. And families have been able to see what has been happening for their loved ones by logging in to the daily diary. When choosing a new care management system it is important to check that it does everything that you need it to. Does it ensure your care and support is delivered as planned? Does it flag when things are missed? Does it allow remote access to you, your staff and selected professionals? Does it allow you to complete audits and inspection reports? Does it allow you to track and update action plans? Can you plan and track training, and carry out supervisions and appraisals on the system? CAREis does all this and more. CAREis is easy to install and you can be up and running in a couple of weeks with or new easy start system. We can demo, install and support remotely. If you would like more information, please email us at info@careis.net or call us on 01424 400060
Mainteno Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Whether it’s managing planned maintenance or dealing with fault repairs, Mainteno simplifies the day-to-day maintenance of almost any organisation. Mainteno also seamlessly incorporates asset management and tracking. Mainteno streamlines every aspect of the maintenance management process, saving your organisation time and money. Usability made affordable Mainteno was designed with practicality in mind. The interface is so intuitive that basic operation can be learned in minutes, and you can be a power user in one afternoon. Elegant usability usually means a hefty price tag. However, our pricing structure means that for small
organisations, Mainteno can cost as little as two cups of coffee a month. No set-up fees, no lengthy contracts and a free trial, all mean that the system starts paying for itself straight away. Dr Asif Raja, Bsc MBBS Summercare Managing Director says “Facing significant challenges of ever increasing quality and compliance demands upon time and resources as well considerable economic pressures, Summercare, an award winning provider of residential care and housing related support, sought to upgrade their systems for managing the property and environmental aspects of its service delivery. After an extensive period of investigation and research Mainteno was selected as the platform of choice for the entire organization based on its ease of use, very short-term contract, quick set up and ongoing support.” Visit www.mainteno.com, Tel: 020 8798 3713 or email sales@redro.co.uk
Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Simple to use, easy to maintain and very affordable.
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Reporting tasks and faults Asset tracking and value reporting Invoice management Add multiple images and documents Detailed analytical reporting Dashboard reporting showing live status of all tasks Management of all planned maintenance schedules Compliance testing and inspections Traffic light detailed reporting for audit purpose Audit reporting Direct allocation of work to relevant parties Can be used for help desk Supplier performance management and reporting Warranty and insurance management Can be used on any web enabled device Link tasks to calendar Create check lists for compliance purposes Contractor Quotes and Invoice Management Contractor Login upload function
www.mainteno.com 020 8798 3713 sales@redro.co.uk
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PAGE 46 | THE CARER | SPRING 2020
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Ultimate Comfort For Extra-Wide Swollen Feet Do you, or a loved one, struggle to find shoes or slipmaterials, expert shoemaking and advanced foot compers to fit? Cosyfeet, the specialists in extra roomy fort technology. It’s also why they’re recommended by footwear, can help. Wider and deeper than anything on over 11,000 healthcare professionals. the high street, their British designed footwear is expertly The beauty of their footwear is in its simplicity. They crafted to fit and flatter extra wide and swollen feet. offer a roomy, one width fitting which can be adjusted to Their new spring collection includes a fabulous range fit a range of swelling, so you don’t have to worry about of fabric footwear in an array of exciting patterns and complicated foot measurements. prints. Enjoy spot on style with their lovely polka dot Lots of thought goes into Cosyfeet’s designs, includprint or explore their collection of animal prints including ing minimal seams, easy openings and removable stylish zebra, fashionable snake and on-trend leopard. footbeds so you can even wear your own orthotic. Soft yet supportive, these Thanks to innovations such as comfy styles are perfect for their ‘Hidden Depth’ design, relaxing at home. You’ll also Cosyfeet fits swollen feet with STYLES FOR find a great choice of cottonease but still looks stylish and MEN & rich slippers which are ideal for streamlined. WOMEN the warmer months or if you Cosyfeet offer VAT exemption STYLES SHOWN: Koryl, Katie, suffer with hot feet. if you have a chronic medical Kama Cosyfeet’s ethos is simple. condition and a money-back They believe that swollen feet guarantee if their footwear doesshould have the most comfortn’t work for you. able, stylish footwear possible. For more information visit That’s why they combine the cosyfeet.com or call Cosyfeet on VISIT cosyfeet.com latest trends with premium 01458 447275.
Ad-Memoire - A New Digital Reminiscence Activity Resource Featuring Vintage TV Ads A Perfect App For Use In Care Organisations
E
O
CareZips Dignity Trousers ™
CareZips™ are adaptive dignity trousers that preserve the privacy of people receiving care during diaper changes. Fitted with unique 3-zip fastening system, the CareZips™ make changing of incontinence diapers more dignified and comfortable for the patients and easier and faster for the carers. CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee up to the crotch and down to the knee again on the inside of the other leg. This allows total opening of the trousers at the crotch for diaper changes. The
3-zip system facilitates fast and easy access to the abdomen and crotch without having to undress the patient or pull trousers down. CareZips™ are suitable for men and women. They are available in 7 sizes for perfect fit. CareZips™ are soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch and give for extra comfort. Practical, washable and non-iron, the CareZips™ trousers are the best choice for daily use. When worn over soft hip protectors, such as HipSaver QuickChange or OpenBottom, the CareZips™ contribute to prevention of fall-related hip fractures. Contact Win Health Medical Ltd 01835 864866 - www.win-health.com or see the advert on page 7.
C & S Seating Postural Management C & S Seating has been providing postural control equipment to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and medical equipment services nationwide since 1991. With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls in a removable and machine washable, waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material. These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying. Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes. C & S Seating is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support (APS) system. Ideal when more control of the abducted lower limb is required (See photo) which has
removable side cushions and middle pommel; this is available in small or large. Our popular range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 vibrant colours provide a softer alternative that fit easily over our standard waterproof rolls. It is recommended you seek professional advice to select the correct product depending on your needs. Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit us at www.cands-seating.co.uk to request or download a brochure, pricelist or order form, request an individualised quotation, speak to an advisor or to place an order. See the advert on page 13.
New Skincare and Incontinence Leaflet
Workwear Experts For Over 100 Years Grahame Gardner has more than 100 years’ experience in clothing a broad spectrum of medical and healthcare professionals. Our knowledge and understanding of uniform demands ensure we remain one the UK’s most trusted and respected suppliers. We combine our extensive expertise with the latest innovations in technology and fabric and design, to offer you the highest quality garments to meet the demanding standards of healthcare professionals… all at exceptional prices! We also provide one of the most flexible embroidery services available from any clothing manufacturer using state-of-theart technologies that enable us to copy virtually any design or logo directly onto your chosen
The Oxford Up from Joerns Healthcare ensures minimal exertion on the part of the caregiver. As with all Oxford products, injury reduction, fall prevention and ergonomic principles were fundamental considerations during the Up’s development phase. Perfect positioning of both the swing-away seat pads and knee support help ensure optimum patient positioning. Adjustable leg positioning and a contoured base allow excellent access for the patient and promotes better posture and ease of use. Contact Joerns Healthcare for more information on 0844 811 1156, send an email to info@joerns.co.uk or visit our website at www.joerns.co.uk. or see the advert on page 23.
uniforms. Whether you’re seeking a classic healthcare dress or tunic, or something from our bold and bright scrubwear range, you can find it with us. As one of the largest workwear providers in the UK, we are proud to be able to offer instant stock availability on 1,000s of workwear garments all in addition to our extensive range of ‘made to order’ items that can be manufactured on demand in a wide range of styles, fabrics and colours. To find out more, or for a no obligation discussion as to how we can help with your workwear requirements, please get in touch on 0116 255 6326 or email Info@grahamegardner.co.uk www.grahamegardner.co.uk
Global Business Finance
Global Business Finance was established over 29 years ago by the firm’s present senior partner, Mark Widdows, and since then has arranged over £1.8bn in loans for healthcare clients. The firm works exclusively in the care sector providing a very personalised service, as the firm knows every client is individual with individual requirements. Mark and his team spend time getting to know each of their clients in order that they can ensure all needs are met and the loan facility tailored to their client’s individual requirements. Global offers national coverage and with the support
of email, fax, regular telephone conversations and face to face meetings the firm are able to put together a professional and comprehensive bank application. The bank managers that Global work with are all specialist healthcare managers who have extensive knowledge within the sector and fully understand the requirements of the clients that Global introduce. With over £1.8bn in completed care home loans you should strongly consider Global Business Finance to represent you for your next loan application. Reader Enquiries - Tel: 01242 227172 Email: enquiries@globalbusinessfinance.com
Lotus Care Technology
this at risk of falls. Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs. They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier. Visit lctuk.com or see the advert on page 17 for details.
The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot. Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for
A new ‘Skincare management in incontinence’ leaflet is available from Thornton & Ross Pharmaceuticals – manufacturers of Zerolon® Barrier Cream. Accredited by the Association for Continence Advice (ACA), the leaflet is designed as a quick guide for all health professionals involved with continence care. Including recommendations from NICE, the leaflet also outlines factors to consider when selecting a barrier cream and advice on helping prevent incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD). Zerolon® Barrier Cream is the latest addition to the Zeroderma emollients and barrier creams range, specially formulated to prevent irritation from bodily fluids including urine, faeces and exudate. To receive a free copy of the ‘Skincare management in incontinence’ leaflet, please email: zeroderma@thorntonross.com or call 01484 842217 or www.zeroderma.co.uk
The Oxford Up, from Joerns Healthcare is a manual stand-aid and seated transfer device, designed to support easy, safe and efficient patient transfers. Suitable for clients who require some assistance when standing but are able to participate in the process, the Up can play a key role in patient rehabilitation and promoting on-going independence. Manufactured from aluminium and weighing just 22.5kg, the Up is among the lightest and most nimble in its category; but don’t be fooled, a maximum safe working load of 200kg (31st) also places it among the elite. High-grade castors offer outstanding manoeuvrability across a range of floor surfaces and
Packed with memorable 1950s & 60s TV and print ads from the History of Advertising Trust archive, and encouraging smiles and laughter all round, Ad-Memoire is designed to stimulate happy memories for residents to share. Geared to make life easier for carers and fun to use, it is ‘ready to go’ available on Apple and Android devices for streaming via laptop, tablet or smartphone for 1-2-1 or share on large screens via HDMI, Chromecast or
Apple TV for group sessions. Ad-Memoire includes: Themed reels of TV ads including Motoring, Toys & Games, Sweets & Chocolates, Cooking, Oxo- Life with Katie, Breakfast, Ice-cream & Lollies and Housekeeping Ads of the Month: Updated each month, specially selected ads offering on-screen conversation prompts and downloadable fun advert and brand based quizzes, activities and colourful print ads. Brand Bingo: Updated each month, Brand Bingo provides a weekly activity based on the popular, classic game but featuring on-screen images of colourful print ads instead of numbers. EMAIL ad-memoire@hatads.org.uk to SIGN UP FOR A FREE MONTH’S TRIAL See information on AD-MEMOIRE at www.hatads.org.uk/hat-services/ad-memoire.aspx
Adaptawear Clothing To Help Healthcare & Care Home Workers: Independent & Assisted Dressing If you are a healthcare or care home worker or Occupational Therapist and struggling to dress your patients during this Covid-19 pandemic; then take a look at our range of Adaptawear adapted clothing for both men and women. Adaptawear comfort clothing has been designed to help independent living and assisted dressing with the aim to make getting dressed easier and less painful for both the wearer and carer. Adaptawear designs and manufacturers a range of ladies and men’s open back and drop front trousers, magnetic & open back shirts and blouses, dresses, skirts, open back nighties and front fastening bras. We also sell a selection of everyday essentials aimed at making people comfortable day and night. Adaptawear clothes are ideal for
arthritis, stroke, Parkinson, incontinence and dementia sufferers as well as people of all ages who struggle with buttons and zips. The easy fit clothes are made from quality and natural fabrics to provide maximum comfort. Adaptawear Offers: • Discreetly Adapted Clothes • Independent & Assisted Dressing • Ladies & Men's Daywear and Nightwear • UK Nationwide and Overseas Deliveries • No Quibble 14 Day Returns • VAT Exemption where relevant • FREE Delivery on orders over £100 For more information on Adaptawear’s Product Range please visit www.adaptawear.com. Carer readers please quote TC141 for 10% discount off your first order.
THE CARER | SPRING 2020 | PAGE 47
PROFESSIONAL AND RECRUITMENT
COVID-19: The Social Care Staffing Crisis Professional comment from the team at Lester Aldridge Solicitors
As COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continues to spread indiscriminately, the NHS and adult social care providers face everincreasing staffing pressures. National provider associations have raised concerns over staffing pressures and the need for care homes to engage new staff urgently. As a result, the rules around DBS checks for care staff have now been relaxed and CQC has issued new interim guidance. The new measures only apply to individuals being recruited, including volunteers, as a consequence of the pandemic and where the following considerations apply: • providers need to start staff urgently; • waiting for a full DBS check could cause undue delay; and • this delay leads to risks to the continuity of service, impacting the safety and wellbeing of people using that service. Individuals being recruited for roles to deliver front line care in health
and social care settings in response to the coronavirus pandemic must still apply for a full enhanced DBS check and relevant barred list(s) check, where they are eligible, but can do so free of charge and the barred list check should be available within 24 hours. Staff appointed under these measures, may start work based on a satisfactory fast-tracked barred list(s) check while waiting for the full DBS check, subject to risk assessment that it is appropriate to do so. This may include considering any other enhanced DBS check undertaken in the last 3 years. If you recruit staff with a fast-tracked barred list check, or an older DBS check from a previous employer, CQC expects you to demonstrate that: • For the purpose of responding to coronavirus it is essential that the person starts work before receipt of a full DBS check; • You have obtained evidence and satisfied yourself of the person’s fitness to carry out their role. The expectation remains that providers satisfy themselves that the person is fit and proper for the role as defined in Regulation 19 of the Regulations. • You have done whatever you can to obtain the above information, but
where this proves impossible, you have used your own judgement to assess the suitability of the person. You should record the reasons for your decision. • You have risk-assessed the situation and put measures in place to mitigate any risks, as far as possible, where you deem that to be helpful and practical. CQC has confirmed that it will take a pragmatic view on the portability of certificates for those being employed in emergency roles. These are truly unprecedented times and CQC acknowledges that there is a need to balance compliance with full recruitment requirements, with the risks to those in your care. Only time will tell what approach CQC may take to individual cases in the future. We suggest that if you cannot fully comply with Regulation 19, or any other Regulations, you keep a written record of the reasons and your assessment of the risk. If you find yourself in a situation where CQC are raising concerns over your actions then you should seek legal advice. Our specialist CQC defence lawyers can assist you if problems arise. Visit www.lesteraldridge.com for further information.
COVID-19 Transitional Skills Programme Receives Overwhelming Response From Hospitality And Tourism Workers Keen To Redeploy Into Care Sector An innovative skills transition programme was launched at the beginning of April 2020, offering hospitality and tourism workers, displaced as a result of Covid-19, the opportunity to gain the critical skills needed to secure employment within the care sector, helping to meet the increased staffing demand and support our society’s most vulnerable. Developed as part of a collaboration between Skills for Health, People 1st International and CareTech, the programme pilot for 500 staff has received an overwhelming response from more than 11,000 willing hospitality workers, with sought after transferable skills, to retrain, preparing them to work safely in a new role and a new sector. John Rogers, Chief Executive, Skills for Health comments: “In these unprecedented times, it’s vital that the UK’s workforce can flex and adapt to meet the critical needs of our people. Now has never been a better time to upskill the hospitality and tourism workforce to support the NHS and wider health and care sectors during these challenging times and the response we have seen is humbling.”
CareTech, a national social care provider, is recruiting for roles in their care homes to support the care and education of some of the most vulnerable adults and children across England, Scotland and Wales. Nasir Quraishi, Group HRD Director, CareTech comments: “Social care is rewarding in many ways. It provides both stable employment and career enhancement for the right candidates. CareTech is reaching out to individuals who share the same values and behaviours that are required to provide person centred care for the people that we support and invite them to come and be part of a great team.” Successful candidates will undertake accredited online learning from Skills for Health, giving them the introductory knowledge to provide compassionate and high quality care and support. They will then continue this learning journey through CareTech’s best in class training programmes - a combination of on-the-job training and e-learning - for a period of twelve weeks resulting in them achieving the industry recognised ‘Care Certificate’ qualification. “The Care Certificate offers individuals an in-depth
Umbrella Care Consultancy
Over 10 years of providing Care Support, Line Management, Management support, Troubleshooting and Quality Assurance. We have experience managing Care home start ups, new services, small, large and
multi site in both Learning disability, mental health and the elderly sector. I have studied Health and Social Care, Leadership and Management at L5 as well as L7 Operational and Strategic Management, completed the AET (Award in Education and Training), Fire Safety and Fire Risk Assessment course at The Fire Service College as well as delivering training and workshops to new and existing employees for a number of years. We have experience in the design and development of Quality assurance systems, Office filing systems, Care Planning systems as well as managing CQC rated Outstanding premises. We are here to help you achieve your goals. 07964614111 info@umbrellacareconsultancy.co.uk www.umbrellacareconsultancy.co.uk
We've got you covered Over 10 years of providing Care Support, Line Management, Management support, Troubleshooting and Quality Assurance.
07964614111 info@umbrellacareconsultancy.co.uk www.umbrellacareconsultancy.co.uk
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introduction to the role, helping to upskill them and support their transition into the sector” added John Rogers. To promote these opportunities to hospitality workers, with the transferable skills that Caretech are looking for, the partnership has teamed up with TotalJobs Group to profile the 500 roles through the hospitality jobs site Caterer.com. Neil Pattison, Director, Caterer.com says: “Caterer.com partnered with TotalJobs to create the Hospitality Redeployment Hub - a free to use service to help the estimated 500,000 hospitality workers displaced by the Covid-19 crisis to find work in other sectors at this critical time. “Hospitality workers have a huge range of skills that are highly transferable to other sectors such as care and we’re pleased to be collaborating with Skills for Health, CareTech and People 1st International on their excellent initiative to help smooth the way for candidates to enter the care sector as swiftly as possible.” Shortlisted applicants will undertake the online learning during the 14-day self-isolation period recom-
mended before entering a care home, after which they will be invited to a final interview before commencing employment. Sandra Kelly, UK Director for People 1st International, who has facilitated the collaboration, uniting the sectors and working with its sister organisation Skills for Health to put together a robust skills package, comments: “In what is a very challenging time for employers and individuals, it’s been heartening to work in partnership with CareTech and Skills for Health to unify our sectors and create valuable employment and progression opportunities for skilled individuals. “Collaboration is critical at this time and we’re delighted to utilise our expertise to connect employers and help individuals affected by the crisis to continue to use their transferable skills and take advantage of new opportunities.”