Tag Archives: CARE

News

Devastating impact of cost-of-living crisis on young carers in Wales

A CAMPAIGN to support the health and wellbeing of young carers is growing in momentum following a “significant increase” in the number supporting a family member for more than 50 hours a week and the devastating impact of the cost-of living-crisis.

Ahead of Young Carers Action Day on Wednesday (March 15), Credu is calling on schools, colleges, health bodies and communities to show more awareness and create opportunities for the thousands of carers across the country looking after a loved one.

Organised by Carers Trust, the Action Day wants people to ‘Make Time for Young Carers’, including the 1,400+ identified in Wrexham, Conwy, and Denbighshire and more than 1,000 in Powys and Ceredigion.

They want to see extended understanding in schools and workplaces, and more access to breaks and financial and mental health support.

Young people have been writing to MPs and Members of the Senedd, asking them to sign up to a five-point pledge committing them to supporting children and young people in a caring role.

And Credu has developed resources with guidance and advice, including a Young Carer’s Identity Card that can be worn on a lanyard, so teachers, staff and members of the public understand their situation.

Young Carers Coordinator Sally Duckers said: “Our focus is on awareness and asking schools, colleges, and people in society to take time to listen to young carers and find out what might help them to not just survive but thrive.

“The ID card is available across the whole of Wales and makes it easier for young carers to show they care in health settings, educational settings, or employment, where having a caring role may impact them.

“Given the effect of the cost-of-living crisis on families across the country, we are encouraging local businesses to pledge their support by offering a discount on entrance costs or goods that could support young carers – all of this could make a huge difference.”

The National Census of 2021 highlighted how young carers and young adult carers in England and Wales were more likely to be living in areas of high deprivation, compared to their peers without caring responsibilities.

There has been a marked rise in the number of young carers and young adult carers who care for at least 20 hours a week and there are still tens of thousands of young people caring for more than 50 hours. This is despite it being nearly 10 years since the introduction of new legal rights for young carers.

In a new Carers Trust Survey around 56% of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis is always or usually hitting them and their family, with a third admitting they always or usually face additional costs because they are a carer.

Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said: “These shocking survey results show young people caring for their loved ones are being hit by a perfect storm of increasing intensity in their caring responsibilities and the spiralling cost of living.

“It cannot be right that children and young adult carers are having to take on the burden of dealing with stretched household finances and caring for ever longer hours, to the detriment of their education and wellbeing.

“A national strategy for unpaid carers must finally be developed after years of delay, while an overhaul of Carer’s Allowance is long overdue. Young people also tell us they urgently need support with mental health and access to breaks. It’s high time we gave them the help they so sorely need.”

For more information, email carers@credu.cymru or sally@credu.cymru or visit https://rb.gy/n1xur7.

Use the hashtag #YoungCarersActionDay to support the campaign.

Appointments, Care, Care Home News, Midlands News, News

Lindsey takes the helm at Woodcroft

A new manager has taken over the reins at a care home run by Shropshire’s leading care company.

Lindsey Arnold, 48, has joined Coverage Care Services as manager at Woodcroft in Market Drayton.

She has brought with her more than 30 years’ experience in the caring profession and is committed to continuing the high standards established at the home.

Lindsey said: “My mindset is very person-centred and I set very high standards when it comes to treating each person as an individual, with dignity and respect at all times.
“I am very much hands-on with the care when needed, and I like to coach and work alongside the staff.”

Lindsey previously worked as a carer, senior carer, nursing assistant and training officer with another Shropshire-based company before taking over as manager.

Coverage Care Chief Executive Debbie Price said: “We are delighted to have appointed Lindsey as our manager at Woodcroft. She brings a wealth of professional experience to the role which will enable us to continue to deliver a high-quality standard of care for our residents in the Market Drayton community.”

After a successful recruitment drive at the home, one of Lindsey’s first big tasks will be to ensure that all new staff get to know the residents at Woodcroft and their families.

Woodcroft has 50 bedrooms and offers small group living as well as respite and short-stay care. It also includes specialist care for people living with dementia.
Coverage Care Services operates 12 homes across Shropshire and employs in the region of 1,000 people.

News

New campaign to champion thousands of young carers in Wales

A NEW campaign will shine a light on the inspiring bravery and resilience of hundreds of young carers in North Wales.

There are up to 1,400 young carers identified in Wrexham, Conwy and Denbighshire alone, so ahead of Carers Rights Day (Thursday November 24) – and in celebration of the strength of the many young people across the country looking after a loved one – WCD (Wrexham, Conwy Denbighshire) Young Carers has launched an appeal encouraging schools, colleges, and communities to provide more support and understanding to the challenges they face every day.

Making Young Carers Count hopes to ignite change in society and raise awareness to the issues affecting families in the region, encouraging more positive action to help them lead happy, healthy lives with an equal opportunity to pursue and thrive in their chosen careers.

Funded by Carers Trust and led by coordinator Sally Duckers, the concept came from the carers themselves and is focused on uniting community organisations, educators and health bodies to explore better ways to ensure support is available.

“I’ve been working with young carers for many years now and over time have seen for myself the pattern of challenges they face,” said Sally.

“That’s where the idea from the project came from, because so many people out there are unaware of these challenges, even in their schools and communities.

“And when they do the child’s situation is met with sympathy, when in fact these are some of the most talented, resilient, and strongest characters you could ever meet.

“Because they are carers there are sometimes obstacles to them having the same chances as others their age, which is why more needs to be done to stop that happening in the future.”

WCD Young Carers offers direct support to more than 850 children through clubs, trips, and one-to-one support, and with the potential of one in five secondary school pupils under the 18 of age helping to care for a family member who has an illness, a disability, or is affected by mental ill-health or substance misuse – according to a BBC survey – the campaign is more vital than ever before.

Recognition and support for young carers is vital as figures revealed by Carers Trust have shown significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level, 42% are ‘always’ or ‘usually’ feeling stressed, and more than half ‘not very often’ or ‘never’ get help from school or college to balance their studies and home life.

With the Social Services and Wellbeing Act of 2014, the Welsh Government Charter for Unpaid Carers 2022 and Estyn’s Thematic report of Young Carers provision in schools all reinforcing its messages, Sally says there is an opportunity for stakeholders to find positive solutions for this and future generations.

“Schools often do want to help but there are other demands on their time day to day,” she added.

“The project would like to co-produce a set of resources that can be used to confidently raise awareness, as well as encouraging teachers, staff, parents. and pupils themselves to become Young Carers Champions, mentors and ambassadors.

“The Welsh Government’s Young Carers ID card launched during lockdown has helped with identifying young carers but there is still more work to do, which is why we need those who can make a difference to join our campaign.”

For more information, visit the website www.wcd.cymru or email sally@credu.cymru. Follow WCD Young Carers on social media @wcdyoung.

Care, Midlands News, News

Concerns for social care funding following Government U-turn on taxes

The boss of Shropshire’s largest not-for-profit care provider has raised concerns about the future funding of social care following the government’s U-turn on National Insurance payments and scrapping of the social care levy.

The government announced today (Sep 23) as part of the Chancellor’s mini budget that it would be reversing the 1.25 percentage point increase in National Insurance (NI) from November to support people with the rising cost of household bills.

The increase, which came into effect in April this year, was meant to support the NHS and social care sector by raising billions of pounds and would have been replaced by the new Health and Social Care Levy from April 2023.

The treasury has now axed the planned levy saying the change would save nearly 28 million people hundreds of pounds a year.

Debbie Price, Chief Executive of Coverage Care Services, said the U-turn now cast doubt on the future funding of social care.

She said: “We are all struggling and whilst the Chancellor is right to look for ways to boost the economy and seek measures to ease the financial burden facing businesses, families and individuals the decision casts doubt on how the government expects to tackle the growing pressures being faced by the NHS and social care.

“It was predicted that the new 1.25p in the pound National Insurance increase would raise an additional £12billion a year. The government had promised that this money would go towards supporting the NHS and then a proportion to helping the social care sector which is currently facing huge demands.

“It has now said funding for health and social care will be maintained and come from general taxation but, as always, there is little detail, which causes concern. We need to know how the government plans to protect this funding and we urge them to address this issue immediately.

“The system is under a considerable amount of pressure to provide quality care to our ageing population. We are still facing many challenges as a result of the pandemic and coupled with recruitment issues, staff shortages nationally and already tightened government spending, this latest decision is another major blow to all care providers.”

Coverage Care Services is Shropshire’s largest independent care provider operating 12 homes across the county.

Earlier this week it announced a second pay increase for staff taking total investment into the company’s wage bill to £2.5million in 2022.

For more information about Coverage Care Services visit https://www.coveragecareservices.co.uk/.

News

Bye bye Boomer – why Brits are refusing to play the generation game

  • Eye-opening stats shatter myths around age stereotypes
  • Calls for Brits to ditch “potentially harmful” generational labels
  • Rising demand for closer, multi-generational living as Brits think twice about care homes

Facebooking grannies, knitting millennials and teetotal teens – the latest data shows that generational labels, such as Baby Boomer, Millennial and Generation X, and their associated stereotypes, could soon become a thing of the past.

Research conducted by leading granny annexe developer iHus has revealed the new hobbies and habits of generational Brits that are challenging traditional perceptions.

The research shows that pensioners are slowly becoming the dominant demographic on platforms like Facebook, which was initially launched for students, while hobbies like bingo and knitting are being discovered by youngsters:

  • Facebook users in the UK aged 65 and over more than doubled between 2019 and 20201, while the number of 12–34-year-olds on the platform has fallen dramatically
  • Bingo is proving more popular with Millennials and Generation Z than ever before, with 40 locations across the UK hosting sell-out events geared towards young people in 2021
  • 30% of 16-to-24-year-olds class themselves as “non-drinkers” and are choosing to abstain from alcohol4
  • TV programmes like The Great British Sewing Bee have led to a spike in young knitters, with one online shop reporting a 235 per-cent increase in sales during the pandemic5
  • Nearly two-thirds (65 per-cent) of Brits aged 65 or over now own and regularly use a smartphone, compared to just 3 per-cent ten years ago6

The eye-opening trends are supported by a growing demand from Brits for multi-generational living, with an increasing number of families choosing to provide care for ageing parents either in their own home or in an adjacent granny annexe.

Research conducted by iHus7 shows more than one in five (22 per-cent) Brits now prefer to provide care themselves to an elderly relative, while just 16% say they’ll place them in a care home.

The results are backed up by a recent report from Aviva8, which shows that one in three UK households are now multi-generational, equating to 9 million homes in total.

 

iHus founder Trevor Smeaton, who has helped hundreds of British families discover the delights of multi-generational living, is calling on Brits to think twice about generalising Brits through the use of generational labels.

He said: “While labels like baby boomer and millennial are often used in a light-hearted way, stereotypes associated with age can be potentially harmful and create lines of division in society that ought not to exist in 2022.

“Our research and own data shows that Brits are turning their back on silly stereotypes and discovering new hobbies and ways of living not typically associated with people of their age. It also shows that they want to be closer to their parents in later life.

“We’ve seen first-hand the joy created by bringing generations together, while promoting independent living, and a spirit of individuality that is no longer bound by old-fashioned perceptions.”

Appointments, Care, Midlands News, News

Sarah steps up to manage care home

A carer who started her career with Shropshire’s largest independent care provider has taken up the reins as manager of one of its homes.

Sarah Evans is the new manager of Coverage Care’s Briarfields, a 43-bed home in Shrewsbury, which recently opened a new dedicated dementia unit for up to 12 people.

Sarah has previously also worked for a private care company, but she is no stranger to Coverage Care.

She said: “I actually started my career with Coverage Care. I started as an activities organiser, and in a short time I worked my way up to deputy and then to manager. It’s a really rewarding career.”

Sarah, who has previously worked at Coverage Care homes in Telford and Market Drayton, has a team of nearly 50 staff at Briarfields but is keen to expand the team further.

She said: “We are looking to recruit care assistants, night care assistants and shift leaders. Applicants don’t need any specific qualifications, but they do need to be a very caring person. We offer extensive training and lots of support.

“Briarfields is a really, really caring home, and very “homely”. The staff are all very dedicated. We concentrate on the individual and are very person-centred.”

Coverage Care Services Ltd is Shropshire’s largest independent not for profit care provider and looks after elderly residents from their local communities and beyond.

Chief executive Debbie Price said: “I am delighted to welcome Sarah as manager of Briarfields. Sarah knows Coverage Care and our ethos very well and she is the perfect fit to lead the growing team.”

Coverage Care operates 12 individual homes across Shropshire, providing residential, nursing and dementia care for elderly people.

For further information about the career opportunities at Coverage Care’s homes, visit https://www.carehomejob.co.uk/.

Healthcare Tech, News

Telemedicine solutions becoming the answer to staff burnout

With the initial swell in the use of virtual care, many industry experts – from health plans to big tech and practicing clinicians – are considering whether a doubling down on telehealth is just what the doctor ordered for the future of patient care.

Many clinicians are hungry for new opportunities that allow them to continue to serve patients without dealing with long-standing administrative burdens and the aftermath of burnout from COVID-19 in their hospitals, health systems and doctor’s offices.

With too many clinicians continuing to stress that they’ve lost passion in their careers and considering quitting their jobs altogether, experts say change is needed. The healthcare industry can’t afford to lose these highly skilled clinical workers to other industries.

Dr. Pooja Aysola, a practicing emergency department clinician in Boston said: “The past few years have been incredibly tough for clinicians. Burnout, frustration and fatigue are some of the many challenges facing clinicians today. Recent data shows more than half of clinicians have lost passion for their careers because of stress – and close to half believe burnout is the biggest threat to patient care today.

Working in virtual care was a less-than-traditional career path before the pandemic. But now, many clinicians are considering working in virtual care to help combat burnout and increase flexibility.”

Telemedicine has had a slow then sudden ascendance in our lives. Phone and video appointments during these unpredictable two years provided smart ways to connect — and protect — patients and doctors regardless of physical distance.

This pandemic experiment of health care from home has shown us that it can be effective and safe. The reach of telehealth and its ability to become woven into our overall care is growing.

Besides video and phone calls, we’ve got Fitbits monitoring our steps, Apple watches conducting EKGs, wearables that monitor our sleep cycles, text bots that work with patients via smartphones to lower blood pressure. Telemedicine is emphatically convenient, which means more people are keeping up with preventive and non-acute care.

Telemedici, or virtual care, which was relatively uncommon in this region pre-pandemic, has now been accepted by the masses as routine.

Also known as telehealth, it includes services such as live video, chat and telephone encounters with health-care providers who aren’t in the same physical space as their patients.

Louise Newbury-Smith, country manager of RingCentral for UK and Ireland said: “Telemedicine is allowing healthcare providers across the country to reimagine a tradition of in-home visits and support for care-home residents without travel and limitations. At RingCentral, we have seen the lives of those living in care homes be transformed by innovative new technologies that allow them to be monitored and assessed without requiring in-person visits, or unnecessary travel.

“Not only is this benefiting the residents of care facilities, and keeping them safe, but it is improving the operational efficiency of staff, who can now support more people as they save time on travel, reduce personal safety risks and limit unnecessary visits.”

Telemedicine won’t make the doctor’s office obsolete, but it does offer a new realm of possibilities in which better care can be provided more efficiently, conveniently and equitably.

News

Taking.Care becomes the first national technology enabled care provider to complete testing on its personal alarms ahead of major digital switchover

The UK’s largest private personal alarm brand Taking.Care has become the country’s first telecare provider to complete full testing of its product range before the planned switchover from analogue to digital telephone networks by 2025.

Taking.Care has worked with Openreach to carry out rigorous stress tests of its personal care alarm range, which provide life-saving services for elderly and vulnerable people, to ensure they are compatible with the new all-digital telephone network.

The digital switch brings about major changes to the telecare industry. Traditionally reliant on analogue telephone landlines, the switchover means all new houses are set to be built with a digital-only connection from 2023. And, with change coming, many households have already upgraded, for faster networks and connectivity.

Delivered in a controlled laboratory environment, the alarm testing has been carried out on the UK’s leading telephone providers to ensure maximum longevity of Taking.Care’s telecare equipment following the switchover.

In preparation for the switch, families and older people are being urged to check the compatibility of their personal alarm with their current telecare provider and phone network once they are informed of a digital upgrade to their home phone. The worry is they could be left at risk if their personal alarm is not able to connect digitally to get help in an emergency, according to Steve Gates, Managing Director at Taking.Care.

He said: “As a company, we’ve been preparing for the transition to the digital network for some time now and Taking.Care is the first service provider to have completed this for a range of personal alarms well ahead of the switchover.

“The process has been a massive collaborative effort. And, it’s involved working closely with Openreach, telecoms providers, Ofcom, alarm manufacturers, and the Technology Services Association (the industry body for technology enabled care), to understand the impact of the digital telephone network on this life-saving service.

“It’s been really important to us to proactively respond to the potential impact the digital switchover will have on our customers. We want to provide our customers with the peace of mind that we can supply a range of products that will mitigate the impact of the digital switchover and safeguard them by instantly connecting them to professional help in an emergency.”

John Livermore, ALL IP Industry Engagement Manager at Openreach commented:

“Openreach were very pleased to host the Taking.Care team in the Digital Services Test Lab, located at our head office in London. We urge all Telecare Vendors to follow a similar path in testing their existing and planned portfolio in an All IP environment, to ensure that their customers are guided through a smooth transition to IP and that no one loses their connectivity through the migration process.”

Vulnerable customers will need to register with their telephone provider to request battery backup for their telecare equipment to ensure consistent connectivity in the event of a power outage.

In light of the digital switchover, Taking.Care has released a series of guides for consumers on how this may impact them.

Visit the Taking.Care advice hub for more information on how the digital telephone switchover affects personal alarms.

News

Pebbles to transform education for young people in care with ground-breaking ‘Adapt Learning’ model

A new model for pupils who have had interrupted learning or have negative perceptions of education due to their traumatic past has been launched by Pebbles.

The UK’s leading provider of bespoke and therapeutic care for young people has spent the last twelve months developing Adapt Learning, a dynamic and inclusive approach that looks to deliver a 5-part curriculum that focuses on academic, enrichment, engagement and social, emotional and mental health.

Initially, the model will be available to children accommodated in its homes in Scotland and its two schools in Muirkirk and Dunfermline, with the plan to expand this to Cumbria and Yorkshire in April and September respectively.

By the end of 2022 every young person in the care of Pebbles will have the opportunity to access Adapt Learning to some extent; some in the schools full-time, some with a blended bespoke package, and some with specific activities to fit around their existing care and education arrangements.

“Elements of what has become Adapt Learning came about through necessity during Covid-19 lockdown,” explained Richard Graveling, Head of Education at Pebbles.

“Through monthly tracking of wellbeing indicators and levels of skills development through our unique skills framework, we identified improved outcomes and accelerated progress through blended learning, particularly online learning and education at home supported by skilled care professionals.”

He continued: “Using this data we were able to develop and pilot five learning pathways and the adapted, blended approach has led to improved outcomes for most of our learners.

“The aspiration is that young people physically attend school for twenty-five hours per week, but we know the reality is that most of the individuals in our care need significant support and flexible pathways to achieve this over a period of time.”

Adapt Learning offers full-time education to young people where previous school placements have broken down or been ineffectual due to a significant level of trauma impeding their integration into a traditional school model.

A typical timetable will focus on three sessions per day, split into core skills development, themed learning and enrichment activities and vocational skills development. This could see the young people study English language and maths, then take part in Prince’s Trust Activity and equine therapy.

There is even the opportunity to volunteer in the community, speech and language therapy and yoga for trauma.

“Therapeutic approaches are very much at the centre of Adapt Learning and that is not always the case when it comes to education. We have built in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and a range of other therapies specific to individuals as an integrated part of the curriculum, completing more traditional learning in the process,” added Richard.

“All of our staff, education and care are trauma and ACEs aware and all practice Therapeutic Parenting; a recognised, established and consistent approach to nurturing and caring for young people.”

A special webinar was held recently to introduce Adapt Learning to education and care professionals across the UK.

It set the context of education for care-experienced young people compared to traditional models, giving a rationale and the evidence to support change, introducing this innovative approach and how it will provide life-changing learning opportunities.

The online session also talked about the five-part curriculum, bespoke pathways and how the principles of nurture help to support and accelerate progress.

News

February and March Hales Heroes Win £1000!

Care workers from South Tyneside and Doncaster won £1,000 in February and March respectively after being named “Hales Superheroes”.

Regional care provider Hales Group Ltd is proud to announce that Melissa Hobbs from South Tyneside and Michelle Buchanan from Doncaster are February and March’s winners of the £1,000 from the coveted Hales Heroes draw.

In recognising the incredible work that Michelle does, Registered Regional Manager Cora Ellis had this to say, “Since Michelle has joined Hales she has gone over and above for her service users. She makes the most of the time in all her calls. Michelle has genuine respect for the people she takes care of and is very proud of the job and the company she works for.”

Michelle herself said, “This is the best move I’ve ever made coming to work for Hales Homecare and I absolutely love it.”

Lee Cooper, Care Manager at Hales Homecare Doncaster, had this to say, “Michelle is a dedicated care worker who gives her all and will go above and beyond for all her service users.”

He continues, “Michelle is always very supportive of the branch and our goals. She is an asset to our team. Michelle is always up for a challenge and does not let anything beat her.”

Sue Hamilton, Director of Operations says of Melissa, “Melissa joined us in September 2020 at the height of the South Tyneside Covid restrictions. Despite the challenges, Melissa proved to be committed and caring member of our team, who is highly regarded by both her colleagues and service users. Hales Homecare are delighted to be able to recognise our local heroes in this way.”