, ,

Weekly Blog 19 March 2021

Quality Care Services live up to their name in Belfast

Samantha Bond, Regional Manager for the North West and Northern Ireland, sent us a compliment she’d received from the Belfast Physical and Sensory Support team. The Quality Care Services team had been supporting a Belfast-based service user for some time who experienced issues with both his accommodation and the levels of support needed.

Despite the challenges, the service user was recently able to make a successful move to a supported living facility. The local Care manager contacted the Belfast branch to thank them for their support, writing:

“Just a note of thanks for the supports offered to my service user over recent years.

“I know that both the service user and extended family did not always engage positively with the Quality Care Services staff. Given the difficulties throughout, the hundreds of telephone calls, emails and visits, I am extremely grateful for the perseverance and consistency of your care staff throughout.”

Samantha told us, “They have been through a particularly rough patch in recent months, with reduced staff and it is so nice to hear some positive comments. The team are working really hard to improve standards and compliance, and this just evidences their great efforts.”

Well done to everyone in the Belfast branch. Thank you all for your commitment to making sure that this service user got the support he needed.

Mother’s Day at Lapwing Court

Tracy Asbery let us know this week about a moving Mother’s Day event at the Lapwing Court extra care scheme in Chichester. Despite a shortage of staff over the weekend, the team leader – Pat Lintott – took time to recognise all the mums living at the scheme.

Pat made every mum at the scheme a jar of assorted flowers, and gifted them each some chocolates for Mother’s Day.

Thank you Pat, we’re sure that every mum at the scheme appreciates the kindness you’ve shown them.

 

Bidding for success at City & County

It’s been a period of change for the Bids and Contracts team over recent months, but we’re excited to announce that we’ve recently welcomed two new Bid Managers into the City & County family. Celia Fleming joined the team in February, and in March we welcomed Emily Bagnall. Both are experienced bid writers – and will bring both care sector and wider experience into the team.

The team have also been hard at work securing contracts for your operating companies across the country. Some of our latest successes include:

  1. Trafford Council: Homecare and reablement at home – Comfort Call and HSG.
  2. Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council: Learning disability services – Sage Care.
  3. London Borough of Newham: Independent living support services – London Care.
  4. Essex County Council: Supported living framework – Guardian Homecare.
  5. West Sussex County Council: Lingfield Lodge Extra Care scheme – London Care.

The Bids and Contracts team would like to send a huge thanks to everyone involved in supporting the bid processes for these contracts. They couldn’t have won them without your hard work.

Changing minds at Ensham House

Sarah Kwofie, Regional Director – South, shared with us a message from the family of a tenant at the Ensham House extra care scheme in London. Despite them initially having concerns, the team at Ensham House have worked hard over the past year to give the family confidence that their mum was receiving the care she needed.

After having their opinion turned around by the dedication of the care team, the tenant’s daughter contacted the scheme manger to say:

“Would City & County Healthcare be able to send a general letter to care staff at Ensham House – thanking them for all the hard work, care, and a number of them going that step further for the residents they are allocated to.

“They work so hard, and still give holistic care which is so important to people nowadays being looked after. I know my mum would not be here today if it was not for the care delivered to her.”

Well done to everyone at Ensham House, you’ve obviously made a big impact on this family over the last twelve months.

Appreciation for our Human Support Group teams in the North West

Our registered branch manager, Michèle Lloyd, wanted to share an email the HSG team at Cheshire West had received from a social worker, complimenting their care delivery. The social worker wrote:

“When speaking with the service user earlier this week, she expressed how fabulous the Human Support Group carers are. She has appreciated their help and support and have been instrumental in his recovery to return back to independence. Well done!”

Meanwhile, the HSG team in Ulverston also received a message – this time from a family – to say:

“Special thanks to the team from the Ulverston HSG branch who do such a good job. The carers are of a high standard and should there be any issues the admin staff are quick to deal with them, always with our elderly uncle’s best interest at heart. This is very reassuring for the family. We thank them all for their help and support.”

Superb work from both teams, impressing not only the family of a service user but also a professional who we work alongside. Our regional manager, Catherine Richardson, told us, “It truly is heart-warming to hear the positive feedback for both the care workers and the Branch staff. What a great start to the week for the team.”

Stirring sentiments for Surrey SCP

Sarah Thomas kindly sent us an inspiring message of thanks and encouragement received by the Redhill team at Surrey SCP this week. Alison Phillips – registered manager at the branch – described it as “The loveliest thank you letter I have ever received”.

The message, written by the person who had previously managed the service user’s care needs, praised the team for their professionalism. Following the service user’s discharge from hospital, the staff in Redhill had supported her all the way until she sadly recently passed away. Contacting the branch to thank them for their dedication, the writer commented:

“Not knowing anything about choosing the ‘right’ care company as I had no standards to compare, I simply chose the one that could meet my requirements. How wise a decision that turned out to be. Surrey SCP has proved itself a hundred times over since then in all manners of care, and up until she passed away were still continually seeking to improve its service delivery.

“Having worked in the customer service industry for almost all of my entire career, from my personal experience I applaud the professional standards you adopt, namely your customer-first policy, selection and retention of staff, who demonstrated their professionalism and personal care and compassion at all times.

“Not withstanding this, special mention must be said of the central administration whose job it was to maintain the high standard of delivery. From the customer’s perception, all appeared to be managed in a seamless manner.

“Thank you once again as I am eternally grateful for your help.”

As praised by the writer, the seamless teamwork between the care and branch staff made sure this service user got the support she desperately needed. A huge ‘well done’ to everyone at Redhill.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 26 Feb 2021

A compliment in a crisis

The crisis response team at Guardian Homecare in Preston received praise for the wife of a service user who the team supported recently. Ross McCrann, Branch Manager (Intermediate Care), wanted to share the feedback as the team had made a huge impact on the family during an incredibly difficult time.

The service user’s wife particularly wanted to highlight the emotional support that the family received from Barbara, John, Kieran and Carol, writing:

“Your team’s intervention came about due to my husband falling and the ambulance service referring us. I had cried out to the GP but no practical help had been forthcoming so whilst the fall was really a bad experience for my husband, it was a blessing in disguise.

“Well straight away with the first visit from Barbara began the process of getting our home and our lives from chaos to calm (well most of the time). She also was so supportive to me, chatting and offering advice.

“Different people bring different gifts to their work but I have to highlight and praise John who not only was a very caring person who listened… truly listened, cared and so importantly gave me advice with regards to bedding, and general management of the situation as well as the all-important task of helping me emotionally. What a true blessing he was.

“Then there was Kieran, oh what a delight it was to see her smiling face when she arrived. She may have had her mask on but she smiled with her eyes! Her approach with my husband was so good, and she knew also when to back off. Whilst she supported him in personal care, her help with beds and emotionally supporting me also were invaluable.

“Carol, such a lovely kind person, I didn’t see her often but what a calming helpful person she was.

“Any words I can pull out of my vocabulary would be totally inadequate to express the deepest thanks to these and others in your team for all they did to get us through those dark days. We are still not out of the woods which is why we are having ongoing care, but they set the foundation for how to cope and a pattern for any future carers that come our way.

“I have to say you are fortunate to have such high quality staff on your team.”

Thank you to everyone in the team for the considerate and thorough support you gave to this family. They were clearly at such a low point before you arrived, but you’ve made a long-lasting impact on their lives.

Rural homecare on Radio 4

The challenges of delivering homecare in rural areas has been covered on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme this week.

You can listen to the programme on BBC Sounds here.

A fond farewell to Christine in Tameside

The team at Careline Homecare in Tameside would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ and best wishes to their registered manager, Christine Clarke. Christine is taking her well-earned retirement Friday, after 20 years of dedicated care delivery in Tameside.

Joanne Brannen, Regional Manager – North West and West Yorkshire, told us, “I have had the pleasure of working with Christine since October 2016 when Careline Homecare won a contract in Tameside. I would like to thank Christine for her hard work and dedication over the years. I will be very sorry to see her go.”

Thank you for everything you’ve done to support vulnerable people across Tameside for the last 20 years Christine – we wish you all the very best for the future.

Cards for care in Cumbria

Wendy McCall, Regional Director –North & Northern Ireland, made us aware of a thoughtful ‘thank you’ sent to our care teams in Cumbria recently.

Emma Coper, registered manager for the area, wanted to thank the staff for their continued hard work and dedication through what has been an incredibly challenging twelve months. Emma hand-made thank you cards and keyrings for each member of the team working across Whitehaven and Ulverston.

Such a fantastically creative way to recognise and show appreciation the team’s hard work Emma.

Welcome to our new branch and scheme managers

It’s been a busy few months for new branch and scheme manager appointments across City & County. We’d like to offer a warm welcome to our new managers, who you’ll get to work with over the coming months.

Across our Extra Care schemes, we’ve recently been joined by Kelly Houldcroft at Lighthouse View Extra Care in Fleetwood and Judith Thompson at Olsen Court Extra Care in Lincoln. We’ve also had new arrivals who will each be managing multiple schemes – Amanda Taylor Banks at the Heald Farm Court and Foundry Wharf schemes in St Helens, and Amanda Stirling who will look after our schemes in Redcar.

At our homecare branches, we’d also like to welcome Tracy Hummerstone at Motherwell and Olu Fademi at London Care – South London into the City & County family.

We look forward to getting to know you all.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 12 Feb

Don’t forget the rules on PPE and self-isolation

We’re all aware of the PPE rules and strict infection control measures that our care teams are following to protect our staff and service users during the pandemic. But, even if you work in one of our offices – or only occasionally visit a City & County work location – there are still rules we all have to follow to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Here’s a quick reminder of what you need to do:

Rules on PPE for all office staff

  • A medical grade mask or cloth face covering MUST be worn correctly at all times when attending an office.
  • Social distancing rules MUST be followed whilst taking breaks in designated rest areas, inside or outside.
  • Where no designated rest area is available, breaks MUST be taken in a socially distant manner and a mask MUST be put on immediately upon completion of eating or drinking.
  • Staff wearing identifiable company uniform in public spaces MUST adhere to government rules on social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
  • Managers MUST ensure the covid secure workplace risk assessment is adhered to and any breaches are addressed immediately.

Rules on self-isolation for all staff

  • You MUST NOT attend work if you have been advised by Test and Trace to self-isolate.
  • You MUST NOT attend work if you have covid symptoms and meet the criteria for self-isolation.
  • No member of staff is to instruct another member of staff to work if they are required to self-isolate.

By following the rules, we can all help reduce the risks of the spreading the virus – helping to keep everyone safe.

25 years of success for committed Cath

Christine Noble, Regional Manager North East, wanted to share a celebration of Cath Stobbs’s 25 years as a Branch Manager. Cath originally started with Community Homecare services in 1996 and joined City & County in 2012 when the branch became part of Careline Homecare.

Christine told us, “Cath is very well respected in our region, she is always the first to offer and help support any of the teams, the relationships she has with all her staff at all levels is exceptional. Cath is well known for her witty comments and always turning everything into a positive.”

Cath has always maintained excellent relationships with the local authorities she works with – including the commissioning team at Redcar, who commented, “Cath has been central to the longstanding excellent relationship with the local authority has been a fantastic representative in the sector. Cath shares her experience with others and shows commitment to maintain stability and support development. At times of difficulty Cath is the calm in the storm.”

The Middlesbrough commissioning team also sent their thoughts on Cath’s achievements, saying, “It’s always a pleasure working with Cath, we enjoy a transparent and open relationship and she has always been dedicated and committed to providing a service to the residents of Middlesbrough. A sense of humour helps! Well done Cath, we look forward to a continued successful partnership.”

Well done Cath, thanks for your hard work and dedication over the last 25 years. We look forward to many more years of your positive impact in the City & County family.

Moving feedback for Shamim in Darwen

We received some heart-warming feedback from the son of a service user this week. Praising the work of his care worker, the family wanted to recognise the impact that Shamim had on their father’s life, writing:

“You need to know how highly my father thought, not only of you as a person, but also how good you are at your job. You may not have cared for him for long, but in the time you spent with him, you had a positive impact on his life.

“Every day I visited him, he talked about you. My father was very hard to please, however you made an impression on him that he kept until the day he died.

“Thanks again for everything you did for him.”

Thank you for your great work Shamim. It’s clear just how much of a difference you made, not only to the service user, but also on his wider family.

Marking a magnificent manager in Westminster

The London Care team in Westminster recently recognised their regional manager, Kasia Brzyscz, with a well-deserved certificate of ‘’The Best Manager of the World’’. The team arranged the certificate to say “thank you” for the help and support Kasia has given them all under challenging conditions during the pandemic.

In particular, the team were proud of the way that Kasia organised vaccines and tests to protect each care worker – on top of the already hectic workload in the borough.

Sarah-Catherine Greaves, Inspector for Adult Social Care in the area, was moved by the team’s appreciation for Kasia, commenting, “How wonderful Kasia, and to receive such acknowledgement from your staff during this most challenging time to be managing a service within the health and social care sector. Well done!”

Congratulations Kasia, it’s clear just how much you mean to the team in Westminster – especially during the pandemic.

Valentine’s fundraising in Monica Court

The Comfort Call team at the Monica Court Extra Care scheme in Eccles have been busy arranging a Valentine’s Day-themed raffle. The team regularly arrange raffles for their resident’s fund – helping to fund activities in the schemes such birthday parties and lunches.

Their regional manager, Joanne Brannen, sent us this creative montage of pictures from the event. The winners definitely look happy with tier prizes!

If you’re arranging a fundraising activity – for service user events or for charity – then let us know. Send the details to communications@candchealthcare.co.uk and we’ll help you spread the word.

Recognition for the London Care team at Ensham House

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many events cancelled over the last year, including Richmond’s Dignity in Care awards.

Instead, the London borough of Richmond upon Thames has issued certificates of recognition to highlight the outstanding care and support that care teams have been delivering in the most difficult of circumstances.

The hardworking London Care team at Ensham House were amongst those recognised by the council. Commenting that “your dedication and selflessness have been of the highest standard”, Councillor Piers Allen wrote “you are all true dignity in Care heroes”.

Congratulations to everyone at Ensham House on being recognised by the council, and thank you for everything you are doing to support your local community.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 22 Jan 2021

Flood warnings issued

Areas across the UK are at risk of flooding over the coming days following Storm Christoph’s arrival this week. Severe warnings are in place around the River Bollin and the River Mersey, with further warnings and alerts in many other areas, particularly in the North and West.

You can check local flood warnings for your part of the UK using these links:

Please stay safe and CCH employees should speak with their manager if be affected.

A big birthday at Custom Care

One of our branch managers, Ellie Cross, sent us some photos this week of a birthday celebration at the Cannock branch of Custom Care. Keen to share some good news, Ellie told us:

“One of our services users Helen turned 103 today! Staff visited with flowers and a cake to try and make her lockdown birthday a little brighter. Helen was over the moon when staff came in with her gifts, clapping her hands thanking them.”

Luckily Helen is still able to see her son, and was even able to visit him for lunch, so has had the best day she could – given the circumstances. Happy birthday Helen!

Time to Talk Day – Let’s start talking about mental health at work

Thursday 4th February is Time to Talk Day – a day when everyone is encouraged to have a conversation about mental health.

Time to Talk Day is run by Time to Change to help spread the word that you can talk about mental health anywhere – including at work.

At City & County Healthcare Group, we know that it benefits all of us to talk about mental health and we want to make a positive change towards the mental health in our workplace. To get us started in 2021, let’s use this worthy day, to talk, to listen and change lives within our teams!

Activities for your team

This year’s theme is on the power of small, because however you have a conversation about mental health – whether it’s a quick message to a colleague, a virtual coffee morning, or a socially distanced walk and talk – it has the power to make a big difference.

Please think about making time, either on Thursday 4th February or at some point over the next few weeks, to carry out an activity with your team – complying of course with government guidance and our companies Covid-19 policies.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Walk and talk – If you are able to, organise a socially distanced lunchtime walk and talk to encourage small groups of colleagues to get together outside and have a conversation.
  • Mental Health Quiz – Use the mental health quiz to a start conversation, test staffs mental health knowledge and help people learn something new. You can present the quiz in a virtual meeting and use a poll tool to make it interactive.
  • Mental Health Bingo – Use the interactive bingo card for some fun with your team.
  • Lunch and learn – Run a lunch-and-learn session to talk about mental health – colleagues may want to share their own experiences.
  • Sussed card game – Use the Sussed cards as an icebreaker to spark a one on one conversation, or use them in a meeting as part of a mental health-themed group game. Play in person or virtually.
  • Pledge Board – Ask your team to send us their pledges to change the way we all think and act about mental health in the workplace.

Sensory support for people with dementia

Cath Stobbs, a branch manager at Careline Homecare contacted us this week about a great idea to help support service users with dementia. Whilst at a provider forum with Redcar and Cleveland Council, Cath was introduced to ‘twiddle muffs’ – knitted sleeves which sit on a person’s arm.

The sleeves have pieces added which allow the wearer to twiddle with them – hence the name. With their bright colours and different textures, twiddle muffs can help hold the attention of someone with dementia, particularly helpful if they are anxious or agitated.

Inspired by the idea, one of our field care supervisors, Karen Charlesworth, kindly knitted a twiddle muff for one of the team’s local service users. It made such a big impact that Karen soon had to make a second one for when the original was being washed!

The service user’s husband told us that he is delighted with the way it helped occupy her and that it had definitely helped his wife to be more settled.

If you’d like to know more – and maybe even make one yourself – you can download an NHS guide here, or find instructions on the Golden Carers website.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 4 Dec

Thanks to our Extra Care teams in Stoke

One of our Regional Managers, Charlotte Dean, wanted to share two exceptional pieces of feedback received in our Extra Care schemes recently.

Firstly, the Maple West team were sent a lovely compliment from the family of a service user. In the letter, the family wanted to express their gratitude for the care and support provided by Comfort Call care staff to their father following a recent fall:

“We wanted to say, we all very much appreciate everything that you did for Dad after the fall and don’t know what we would do without you. You are truly amazing.

“A big thank you to all the carers who look after Mum and Dad every day and night. Not forgetting the rest of your lovely lot, who care for and keep Maple West safe.”

Just a few miles away, the Willow Barns scheme also received an inspiring letter – this time written by Anne Marie Kelly, the Scheme Manager of the local housing provider. Praising Jacqui Dunn, the scheme’s Care Manager, Anne Marie wrote:

“I just wanted to say that, having been Scheme Manager at Willow Barns since September 2017, I have met some lovely Care Managers and I am sure that they have all done a wonderful job. Jacqui Dunn, however, works tirelessly. She not only performs her own role, she has on numerous occasions gone above and beyond to the point that she has almost lived here at times.

“Jacqui has filled in and done care work when short staffed and she never moans or complains and cracks on with the job. I would love Jacqui to get the recognition that she deserves by sending this compliment.”

It’s always amazing to see how closely our Extra Care teams work in partnership with housing providers – keep up the fantastic work.

Masterful achievement for Sarah Kwofie

Congratulations this week to one of our Regional Directors, Sarah Kwofie, on a remarkable achievement. Sarah has completed her Master’s degree in Public Health with the University of Manchester part time through the year, alongside her role at City & County.

Impressively, Sarah completed eight modules – including Fundamentals of Epidemiology, Health Services Management, UK leadership and Public Health Strategy, Health Economics, Global Health in the 21st Century – as well as a dissertation on The Association of Hearing Loss with Dementia in Older Adults.

Sarah has accomplished this at the same time as being a mum to two young children, having a full time (and very challenging) job, and whilst also leading care delivery during a global pandemic! Impressive work Sarah, your achievement is simply brilliant.

Floral thanks for our Comfort Call staff

Some of our Comfort Call colleagues were recently recognised with flowers and chocolates for their hard work and dedication.

Firstly, the Comfort Call team at Poppy House were sent flowers and Cadbury’s Heroes by Stockport Council for their support during the pandemic. Their manager, Mandy Hall, kindly sent us a photo and wanted to make sure that the team’s achievements were shared to recognise their commitment during a difficult year.

Secondly, Katie Jewell, Regional Manager for Devon and Cornwall, let us know about how one team thanked Nikki Raouna – a new coordinator at our Cheltenham branch. Nikki received flowers and Thornton’s chocolates from one of our care workers, Tudor, on behalf of the Gloucester care team that she schedules for.

Katie said, “This gift was in recognition of how appreciative the team are of Nikki in the short time she has been managing their area. She has been supportive and responsive in managing her team.”

Those gifts are definitely well-deserved – thank you all for your hard work and support.

Recognition from Lancashire County Council

Margaret Macdonald – Regional Manager for the North West – has shared a letter the Guardian Homecare team received from Lancashire County Council. In the letter Tony Pounder, Director of Adult Services for the area, praised our Preston team’s response to winter pressures and crises services in central Lancashire, writing:

“I just want to thank you for your fantastic and quick response in increasing the crisis hours you are supplying for us in Central Lancashire in readiness for winter and pandemic pressures.

“It’s one thing for the council to plan and commit to funding these service expansions. However, it only becomes a reality if you as our local provider can deliver what we need and the fact that you are so far on with this is a tribute to your own commitment, effectiveness and efficiency.

“Most of all this will make a difference to the many vulnerable adults and older people who want to speedily leave hospital or avoid admission at all.”

At a difficult time for everyone involved in delivering care, this type of recognition shoes just how much of a difference we can all make.

Christmas raffle raises cheer

Siobhan Gildea, Care Coordinator at Parkview Grange in Newcastle, contacted us about a festive fundraising activity underway at the Extra Care scheme. One of the Comfort Call team’s senior carers, Michelle McMurray, has partnered with a resident to raise funds for future community activities in the scheme.

Siobhan told us, “For the past month, one of our residents and Michelle have been raising money for a Christmas Raffle. The resident and her sister have made up amazing hampers for prizes donated or bought by care staff, residents and family members.”

“The raffle is due to be drawn on the 8th December and all proceedings go to future activities for our residents at Parkview Grange – as well as a huge end-of-lockdown party once we are in the clear from COVID. So far we have raised over £500.”

Great work everyone, those hampers look fantastic.

Homecare Day 2020 – Wednesday 9th December

The UKHCA has announced that it will be working together with Scottish Care again this year to extend Homecare Day to every corner of the UK. The theme this year will be Care Community and it will provide a fantastic chance to share good news stories and innovations that homecare services are making in the lives of people and their communities, every day – particularly in this most challenging of years.

If you have any stories you would like to share with your colleagues across the Group, please send them to communications@candchealthcare.co.uk.

UKHCA and Scottish Care are also inviting members to share and follow stories on social media using the hashtag #homecareday throughout the event. There will also be a Twitter discussion between 12:00–13:00 on the day, led by Scottish Care and UKHCA with questions centred around Care Community.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 27 Nov

LifeWorks – Prize Draw Winners!

A few weeks ago we told you that we were running a registration competition for LifeWorks.

All those employees who had registered to use the LifeWorks service by Friday 13th November were entered into a prize draw. Five registered employees have now been chosen at random – each winning a £100 Love2Shop e-voucher!

The lucky winners have now been contacted and they are:

  • Fislet Kinghorn, Comfort Call South Shields
  • Stephen Lee, HSG Trafford
  • Anthony Radcliffe, Guardian Homecare Burnley
  • Michelle Burns, Constance Care Blantyre
  • Susan Parkinson, Guardian Homecare Preston

Well done to the winners – enjoy spending your voucher!

Praise for Paulette at London Care

Sarah Kwofie, Regional Director – South, contacted us this week with a compliment that the London Care team in Westminster recently received:

“It is my pleasure to write to you after receiving home care from one of your carers for about one month. The carer concerned is Paulette, who has attended here most days.

“I would feel I was lacking in gratitude and appreciation if I did not share with you, her manager, the kindness respect, tactfulness and professional care she has shown me on each of her visits.

“Her manner of fulfilling her allocated care tasks moves me to write this letter to you, her care manager, and to congratulate your organisation on the way London Care has trained Paulette to carry out her care responsibilities. Her good humour is a wonderful, well-balanced quality – evident in the manner she devotes herself to her care tasks.

“So please accept this brief tribute to you and the London Care staff.”

Thank you Paulette for your ever-professional approach to supporting this service user. Sarah also added, “We don’t usually hear about training carers get from the organisation. Well done Kasia and your team.”

Welcome to our new branch managers

A warm welcome to our newest branch managers working across City & County Healthcare Group.

In England, we were recently joined by Lorna Turner in Worksop, Christina Kettle at the HSG branch in Bristol and Lisa O Reilly at HSG in Liverpool. In Scotland, welcome to Matthew Green at Stirling.

We have new Extra Care scheme managers too – Amanda Lowe covering the Salford area and Kali Sheekuli at Linksview in Liverpool.

We look forward to getting to know you all.

Recognition from Care Inspectorate Wales

We were recently contacted by Bill Taplin – our Responsible Individual in Wales – about some brilliant feedback we’d received from Care Inspectorate Wales. Highlighting the work of Jodie Evans and Ffion Evans, two of our managers, the inspector said:

“I would like to let you know how effective both Jodie and Ffion are and have been since I have been inspector to the service.

“I am in regular contact with both managers; they are very efficient in notifying, updating and communicating important information, in particular in regards to safeguarding the people we work with.”

Da iawn chi! Amazing – keep up the great work.

A thank you to Marie at Comfort Call

This week, we received some wonderful feedback from the family of one of our service users in West Yorkshire. They’d gotten in touch with our management team directly to express just how much of an impact one of our care workers, Marie, has on their father:

“I am writing to you today to express my sincere thanks to one of your employees, I believe she works from your Pudsey branch.

“Marie Asquith is one of the regular carers for my Father. He became paralysed at the end of 2017, and following a seven-month stay in hospital returned home.

“He really struggled with the reliability of the carers when he first came home and often they would come late in the morning to get him up, and be early at night to help him into bed, meaning he was often in bed for upward of 15 hours a day.

“Since Comfort Call took over my dad’s care, the care has been practically faultless.

“My dad has built a solid trusting relationship with Marie, and she really goes above and beyond the duties she is required to carry out. I feel very grateful that my dad feels safe and properly looked after, it is real peace of mind not only for him, but myself and my sister.

“I would love for Marie’s efforts and dedication to her patients to be recognised.”

A huge ‘well done’ to Marie, and all of the team at Comfort Call. It’s clear that you’re making a huge difference to the lives of the people we support every day.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 13 Nov

Considerate coordination recognised at Sagecare

One of our Regional Managers, Milka Kimani, sent us a heartfelt thank you from a social worker and family of a service user. They particularly wanted to thank Jeannette Nouwimana, a London-based coordinator at Sagecare, for her response and quick thinking after the service user’s dementia deteriorated quickly.

The family wrote:

“We would like to thank you, personally, for your input and support with regards to our mum. With your experience and observations whilst coordinating the night care visit for mum and your input in making a positive decision, our mum is now in safe hands.

“It has been a really worrying and challenging time for me and my sister, and we can now at least have some peace of mind that mum is safe.

“Also we take the opportunity of thanking Sagecare carers for looking after our mum, and we really appreciate the care and love mum received from you all.

“Thanks you once again. Best wishes and stay safe.”

Despite all the challenges, the Sagecare team did an amazing job of keeping the service user safe at all times. Anne, the service user’s social worker added, “I would like to add my heartfelt thanks for keeping her safe and as happy as possible especially over the last few months. It has been much appreciated. I will be forwarding the family’s thanks to our commissioning team as well.”

Marking Remembrance Day at Leaholme

Tracy Asbery and Katy Smith sent us a section of photos showing the work that our London Care team had done to mark Remembrance Day at the Leaholme Extra Care scheme.

Staff decorated the scheme with poppies and served up a selection of red, white and blue-themed treats for the residents.

Appreciation for our team at Willow Barns

Our Comfort Call team at the Willow Barns extra care scheme in Stoke-on-Trent received some great feedback this week. Following a quick response to a night-time incident, the local housing team got in touch to pass on a compliment they’d received from the tenant involved:

“Just to let you know that we had a fantastic compliment from an apartment for last night. A tenant said that her husband fell out of bed and the night staff were there in a flash and were brilliant. She said that not only did they support hubby but they were very supportive with her also.

“So A great big well done from the housing team.”

Well done to everyone involved for the amazing support you delivered to this couple.

Flowers for dedicated Delia

Delia Boonziar, a member of our SCRT team in Wishaw, has been recognised by the Daily Record as a winner of their ‘Say it with Flowers’ award. Nominated by her friend Toni for going above and beyond in her role, Delia has made a huge impact in her local community over the past three years.

Toni says of Delia, “She gives her all to the company. She even came back from her holiday early to help us out. That’s the sort of person she is.

“Anything she can do, she will do it for you. She is a brilliant person, but she doesn’t get the recognition she deserves.”

Congratulations Delia, this award was certainly well-deserved. You can read the full Daily Record article here.

Debt management – four steps to reduce your debt

Getting out of debt isn’t easy and there are no quick fixes. It takes time, commitment and sacrifice, but it’s not complicated – it just takes four steps:

  1. Acknowledge the problem – admit that you have a problem and commit to fixing it.
  2. Stop debt spending – Lock up (or cut up) your credit cards.
  3. Make a spending plan – track your spending for a month.
  4. Pay off your debts – list your debts and chose one to pay off first.

For CCH employees, please take a look at the LifeWorks app or website to read the four-part series Four Steps to Reduce your Debt – where each step is broken down into manageable chunks.

Remember, there is no quick fix to overcoming serious debt problems, but if you stick with the plan, the benefits are well worth the effort.

New contract wins

Good news this week as we heard that Guardian Homecare has been successful in its bid to join the Flexible Purchasing System for Extra Care in Liverpool. Although this does not guarantee any direct award of business, it does put Guardian in the running to bid for Extra Care opportunities in Liverpool as well as Sefton, Knowsley and Wirral (and possibly St Helens).

Well done to the bid team and all those that contributed to putting the submission together.

Coming up: Alcohol Awareness Week – 16th to 22nd November

Next week is Alcohol Awareness Week, run by the charity Alcohol Change UK.

The annual campaign’s aim is to get people thinking and talking about alcohol and its effect on our lives and those around us, and to take actions to change our drinking behaviour for the better.

This year’s theme is Alcohol and Mental Health. In a year of extraordinary change and uncertainty, it offers us a chance to think about ways in which we may sometimes use alcohol to help us cope when we’re feeling low, anxious, stressed or worried. It also offers opportunities to highlight some of the more serious mental health problems that can go hand-in-hand with very heavy drinking.

Key facts:

  • 10.4 million adults are estimated to drink at harmful levels.
  • More than twenty people each day die as a result of the harm caused by alcohol.
  • Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions including liver disease, high blood pressure, depression and seven types of cancer.
  • Around 1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year and drinking too much too often can increase our risk.

Throughout next week, we will share resources and information regarding the links between alcohol and mental health along with signposting to help and support if you have concerns about your alcohol consumption or that of a loved one.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 15 October 2020

City and County acquires Advance Healthcare UK Limited

It is with great pleasure that we announce that on 8th October we completed the purchase of Advance Healthcare UK Limited (AHUK). AHUK is a homecare business providing a range of care services – including domiciliary care, Extra Care, prison services and daycare.

AHUK is based in the West Midlands and operates 10 Extra Care schemes, as well as delivering homecare packages for a number of Local Authorities in the area. In addition, our purchase of AHUK will help build City & County’s presence in daycare and introduce our brand to prison services. AHUK is well-respected in the market for the quality of its care, with 100% ‘Good’ CQC inspection ratings.

AHUK fits our strategy to acquire community care businesses to which we can add our financial and technical resources to help their growth. AHUK’s services will help further strengthen City & County’s position as the UK’s leading homecare provider.

Ambulance crew say thanks to our Ulverston Branch

Emma Cooper, one of our registered managers, received an inspiring email this week recognising three amazing care workers from HSG’s Ulverston branch. The crew were called to the home of a service user earlier this month, and were thoroughly impressed by the professionalism of the HSG team, writing:

 

“We would just like to say a massive thank you to the staff who were with the patient that night and went above and beyond for him. The compassion, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by the staff was outstanding so much so that it took us back.

 

“The staff could not have done enough for the patient and they were willing to sit with him in his final hours through the night if they had to. This complete act of selfless kindness deserves recognition as it is rare to see a group of people so dedicated to their work as they were. Job well done guys.”

Emma told us, “These three carers – Tim Balchin, Nicola Henry and Chloe Cunliffe – went above and beyond for the service user in his final hours”.

Rating success for The Windings scheme

Congratulations to team at The Windings Extra Care scheme in Cheshire West. The scheme has been rated ‘Good’ in all areas in its first draft report.

Scott Higgins-Wright, Regional Manager – Central, would like to say special thank you to the scheme manager, Maxine, and to Kim Nicholson for the support they gave.

A huge ‘well done’ to everyone who helped with this inspection.

Considerate care in a crisis

We were contacted this week by Ross McCrann, branch manager for Guardian Homecare, about a heartfelt complement the Preston team had received from the family of a service user. The message was in response to the exceptional crisis care delivered from the branch, and in particular the dedication of care worker Joanne Collins:

“Please could you pass on our heartfelt thanks for the wonderful care my mother in law has received whilst under crisis. I am very grateful for how well the team have respected her dignity, rights and provided a high standard of care.

“I have worked in care all my life including management of a care home, currently as a manager of care assessors and trainers, and unfortunately have seen first-hand what poor care looks like, but have only witnessed good compassionate care from the staff at Guardian.

“I would like to make a special mention to Joanne, she gave lovely supportive care when my mother in law wasn’t herself. The following day Joanne ensured she left me a message so I would know how my mother in law was, this continuity was very important as it helped me identify a change in her health and behaviour.

“Joanne has taken the time to get to know my mother in law and us her family. Again thank you for the fantastic care given.”

Amazing work by Joanne and the team in Preston.

Praise for the Comfort Call Gloucester team

Nicola Johnson, Branch Manager at Comfort Call in Cheltenham, wanted to share an amazing message she’d received this week. The family of a client contacted the branch to recognise the exceptional care that the Gloucester Team had delivered to their mother:

“How can I begin to thank you for all you did for my mum over the last few months? We could not have continued to care for her at home without you and it was very important to us that she stayed with her family at this difficult time. You were always cheerful, compassionate and professional in your conduct and we loved having you in our home. I am sorry we cannot thank you personally or say goodbye.

“You did so much more than just give her cold water – you treated her as kindly as if she was your own mum!

“Thank you on behalf of all the clients and families you continue to serve. You may never know the full impact and value of what you do, but I hope you feel pleased and proud that you are doing a great job!”

Thank you to everyone for the great work you’re doing to improve the lives of our service users and their families.

/by
,

Weekly Blog 9 October 2020

10th October is World Mental Health Day

Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but 10 October is a great day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing.

If you know someone who may be struggling with mental health, it can be difficult to know what to do, or if you are a sufferer yourself, it can be even harder to know who to turn to.

Don’t forget that our mental health is just like our physical health – everybody has it and we need to take care of it.

Helping others

If you’re worried about someone and unsure how to help, here are 3 top tips:

  1. Don’t be judgemental – try  to understand their situation
  2. Speak to them – be a listening ear and allow them to open up
  3. Get prepared – know what to do in a crisis

Please visit the World Mental Health campaign website for more information and resources.

Recognition for our Comfort Call team in Tameside

We were contacted this week by Joanne Brannen, Regional Manager – North West and West Yorkshire, about some amazing news she’d received from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. Tameside, along with Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership, had been shortlisted for the prestigious National HPMA awards.

The shortlisting was for the The University of Bradford award for cross-sector working, and recognised a pilot scheme which the Comfort Call branch was instrumental in setting up. The team at Tameside was very pleased to confirm that the scheme had won the award.

Dave Wilson, manager of the Tameside commissioning team, said; “I wanted to say a huge thank you for your work. You should all be very proud of this.”

Dave continued, “This will be a proper achievement and something that, already, other authorities are looking at doing and are asking us for advice. Well done Comfort Call and thank you very much for being so fab to work with.”

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Flu vaccine update

Owing to the level of demand, supplies of the seasonal flu vaccine are being delayed. It is important, however, that as many people as possible have the vaccine this year, so we urge you to keep checking with your pharmacist or GP and to get your jab as soon as you can.

Public Health Wales has confirmed that in line with the other UK nations, home care staff in Wales are eligible for the flu vaccine free of charge from community pharmacies.

A thank you to staff at Bowles Lodge

Magda Trepczynska, Regional Manager – South, has been in touch to pass on some wonderful feedback from the family of a service user. The resident of the Bowles Lodge Extra Care scheme in Kent had sadly contracted Covid-19, and her family had nothing but praise for the team’s response:

“I just wanted to give some feedback over the unprecedented last few months. The care that mum has received has been excellent, you and your staff have gone over and above in meeting the needs of the residents. Undertaking shopping, keeping supplies and increasing calls have all ensured her welfare. Thank you for the support, and helping the relatives and carers like myself to step back in order to protect during the pandemic knowing our loved ones are safe.

“Once again huge thanks and hoping the next few months will see life get back to a more normal.”

Amazing feedback, and the team have clearly made a huge impact for this family during the pandemic.

A poem about mental health

Following our article on mental health awareness last week, Gail Hodgkinson from our central recruitment team got in touch to share a poem, Samaritan, she’s written on the subject.

Gail told us, “In support of mental health week, and in view of the effect the current pandemic is having on so many, please find a short poem I wrote some years back. I hope it reaches out.”

Samaritan

The lifeless eyes were cold, yet bright,

She really didn’t want to die tonight,

She dialled the number “please talk me down”,

The unsung soldier was always around

The volunteer that came in peace,

For all he could offer was a release,

To talk it through, ‘til it made sense,

To give her fear less credence.

He helped to dry up all those tears,

A culmination of years and years,

With mug of tea in wise old hand,

The unlikely hero from tank top land,

But tonight he may have saved a life,

A gentle ear, a shoulder wide,

So don’t under rate our distant friend,

Samaritans listen to the bitter end.

Thank you Gail, we hope the poem connects with anyone whose mental health and wellbeing has been affected by the pandemic. If you need to speak to someone, don’t forget it’s free to call Samaritans on 116 123 where you can get confidential support.

More contract success in Redcar and Cleveland

In addition to the successful Comfort Call bid in Redcar and Cleveland we reported last week, we’re pleased to confirm that the Careline Homecare have also retained their contract in the area. Alongside Comfort Call, the Careline team will continue to provide care in a new framework contract starting from November.

A huge ‘well done’ to the bid team and everyone in the local ops team who contributed to the bid and secured the contract.

 

/by
,

Weekly Blog 2 October 2020

Don’t forget about flu vaccinations

Flu vaccinations are now available for care workers across the UK without charge. Please encourage your care teams to get the seasonal jab this year to help reduce pressure on primary health services due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reducing flu cases will mean services can focus their resources on the coronavirus, also helping to keep staff absence down.

In England, home care workers should visit their GP or community pharmacy (although it is advisable to check availability beforehand). There is no official requirement to provide ID or a voucher, but we do recommend that care workers take their ID badge, payslip or some other form of evidence of their care worker role in case they are challenged. Some resources for branch managers are here.

In Wales, care workers can obtain their vaccination from their community pharmacy. Branch managers can find posters and other resources here.

In Scotland, vaccination is being arranged via local NHS Boards, who will be contacting social care providers directly (if they have not done so already).

In Northern Ireland, vaccines are being provided through participating community pharmacies from week commencing 28th September. Branch managers are advised to check here whether their local pharmacy is participating in the scheme. The RQIA will also be providing home care agencies with posters to raise awareness.

Supporting our mental health

The pandemic is testing all of us in different ways, and prioritising our own mental health is really important in ensuring we have the resources to deal with it. However, it can sometimes be hard to know where to start.

 

We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass, but sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to any one of us.

 

 

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10th October every year. The day is held globally to encourage people to think about their own, and others’ mental health, and to raise awareness of efforts to support positive mental health and wellbeing.

 

Whether you want to take the first steps towards getting some help or learn more about helping those around you, there are many different ways to get help and support:

Maria’s recognition from Southwark Council

We were delighted to hear about some fantastic recognition for Maria Vizureanu, a Supervisor from our London Care team at Lew Evans House. Juliana Ingabese, Maria’s area manager, contacted us to confirm that Maria had been nominated for the Southwark Care Awards.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Southwark Council wrote directly to Maria to let her know the good news, stating; “we wanted to thank you for the work you do, and continue to do through this pandemic”.

Sadly, this year’s awards ceremony had to be cancelled because of event restrictions during the pandemic. However, Southwark Council will be recognising Maria and other amazing carers in the borough with a ‘Thank You Southwark Carers’ video. Maria and the other nominees have been asked to provide photos and videos which show a positive message about the care industry during this challenging time.

We can’t wait to see the video, congratulations Maria.

Contract win in Redcar and Cleveland

The bid team has received formal notification that Comfort Call has been successful in its bid to retain our homecare contract with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. The company will now continue to provide care in the area, delivered from the Middlesbrough Comfort Call branch.

Congratulations to the bid team and those in the local ops team that contributed to the bid who secured the new framework contract starting from 1st November.

Last chance for our branch September Special Prize Draw

Don’t miss out! We’re rewarding branches with the chance to win a bonus for your team this month. But time is running out! Every branch that reaches their target for new packages by Sunday 4th October will be entered into a live prize draw.

  • For all branches under 1,500 hours: Every location starting 15 new packages by 4th October will be entered into a draw, with three winning branches each receiving a bonus of £1,000 to be spent on the team as they choose.
  • For all branches between 1,501 and 3,500 hours: Every location starting 25 new packages by 4th October will be entered into a draw, with three winning branches each receiving a bonus of £1,500 to be spent on the team as they choose.
  • For all branches delivering 3,501+ hours: Every location starting 35 new packages by 4th October will be entered into a draw, with three winning branches each receiving a bonus of £2,000 to be spent on the team as they choose.

We’ll be totalling up the packages and announcing the winners in the next few days, so don’t miss your chance to get involved.

Remember, the only restrictions are that we won’t be including TUPE transfers as well as crisis and rapid responses. Good luck!

If you have any questions on the scheme please raise them with your regional management.

Welcome to our new branch and scheme managers

A warm welcome to our newest branch and scheme managers working across City & County Healthcare Group.

In Salford, we were recently joined by Amanda Lowe. Amanda will be managing Extra Care schemes in the area.

Welcome as well to Lisa O Reilly, who has started her new role at the HSG branch in Liverpool and the nearby Latham Court Extra Care scheme.

We look forward to getting to know you both.

/by