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JUL/AUG 2023 Issue 19 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
Issue 86
Dementia Care “Stuck in 20th Century” As Charities Call for “Cancer Style Revolution”
Dementia care in England has been branded "stuck in the 20th century" in a hard-hitting new report that calls for a transformation on the scale of the revolution seen in cancer treatment over the past 50 years. The King's Fund and Alzheimer's Society have jointly published a blueprint urging the Government, NHS and social care leaders to replicate the progress made in cancer care, where survival rates have almost doubled since the early
1970s — an era when a diagnosis was widely regarded as a death sentence. The report identifies the key drivers behind that transformation, including strong leadership, shifting public attitudes, clear diagnostic and treatment targets, and better-quality data, as the template dementia services must now follow if outcomes for patients and families are to improve.
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PAGE 2 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
VIEWPOINT CALLS FOR A 'CARE REVOLUTION'
Our thoughts are with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, following the death of his father Roy Editor after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Mr Burnham has spoken candidly and movingly about his father's illness, including the poignant fact that Roy never knew his son had become Prime Minister. It's a story that will resonate deeply with so many of our readers, and everyone across the care sector, who understand all too well the particular cruelty of dementia and the toll it takes not just on those diagnosed, but on the families who walk that journey alongside them. It feels fitting, then, that this issue also brings news of real momentum on the political front. Charities' calls for a "cancer style revolution" in dementia care are long overdue, and it's genuinely refreshing to see the story headlined not just here, but across leading news outlets nationwide. For too long, dementia has been treated as an inevitability to be managed rather than a condition deserving the same urgency, investment and accountability we extend to other major illnesses. The news that government is to appoint the country's first National Dementia Tsar is similarly welcome, and similarly overdue. Unlike cancer, which has long operated under strict diagnostic timelines such as the 28-day target, dementia has never had an equivalent national waiting-time guarantee. Backed by sustained campaigning from the Alzheimer's Society and health leaders across the sector, the new Tsar will champion a maximum 18-week referral-to-diagnosis target, aimed squarely at the bottleneck that currently leaves families waiting months, sometimes years, for a formal diagnosis and the answers, support and care planning that follow it. The human cost of that delay is stark. A recent survey found that a staggering 1,500 people give up work every single day to care for someone— a huge emotional and financial burden, and one that simply cannot be allowed to continue unaddressed. Change, when it comes, rarely arrives quickly enough for those living it right now. But these are steps in the right direction, and ones our sector should welcome and hold government to. A quick note before we go: if you're planning to visit the Care Show at Birmingham's NEC this October — the UK's largest social care trade event — please do stop by our stand. We're always keen to hear your thoughts, opinions and feedback, so come and find us at Stand B68. I would also encourage our readers to sign up for our bi-weekly digital newsletterand weekly digital editions at www.thecareruk.com and follow us on social media for all the latest news. I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com
Peter Adams
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THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 3
Dementia Care "Stuck in 20th Century" As Charities Call for “Cancer Style Revolution”
(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) An estimated one million people in the UK currently live with dementia, with that number projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. The annual cost to the economy expected to double to £90 billion over the same period, and charities are warning warn that progress must happen far more quickly than it did for cancer.
“STUCK IN 20TH CENTURY” A survey of dementia carers commissioned as part of the report found a significant gap between experiences of dementia and cancer care. Among the quarter of respondents able to compare the two directly, 51% rated their experience of dementia care as worse, against just 11% who rated it better. Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said: 'There was a time when cancer was thought of as a death sentence, frequently referred to as the 'Big C', such was the fear around a diagnosis. Whilst still a major killer claiming far too many lives, many people are living well and after cancer and there has been a remarkable transformation in cancer outcomes in a relatively short space of time.' 'The same cannot be said for dementia care, with approaches to treatment still stuck in the 20th century. There is ambition that this might be about to change, with recent major scientific advancements giving hope that dementia treatment on the cusp of a cancer-style revolution in care.' 'We will only be able to fulfil this potential if the health and care system is ready to diagnose dementia swiftly and roll out new innovations at scale.' 'That is currently far from the case, and we believe that lessons can be learnt from the progress made in cancer.'
UK’S BIGGEST KILLER Michelle Dyson, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, contrasted the clear diagnostic and treatment pathway offered to cancer patients with the experience of many people with dementia, who can wait years for a diagnosis and are often left with little more than a leaflet afterwards. “If you have cancer, it is treated urgently, you get a specific diagnosis, and there is a clear pathway that takes you through your care and treatment. “With dementia, it can be years before you get a diagnosis and, all too often, people are sent home with a leaflet and little else. “Both are horrendous conditions, and there is still much to do for cancer care, but people’s experiences are worlds apart. “I know first-hand, as a former director general in the Department of Health and Social Care, what happens when something is made a priority, with proper targets, investment, leadership and accountability. We desperately need this for dementia. “Urgency is critical. Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and we cannot afford for this to take 50 years. Government must make dementia a priority and learn what it can from cancer to create a future where dementia no longer devastates lives.”
18-WEEK REFERRAL Baroness Casey has put forward a similar recommendation. In a letter sent to former Health Secretary Wes Streeting in March, she argued that dementia care should be brought in line with treatment for other conditions — suggesting, for instance, national diagnostic standards including an 18-week target for referral to treatment. In comments to the BBC, Baroness Casey backed the idea of modelling dementia care on the cancer
treatment approach. She suggested that the NHS, and society more broadly, has been avoiding the issue for too long, and argued it's time to commit to a comparable national push on dementia without further delay.
DEMENTIA TSAR The call for “cancer style revolution” in dementia care comes as the Department of Health and Social Care officially launches a search for England's first national dementia tsar. A job advertisement published on the department's website confirms the successful candidate will be expected to deliver "the leadership, focus and accountability needed to drive change with urgency, ambition and sustained focus." The postholder will report directly to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and will receive an annual salary of £171,600 for the full-time position. The advert was published only hours after Social Care Minister Alison McGovern addressed the Alzheimer's Society's annual conference in London, telling delegates that dementia "has been neglected for far too long" and that patients and their families are too often left to cope with a fragmented system during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. According to the official advertisement, the role is intended to support the Prime Minister's pledge to reform adult social care, and will carry "the full weight of the government behind it." The successful candidate will be tasked with setting strategic direction, uniting partners across sectors, and speeding up progress across government, the NHS, social care, research, life sciences and the voluntary sector. Michelle Dyson CB added: “We welcome the start of the recruitment process for the Dementia Tsar, recommended by Baroness Casey. This will help dementia at last receive the attention that is so desperately needed and long overdue. “A Dementia Tsar must be a catalyst for change and drive forward the progress we need in research, diagnosis and social care. They must champion dementia as both an NHS and social care priority and have the power to bring together leaders across all sectors. Above all they need to involve people living with dementia and their loved ones. “This is a real opportunity for the UK government to deliver on their commitments and change the future for people living with dementia.”
GIVING UP JOBS The search for a dementia Tsar comes as new research reveals that around 1,500 people across Britain are giving up their jobs every day to become unpaid carers. The findings show carers are increasingly being forced to choose between their livelihoods and looking after vulnerable relatives, as they struggle to balance mounting care needs against a backdrop of shrinking access to state-funded social care. The figure marks a 150% rise since 2019, when the charity's last public poll on the issue found that nearly half a million (468,000) unpaid carers had left work over the previous two years — equivalent to more than 600 people a day at the time. The research also found that one in five workers (20%) are now juggling paid employment with unpaid caring responsibilities, a significant rise from 15% in 2019. Of these, one in five people overall (21%) — rising to almost two-thirds (59%) of working carers — reported that their caring responsibilities have had a negative impact on their employment at some point. This has included reduced working hours, moves into lower-paid roles, missed career opportunities, or having to change employers altogether in order to continue providing care.
PAGE 4 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Another Decade of Broken Promises? Adult Social Care Cannot Wait Any Longer Why the next decade must be defined by delivery, not delay Exclusive article by Nadra Ahmed CBE DL, Executive Co-Chair, National Care Association (www.nationalcareassociation.org.uk) “Paying below the true cost of care does not save money. It moves the cost somewhere else.” Adult social care enables millions of people to live with dignity, promoting choice and independence within safe environments. It creates a cornerstone of support for families and communities and contributes significantly to our economy. Essentially it is an invaluable partner to the NHS. For too long, social care has been expected to deliver more, for people with healthcare and complex need with no recognition of its value or the skills of its workforce. The National Care Association's (NCA) latest report, Another Decade of Broken Promises, looks back at ten years of extraordinary change. It tells a reality of a resilient and innovative sector and the promises of reform which repeatedly failed to materialise or create change. The sector has lived through systematic changes like Brexit, a pandemic, workforce shortages, evolving and changing immigration policies, rising employment and operating costs, regulatory reform and increasing complexity of need, all statutory changes. Providers have adapted through each challenge because the people who depend on care cannot wait for the system to stabilise or catch up. It is crucial that resilience must never be mistaken for sustainability.
SOCIAL CARE HAS CHANGED The adult social care of today is very different from that of a decade ago. The good news is that people
are living longer, often with multiple and increasingly complex conditions. Providers and their highly skilled teams are taking on responsibilities that increasingly cross the traditional boundary between health and social care within insufficient resources. The sector has responded to the needs with providers investing in their workforce, embracing technology and innovation, adapted delivery models and developed new ways of supporting people to remain independent in their own homes and communities. They have done this without the investment needed to create sustainability. Commissioning practice is a clear example where fees do not reflect the true cost of delivering safe, highquality, person-centered care. Poor commissioning leaves providers with less investment capacity for their services and their workforce and makes recruitment and retention more challenging. The knock-on effect is that people wait longer for support, hospital discharge becomes more difficult and ultimately the pressure returns to the NHS, and the public purse pays more.
SOCIAL CARE AND THE NHS CANNOT BE VIEWED SEPARATELY For decades, social care has existed in the shadow of the NHS despite the fact that social care is a sector in its own right, and the backbone to the functioning of our wider health and care system. It creates pathways for recovery, prevents deterioration, supports independence and enables people to leave hospital safely to start their journey to recovery. If we are serious about reducing pressure on hospitals, prevention must become the key link in every policy. Investing earlier in care and support can help people remain independent for longer, reduce escalation of need and improve quality of life. Government and commissioners therefore need to look beyond the immediate price of a care package and recognise its value across the whole system. We must also recognise the extraordinary contribution of unpaid carers of all ages. Families across the country quietly hold together a system that would simply not function without them. They cannot continue to be treated as an inexhaustible and silent army.
ANOTHER COMMISSION CANNOT MEAN ANOTHER DELAY Successive governments have promised social care reform through a plethora of reviews, commissions, consultations, Green Papers and policy announcements and now we have the Casey Commission! We welcome its work, but its recommendations must become a catalyst for action, not another chapter in a history of good intentions followed by insufficient delivery.
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THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 5
Public Supports Social Care Reform New polling from the Health Foundation and Ipsos has revealed strong public support for reforming social care, but no clear consensus on how any additional funding should be raised. The survey found widespread pessimism about the state of the system, with four in ten people (40%) saying standards of social care had worsened over the past year, compared with just 4% who felt they had improved. Confidence in political leadership on the issue was similarly low, with only 9% of respondents believing the government had the right policies in place for social care at the time the survey was conducted, and underlines the scale of the challenge facing policymakers as pressure mounts for a long-term, sustainably funded solution to the sector's problems. As the Casey Commission begins its ’Big Conversation’ on the future of social care in England, the polling finds misconceptions about the current system. Fewer than half of the public in England (44%) correctly understand that social care is not generally free at the point of need, while 39% incorrectly believe that it is. A third (34%) mistakenly think the NHS provides most social care for older people. These findings reinforce Casey’s view that previous attempts at major reform have failed due to a lack of public understanding and consent.
STATE ROLE Previous research has shown that an overwhelming majority of the public support a greater role for the state in funding social care, which remains a high priority for increased public spending, behind only the NHS and defence. But the new polling shows views are mixed on how
to fund additional investment, underlining the political challenge facing Casey and Burnham as they seek to build the broad political consensus needed to deliver reform. An additional tax earmarked for social care and reducing spending on other public services are the two most popular options from those presented, each supported by 23% of the public. Other options attract lower levels of support, including increasing income tax (16%), inheritance tax (15%) and National Insurance contributions (14%). Around one in five people (18%) do not think the government should increase spending on social care. Views also differ by political affiliation. Support for a dedicated social care tax is higher among Labour voters (32%), but there is less support among those voting Green (18%) and Reform UK (20%), with Conservative voters (25%) aligned with the public overall. Conservative voters are more likely to favour reducing spending on other public services to fund social care (30%), with Green (22%) and Reform UK (26%) voters more aligned with the overall public view. Labour voters show less support for this option (13%).
SUBSIDISE PROFITS With Andy Burnham having raised concerns about taxpayers’ money being used to subsidise the profits of private providers, the survey also found that just 5% of the public think care providers should be private, for-profit companies. While there is a clear preference for social care to be provided by non-profit or state-owned organisations, 85% of care homes in England are currently run for profit, underlining the scale of change that would be needed to reverse this and the important role of the ‘Big Conversation’ in discussing trade-offs with the public.
In contrast to social care, public perceptions of the NHS have continued to improve, with pessimism at its lowest level (34%) since our polling series began in 2021. However, confidence remains fragile and the public continues to prioritise improving A&E waiting times (36%) and easier access to GP appointments (35%) over improving waiting times for routine hospital treatment (28%), the government’s top priority under Sir Keir Starmer.
DEEPLY CONCERNED Lucinda Allen, Senior Policy Fellow at the Health Foundation, said, “Our findings suggest there is a significant gap between the social care system people want and the one that exists today. People remain deeply concerned about the quality of care, and many continue to misunderstand how the current system works. “With care mainly provided by for-profit companies, the fact that only 5% of the public think this is how most care providers should be owned is striking. Attempting to reverse this would be expensive, time consuming and cause major upheaval in the sector, so needs to be carefully weighed against other priorities for improving care or alternatives like stronger regulation of providers. “With many people going without the care they need and strain on the system high, Andy Burnham rightly wants to move quickly with reforming social care. The Casey Commission’s Big Conversation provides an important opportunity to build public understanding of the current system and explore the trade-offs involved in reforming it. Meaningful social care reform will require state investment, but the cost of inaction for people who need care and their families is substantial, so the Prime Minister is right to put his political capital behind it.”
Veteran Signs WWII Rifle at Care Home in Bognor Regis Residents and staff at Bradshaw Lodge care home in Bognor recently welcomed Jay Hawkins from Cambridgeshire to meet resident Harry Wilkes, aged 101, one of Britain’s remaining Second World War veterans. Jay has been on a journey across the UK to meet surviving veterans of the Second World War. His mission is to ensure their stories are never forgotten by collecting signatures on a deactivated 1939 rifle, which will eventually be displayed in a museum alongside photographs gathered during his travels. Harry was the 160th veteran to add his signature to the rifle. At the age of 19 in 1943, Harry volunteered for service in The Navy on the HMS BRECON until the end of the war. Harry first shipped out
to Malta, where he was one of the first new radar operators. Harry said, “It was good to talk with Jay about my time in The Navy, and to meet Jay himself.” Teresa May, the General Manager at Bradshaw Lodge, added, “Welcoming Jay to our home was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Harry and the extraordinary experiences he’s had. The visit created a real buzz throughout Bradshaw Lodge. “Seeing residents’ histories documented in such a personal way reminds us of the importance of preserving these first-hand accounts for future generations. We are delighted to have supported the project and to have shared in such a special moment of recognition for Harry.”
PAGE 6 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Burnham’s Social Care Plan: New Tax, Same Unfunded Promises?
By Kevin Hewlett MBE MSc, Executive Chairman, Hale Place Care Solutions (www.haleplace.co.uk)
Andy Burnham says this time will be different. He has promised to fast-track the Casey Commission’s review of adult social care and has spoken about creating a National Care Service that sits alongside the NHS, is “highly integrated”, “preventative in its character” and “person-centred”. I sincerely hope he succeeds. After almost four decades working in social care, nobody needs to persuade me that the system requires reform. I have watched families enter it at the worst moments of their lives—frightened, exhausted and unsure where to turn—only to find themselves battling assessments, rules and arguments about money. I have seen good providers expected to deliver more while being paid less than it truly costs to provide safe, dignified and personalised care. But the greatest failures are suffered by the people themselves. I have taken calls from relatives in tears because their mother has been left alone in hospital in soiled clothing, while meals have been placed beside her and later removed untouched because nobody recognised that she could not eat, drink or use the toilet without reassurance and support. Beyond hospitals, people receiving care at home have been left waiting for visits that arrived late or did not arrive at all. In residential and home care, shortages of familiar staff can turn support into a hurried list of tasks, leaving vulnerable people hungry, uncomfortable, frightened and unseen. This is what the failure of personalised care looks like, which is why reform matters. But social care has been promised reform for more than 30 years. We have had commissions, Green Papers, White Papers, legislation, consultations and repeated funding announcements. This history does not make those of us in social care resistant to change. It makes us cautious about promises.
MUCH OF WHAT BURNHAM PROMISES IS ALREADY SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN Burnham wants social care to be “highly integrated” with the NHS, preventative and person-centred. Yet health and social care are already expected to work together through Integrated Care Systems, the Better Care Fund and national hospital-discharge policies. Person-centred care is already a legal requirement under Regulation 9. The aims are not new. What has failed is their delivery. A hospital can say that someone is ready to leave, but that does not mean a suitable service is available to receive them. A social worker cannot buy a care package that does not exist, and a discharge coordinator cannot make an unsuitable placement suitable. A care service that is financially unviable cannot suddenly become sustainable while being paid the same inadequate fee. The evidence is stark. In the ADASS Spring Survey 2025, 56% of responding council areas reported that providers had closed, ceased trading or handed back contracts during the previous six months, affecting more than 4,000 people. A pathway cannot be seamless when the service at the end of it has closed.
PERSONALISED CARE REQUIRES PEOPLE Person-centred care means knowing someone’s history, routines, relationships, fears and abilities. It may mean recognising that a person with dementia who refuses to get dressed is frightened, confused or in pain. That requires enough staff, continuity, training and workers who are not rushing from task to task. If staffing levels allow only enough time to wash, dress, support eating and drinking and administer medication, the service may complete its basic duties, but it is only supporting the person to exist, not live. That is not personalised care. It is standardised, routine, task-oriented care wearing a personalised label. “Closer to NHS standards” Burnham has spoken about moving the social-care workforce closer to NHS standards in pay, training, job security, employment benefits and career progression. If that is what he means, there is a strong case for it. Care workers deserve employment conditions that reflect the skill, responsibility and emotional demands of their work. But social care should not be treated as a lesser version of healthcare. It has its own knowledge, values and specialist skills, whether staff are supporting older people, adults with learning disabilities, people living with dementia or those with complex physical and mental health needs. Good social care requires patience, judgement, emotional intelligence and the ability to build trusting relationships. Staff must understand the person beyond their diagnosis, recognise changes in behaviour or
wellbeing and support choice while managing risk. Those qualities are not easily taught through a checklist, and not everyone is suited to the work. The social-care workforce does not need to become more like the NHS workforce. It needs its own expertise to be recognised and properly rewarded, with investment that allows providers to offer pay, security, training, benefits and career opportunities comparable to those available to NHS healthcare support workers.
BETTER PAY—BUT PAID FOR BY WHOM? Providers cannot improve wages, training and job security with money they have not received. A council cannot say a provider’s fee is too high while government expects that same provider to pay more, train more, employ more staff and deliver genuinely personalised care. When fees do not meet the true cost, vacancies remain unfilled, turnover rises and experienced workers leave. Continuity is lost, while private residents may be charged more to compensate for inadequate public fees—another uncomfortable reality. If Burnham wants better employment conditions, care providers must receive substantially higher fees. Simply changing the way social care is financed will achieve little if councils continue paying the same inadequate rates. Government already acknowledges that provider fees, workforce capacity, retention and waiting times are directly connected. They are central measures within the existing Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund. The problem is not that nobody understands the relationship. The problem is that providers have still not been given a clear commitment that council rates will rise sufficiently to fund the workforce Burnham says he wants.
CAPACITY REQUIRES MARKET CONFIDENCE Paying existing providers enough to survive is only part of the answer. The system also needs more capacity. If government wants more home-care services, more care-home places and providers able to accept urgent admissions to free hospital beds, it must make delivering those services commercially viable. Existing providers need enough margin to invest and expand. New organisations need confidence that council-funded care will not be purchased at a loss. Profit should not be an embarrassing word. A reasonable return funds training, resilience and growth. Without it, providers will not expand. Different areas will need different fees because wages, property costs, travelling distances and recruitment pressures vary. The issue is not whether every council pays the same rate, but whether each local rate reflects the real cost of quality care in that location. In some areas, that may require increases of 15% or 20%. If that is the true price, government must say so honestly and fund it. Without market confidence, small local providers will not establish new services, larger organisations will not expand, and existing providers will continue handing back contracts they cannot deliver sustainably.
A DIFFERENT TAX IS NOT YET REFORM Burnham may support a dedicated social-care levy or another means of raising additional revenue. That could provide more money, but collecting money differently is not reform. Most of the outcomes he describes—integration, prevention, personalised care, timely discharge and workforce development—are already supposed to happen. The underlying problem is that the system lacks the capacity and funding to deliver them consistently. ADASS has warned that council and adult social-care budgets are insufficient to meet all legal duties while also investing properly in prevention. The decisive question is what happens to any new money. Will councils be required to pay providers substantially more? Will rates cover better wages, training, staffing and urgent capacity? Will they encourage new services to enter the market and existing providers to expand? Burnham has not yet made that commitment. Without it, the same policies will remain, the same inadequate fees will continue, and the same failures will persist beneath a new funding label. I want meaningful social care reform. But social care does not need another description of what good care should look like. We already know. He has described the destination. Now he must explain what will genuinely change, how much more providers will receive and why this promise will succeed where so many others have failed.
Beyond the Breaking Point: When Care Staff Are Asked to Do the Impossible By Stephanie Ryde I have worked in many roles across the care sector, and those varied experiences have given me a deep understanding of the challenges faced by care teams. Although each situation I encountered had its own details, the underlying issues were strikingly familiar — the same pressures, the same struggles, repeated across services and echoed in countless conversations with colleagues. Many of us were trying to deliver compassionate care in environments that continually asked us to operate beyond our limits, without the emotional or practical support needed to do so safely. I have seen first hand how poor funding, low resources, high turnover, and chronic understaffing create a cycle that is impossible to sustain. These pressures don’t reflect a lack of commitment within the workforce — far from it. They reflect systems that are stretched to breaking point. When staffing levels fall, everything feels the impact: safe staffing ratios, equipment maintenance, record keeping, communication, and access to specialist support. The result is a working culture where staff are expected to manage situations that contradict the very values our care system is built on — dignity, safety, and person centred practice. I have been placed alone with individuals exhibiting aggressive behaviours, sometimes as a new starter without the training or experience needed to manage such risks. I have been responsible for entire bays of patients with dementia through the night, unable to reach someone who had fallen because I was supporting another distressed individual. These situations were described as
“inevitable” due to staffing pressures, even though they were clearly avoidable in a properly resourced environment. In one role, I wasn’t even provided with individualised care plans to guide safe, person centred support. This wasn’t due to neglect — it was the result of overstretched staff, poor communication, and the difficulty of accessing behavioural specialists. It became clear to me that meaningful change requires a holistic approach: proper funding, better emotional and practical support for staff, and access to tools that genuinely reduce risk and prevent escalation. Without these, the system cannot uphold the values it claims to prioritise.
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THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 7
Care Home Occupancy Edges Up as Digital Records Reach Record Levels, Latest DHSC Figures Show Care home occupancy across England has continued a gradual climb through the summer, according to the latest quarterly adult social care provider statistics published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 3 September 2026. The data, drawn from the Capacity Tracker system and CQC provider information returns, shows that 86.8% of total care home beds were occupied in the week ending 14 August 2026 — nudging above the 12month average of 86.2%. The figure had dipped below that average between December 2025 and May 2026 before beginning a steady rise from June onwards. Of the remaining beds, 10.2% were vacant and admittable, while 3.0% were vacant but unavailable for admission. Both figures have remained broadly stable over the past year.
REGIONAL DIVIDE PERSISTS As has been the pattern in previous reports, occupancy varied considerably by region. London recorded the highest occupancy rate at 90.9%, while the East Midlands lagged behind at 82.9% — a gap that was mirrored in vacancy figures, with the East Midlands reporting the highest proportion of admittable vacant beds (13.4%) and London the lowest (6.9%). Across bed types, occupancy was broadly consistent: 86.5% for non-specialist residential beds, 87.4% for non-specialist nursing beds, and 86.9% for specialist and other beds.
RESIDENT AND DOMICILIARY CARE NUMBERS There were 355,809 residents recorded in the 91.9% of care home providers that responded to the survey in the week ending 14 August 2026. This included 331,055 residents in older adult care homes and 24,754 in younger adult settings. Separately, 489,732 people were recorded as receiving CQC-regulated domiciliary care, based on responses from 81.2% of domiciliary care providers.
VISITING REMAINS STRONG The proportion of care homes able to accommodate visitors held steady at 99.0% for the week in question, continuing a trend of stability seen since September 2022. Regional variation was modest, ranging from 98.5% in the East Midlands to 99.3% in the South East.
COVID-RELATED STAFF ABSENCE STAYS LOW Staff absence linked to COVID-19 remained minimal, with 0.1% of both care home and domiciliary care staff absent for COVID-related reasons in the week ending 14 August 2026 — consistent with rates recorded over the past two years. Regional variation was negligible, with rates in care homes ranging from 0.0% to 0.1%, and in domiciliary care from 0.0% to 0.2%.
DIGITAL RECORDS UPTAKE CONTINUES TO GROW Perhaps the most notable development in this quarter’s release is the continued expansion of digital social care records (DSCRs). As of June 2026, an estimated 83.6% of CQC-registered provider locations had adopted a DSCR, up from 79.3% a year earlier. The proportion of people receiving care from providers with a DSCR in place also rose, reaching 91.9% in June 2026, compared with 88.3% in June 2025. A further 5.9% of provider locations were reported to be in the process of implementing a digital system, suggesting further gains are likely in the coming months.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE SECTOR The figures, according to the DHSC update point to a sector that remains under sustained occupancy pressure but is showing signs of resilience, with bed occupancy rising modestly and staff absence at historically low levels. The continued growth in digital records adoption — now approaching the mid-80s in percentage terms — reflects the ongoing shift away from paper-based systems across the residential and nursing care landscape, a transition DHSC has consistently highlighted as a priority. The next quarterly update is due for publication on 3 December 2026.
Admirals Reach Residents Take a Walk for a Good Cause, Raising £1,374 for Alzheimer’s Society Around 20 residents from Admirals Reach took part in the annual Memory Walk, alongside members of the care home team, family members and friends. The group set off from the car park at Admirals Reach before making their way to nearby Admirals Park, with residents supported throughout the walk using wheelchairs and walking frames. With the weather on their side, the group enjoyed getting out into the local community while raising money for a cause that is particularly meaningful to many of those at the care home. Armed with collection buckets, the team welcomed donations on the day, while further funds were raised through the care home’s JustGiving page. A resident’s family also helped boost the fundraising
total, alongside money raised through the sale of Alzheimer’s Society pins. Together, the efforts have raised £1,374 for the Alzheimer’s Society – an incredible achievement and a fantastic reflection of the generosity of residents, relatives, staff and the local community. Maxine Gower, Senior Wellbeing Coordinator at Admirals Reach Care Home, said: “What an amazing day we had at our annual Memory Walk. It was wonderful to see so many residents, staff, family and friends come together to support such an important cause. “We are absolutely thrilled to have raised £1,374 for the Alzheimer’s Society. It was a fantastic day, and we are so grateful to everyone who took part, donated and helped us reach such an incredible total.”
PAGE 8 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
The Benefits Of Activities In Care Home Life By Karen Case, a UK-based specialist in older-adult movement and functional independence Activities in care homes have many benefits for residents. They can improve physical and mental health, while creating a sense of community, purpose, structure and routine. Regular physical activity can help maintain mobility, improve balance and help prevent falls even for frail elderly people. Mental health can be supported through stimulation and social opportunities that help combat isolation and loneliness. For residents with cognitive impairments, activities can also provide mental stimulation and help with memory and cognitive function. Activities can have benefits for staff too. Seeing their positive impact
on residents can provide a real sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. I remember leading a chair-based Charleston routine in a care home. One lady had not engaged at all and looked like she was sleeping. Suddenly, she got out of her chair and began dancing, flapper style! It was amazing and the staff were buzzing at how she had suddenly ‘come alive’. The more staff can interact with residents through activities, the more likely it is that a sense of community will develop, improving the experience for residents and staff alike. Music should be compulsory! Most people exercise to some form of music and there is also a powerful relationship between music and memory. Our teenage years and twenties are times when we experience many things for the first time, and our musical preferences are formed during these years and become attached to those experiences.Music stimulates the production of dopamine – the feel-good hormone – and joyful, uplifting music can change our mood. It is one tool to which we all have access and quite possibly one of the simplest, cheapest and easiest ways to create joy, laughter and engagement in care homes. There is a significant body of research into why exercise and music are such an effective pairing. During exercise, music can distract from pain and fatigue, elevate mood, increase endurance and reduce perceived effort. Importantly for older people, evidence also suggests that exercising to music can have greater physical and cognitive benefits than
exercising without it. Physical activity in care homes has a different focus. We are not necessarily trying to make people fitter. We are promoting mobility, balance, cognitive function and independence. The goal is for people to live better for longer. I’ve always tried not to use the word ‘exercise’ around older adults – I prefer to talk about moving. Moving is less scary, and movement is natural! When a resident gets up to go from the lounge to the dining room - they are moving! And movement leads to more movement if we can present it in a way that feels achievable and enjoyable. Even chair based exercise can have significant health benefits if done consistently. Ultimately, movement can bring joy and connection to care home life while supporting mobility, helping to manage pain and enabling residents to maintain their independence for as long as possible. I believe it should be valued as an essential part of care, rather than simply an activity to fill the day.
Former Pilot, 94, Steps Back In Time By Reuniting With Vintage Plane
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BARBARA Cannon’s memories took flight at a recent visit to Old Warden Aerodrome when she had a special reunion with one of the planes she used to pilot. The intrepid flyer, who now lives at Cambridge Grove Care Home, in Fulbourn, was thrilled to see the 60-year-old Piper Cherokee 180C aeroplane during a visit to the airfield in Shuttleworth. Wellbeing Coach Andrea Murphy had heard that the plane, nicknamed ‘Dear old Whiskey X-ray’ due to its G-ASWX registration, was still flying and would be displayed as part of the historical aircraft collection. So, she arranged a trip to Shuttleworth and invited Barbara, 94, and her daughter Jane to visit and take a trip down memory lane together. Jane said: “It was amazing that Andrea had planned this outing to Shuttleworth with Mum in mind. It was a fabulous day with lots of lovely new memories made.” During her time as a pilot in the 1960s and 70s, Barbara regularly flew out of Stapleford and Hurn airports on the Piper Cherokee. She still keeps a cherished photo of herself with Jane and her son Nigel posing with the plane from the 1960s.
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Tim, one of the members of the consortium who own the plane, was delighted to facilitate a reunion between Barbara and her former craft, parking the plane near the visitors’ centre so Barbara could go ‘airside’ during her visit. Andrea said: “Tim kindly helped us create a very special moment for Barbara, who was full of smiles when she saw the Piper Cherokee. “She said it was painted slightly differently but still instantly recognisable. It was magical to see her face light up and to help her and Jane create such a moving memory together. “The highlight of Barbara’s day is when planes fly overhead at Cambridge Grove, and she always looks to the sky. “Thanks to Tim and everyone at the Shuttleworth Collection for making this visit such a success.”
Supporting Care. Enabling Better Lives. At the heart of every Care Home are the people who call it home. The residents, their families and the dedicated teams who work every day to make life safe, comfortable, fulfilling and meaningful. While providing exceptional care is the priority, making that happen involves so much more behind the scenes. From maintaining medical equipment and everyday essentials to compliance, training, budgets and unexpected challenges, there’s a lot to manage, and every decision can have an impact on the people who matter most. That’s where Fairfield Care comes in. For over 30 years, we’ve partnered with Care Homes across the UK, providing the products, expertise, and support they need to deliver outstanding care, remain compliant, and help their residents enjoy the best life possible. We don’t see ourselves simply as a supplier. We see ourselves as an extension of your team. By taking the time to understand your home, your people and your priorities, we help you find practical ways to save time and money, simplify procurement and ensure your teams have the right products, training
and support when they need them. Our extensive range brings together everything from medical and nursing equipment, to nursing consumables, infection control, housekeeping, laundry, catering and furniture, helping you spend less time managing suppliers and more time focusing on your residents. Our dedicated account management and servicing teams provide ongoing support, from training and cost-saving audits to LOLER inspections, preventative maintenance, repairs, installations and emergency call-outs. Keeping equipment safe, compliant and working as it should means your team can keep doing what they do best: caring. Today, more than 850 Care Homes partner with Fairfield Care. Because every home, every team and every resident is different, we work with you to understand what matters most, and provide tailored support that helps your home and residents thrive. 01234 324530 sales@fairfieldcare.co.uk www.fairfieldcare.co.uk See the advert on the facing page for details.
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 9
‘Social Care Stealth Tax’: 15 Years of Frozen Thresholds Can Set Some Care Users Back £12,400 A social care support threshold freeze since 2010/11 means that some people must spend an additional £12,400 of their own money before qualifying for state support, according to new analysis from The King’s Fund. Unlike healthcare, social care is means tested and only people with assets and savings below £23,250 qualify for state-funded support when they need it. But this figure has been frozen since 2010/11 – if it had been uprated in line with inflation, it would have been over £35,600 in 2026/27, finds the analysis. The King’s Fund is calling for this ‘stealth tax’ to be addressed as part of the major reform of the social care system in England promised by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who has brought forward Baroness Casey’s independent review by a year, to report in 2027. The King’s Fund says it demonstrates the need for reform to tackle the problems faced by around 220,000 ‘self-funders’ in England who must pay all their own social care costs, which can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. As well as the ‘stealth tax’ The King’s Fund’s analysis found that ‘self-funders’ have been subject to further injustices created by the system. People who pay for their own care face much higher fees than those funded by the local authority. Social care providers often raise charges for self funders to make up for lower rates paid for care by councils. The Competition and Markets Authority in 2017 found a 41% difference between self-funder rates and local authority rates and there is nothing to suggest that this gap has been
addressed. This means self funders not only keep less of their savings but also see them disappear more quickly because they are charged significantly more than people receiving state support. An immediate option to improve the social care system available to the Prime Minister would be to revise this threshold and bring it in line with inflation, The King’s Fund said. In fact, it has urged Andy Burnham to go much further and press ahead with a fundamental overhaul of the social care system, one that addressed the fundamental issues of access, catastrophic cost, quality, workforce variation, market failures and integration. Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow for Social Care at The King’s Fund, said: ‘The 15-year freeze to the thresholds is just one symptom of an unfair social care system resulting from reform being put off for decades. Governments have talked about change and even legislated for it but have not had the courage to implement it. ‘We welcome the new Prime Minister’s aim to buck this decades long trend. His words and actions have shown a renewed drive from the centre to force reform through, something that had been sorely lacking, and has put this issue near the top of the political agenda. ‘Wholesale reform is now needed. Currently, the system leads to a loss of dignity and independence for those in need of care. It also creates stress and anxiety for loved ones supporting people in need and worries about catastrophic care costs, whilst piling pressure on an already creaking NHS.’
Scotland’s Social Service Workforce Reached Record High in 2025 Scotland’s social service workforce reached its highest recorded level in 2025, with 215,890 people working across the sector. That’s according to a new Official Statistics report published by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). The Scottish Social Service Sector: Report on 2025 Workforce Data provides a comprehensive picture of the paid social service workforce in Scotland at the end of 2025.
largest share of the workforce, rising to 42% in 2025. Privately run housing support and care at home services saw the largest increase of any sub-sector with 1,850 more staff than in 2024. The care homes for adults workforce grew for the second consecutive year, increasing to 53,120 in 2025. The number of childminders continued to fall, with 2,820 active childminders recorded in December 2025.
WORKFORCE GROWTH
THE REPORT
The workforce increased by around 1,140 staff, or 0.5%, from 214,750 in 2024 to 215,890 in 2025. Over the longer term, the workforce has grown by 7.6% since 2016. Housing support and care at home remains the largest sub-sector, employing 77,080 staff, around 36% of the total workforce. Care homes for adults and day care of children also remain among the largest areas of the workforce, with the three sub-sectors together accounting for around 80% of people working in social services.
SSSC Chief Executive, Maree Allison said: ‘Our 2025 workforce data report shows the continued scale and importance of Scotland’s social service workforce, with more people working in the sector than ever before. ‘These figures show the vital economic and social contribution of people working in social work, social care and children and young people services across Scotland. With the workforce continuing to grow, social services offer a wide range of roles and career opportunities for people with the right values who want to make a difference.’ Key points from the 2025 workforce data report
CHANGES ACROSS THE SECTOR The report shows the private sector continues to employ the
• The Scottish social service workforce reached its highest level yet in 2025, at 215,890. • The workforce increased by around 1,140 staff, or 0.5%, from 2024. • Privately run housing support and care at home services increased more than any other sub-sector in 2025, rising by 1,850 staff. • The care homes for adults workforce grew for the second consecutive year, increasing to 53,120. • The private sector employed the largest share of the workforce, rising to 42% in 2025. • The number of active childminders continued to fall, down to 2,820 in December 2025. • The total number of direct care staff increased by 16.5% since 2016, due to growth in two of the largest sub-sectors: housing support/care at home and day care of children. • In 2025, 83% of the sector were employed on permanent contracts and three percent have a no guaranteed hours (NGH) contract. • Zero-hours contracts (bank and casual/relief) accounted for approximately 11% of all workforce contracts in 2016, 2024 and 2025.
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 11
Care Sector Warns Earned Settlement Plans Could Deepen Workforce Crisis Adult social care organisations and migrant health and care workers are warning that proposed changes to the UK’s settlement system could place further pressure on an already stretched workforce and undermine efforts to improve recruitment and retention. A coalition of organisations representing the care sector, healthcare professionals, racial equality campaigners and migrants’ rights groups is due to raise its concerns with MPs at Westminster on Monday 14 September, ahead of the Government’s expected implementation of its proposed “Earned Settlement” reforms later this year. The proposals, published by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in November 2025, would overhaul the route to settlement for around two million people currently living and working in the UK. Under the Earned Settlement model, the standard qualifying period for ILR would double from five to ten years for most migrants — but care workers and other “low and medium skilled professionals” would face a harsher 15-year baseline. Refugees would face a 20-year wait. Additional penalties would apply to anyone who had received benefits, entered on a visitor visa, or overstayed at any point — while higher earners would be offered a faster route. The changes would apply retrospectively to everyone in the UK who has not yet obtained ILR, and would come alongside longer periods of work restrictions, exclusion from public funds, and higher visa fees. A public consultation on the proposals closed in February, but the
Government has yet to publish either its response or an impact assessment. Ministers are expected to begin implementing the changes this autumn under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. With international recruitment having propped up a workforce depleted by falling numbers of British-born staff, sector leaders argue the proposals could not come at a worse time. Jane Townson of the Homecare Association pointed out that workers without UK or EU nationality make up 30% of the homecare workforce, and that international recruitment has been essential to sustaining service levels since 2020, as the number of British nationals in the care workforce has fallen sharply. She called on the Government to reform commissioning practices, make it easier for care workers to settle, and allow more flexible visa arrangements. Professor Martin Green of Care England said the Prime Minister had made social care central to his premiership and that hope had begun to return to the sector — but warned that continuing with the proposals risked that hope “curdling into the same disillusionment care workers have felt for a decade.” Karolina Gerlich of the Care Workers’ Charity said a 15-year wait for settlement asked more of care staff than of any other profession, at precisely the moment the sector most needs to retain experienced workers, and called on the Prime Minister to use the opportunity to change course on adult social care.
The impact would be felt well beyond social care. Dean Rogers of the Society of Radiographers said radiography has faced a long-standing workforce crisis, with internationally trained staff now making up almost a third of registered diagnostic radiographers, and pointed to Health and Care Professions Council data showing the number of internationally trained registrants working in the UK had already fallen by more than 600 — a 12% drop — between May 2025 and May 2026. Organisers argue the parallels with the Windrush scandal are direct: many of those set to be affected came to the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic to work in health and social care, in much the same way the Windrush generation answered the call to help build the NHS. Kimberly McIntosh of Action for Race Equality said the Windrush Lessons Learned Review had been clear that immigration policy should not change without a rigorous impact assessment and proper consideration of the risk of harm to racialised communities — an assessment that has still not been published for the Earned Settlement proposals, despite their likely disproportionate impact on Black and Asian communities. Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP said the legacy of the Windrush scandal “lives on through policy proposals like Earned Settlement,” warning that recruitment and retention in health and social care are already declining and that many staff are now reconsidering their future in the UK.
Baroness Julia Neuberger Appointed Chair of the CQC The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced that Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE will become its new Chair from 1 October 2026. Baroness Neuberger brings significant leadership experience from across health and care, including previous roles chairing University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, as well as serving as Chief Executive of The King's Fund. Dr Arun Chopra, Interim Chief Executive at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said: "I am delighted to welcome Baroness Neuberger as the new Chair of CQC. "Julia's experience, drawn from her years chairing University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust and as Chief Executive of the Kings Fund, as well from leading significant reviews of care, will be invaluable. "That experience and insight will be crucial as CQC continues its work to become the
effective, trusted regulator that people, providers and staff need us to be." Baroness Neuberger said: "Having chaired two NHS trusts and led reviews into some of the most challenging areas of care, from end-of-life care to mental health, I understand both the pressures facing the health and social care system and how essential it is to have a strong, effective regulator. "I look forward to working with Emily Miles and colleagues across CQC to ensure the organisation plays its full role in driving improvement and helping people receive safe, high-quality care.” "My first priority will be to listen. I want to hear directly from CQC staff, people who draw on care and support, providers and the wider public. By listening carefully and acting on what we hear, we can continue the progress already being made and build confidence in the organisation.
Credit: House of Lords / Roger Harris
PAGE 12 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Why Care Home Owners Need To Make Wellbeing A Governance Priority By Jonathan Cooper, Founder and Director of The Director's Helpline (www.thedirectorshelpline.org) For those running a care business, a long day at work isn't necessarily followed by rest, so there is little opportunity to step back and process the day just gone. While much has been written about the pressures facing the care sector, less attention has been given to what these pressures do to the people carrying them, often with limited support. Fortunately, this is beginning to change. As announced at the beginning of July, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is developing new training for its inspectors to help support and protect provider welfare. This is an essential development, given the pressure of CQC inspections has a detrimental impact on the mental health of care home managers – adding to the many stresses care business owners already face.
genuine support network around them. These figures describe a leadership population that is quietly struggling rather than visibly failing. Burnout in a care business rarely announces itself with a single dramatic event. It builds gradually, through pressures that would cause no crisis on their own but often do combined.
THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM
THE COST OF IGNORING IT
This problem isn't unique to care. While many providers have become accustomed to operating under pressure, prolonged stress can affect decision-making, staff retention and organisational resilience. Data collected through The Director's Helpline's Business Health Check shows this is a pattern across UK business leadership more broadly. Our research found that 24% of directors say they are close to burnout, 31% say they lack the confidence to make key business decisions, and 52% report feeling like they are "going it alone" – without a
Left unaddressed, this strain doesn't stay contained to an owner's personal wellbeing – it becomes a business risk. Decisions are delayed, while difficult conversations are avoided and compliance tasks slip. Staff turnover rises when leadership capacity is stretched too thin to support a team properly. None of this reflects a failing on the part of the owner. It's a predictable outcome of sustained pressure without an outlet – which is why protecting an owner's mental health should be treated as a governance issue, not solely a personal one.
THE ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES IN CARE Care business owners sit at the intersection of pressures rarely found together in one role: employers managing recruitment and retention, compliance leads preparing for CQC inspections, and financial decision-makers navigating tight margins and uncertain funding. Many have entered the sector because they care, in the fullest sense, about the people they support. A staffing gap or funding shortfall rarely registers as only a financial problem – it's often felt emotionally too. Care ownership is also structurally different from running most other small or medium-sized businesses. A director of a manufacturing firm can, in a genuine emergency, close the factory doors for a day. A care home owner cannot close the home. This constant, unbroken duty of care is what sets the sector apart. Layered on top is a regulatory environment that rarely stands still. CQC inspection frameworks, local authority fee negotiations, staffing ratios and safeguarding requirements shift over time, and providers are expected to keep pace regardless of size or resources.
TOP TIPS FOR CARE HOME OWNERS There are ways that care business owners can help ease this cognitive load, through habits and processes that spread some of the responsibility around. • Build a genuine peer network with other people running care businesses who understand the specific pressures involved. Isolation is one of the clearest drivers of burnout. • Identify which decisions genuinely need owner-level judgement whether it’s strategic direction, key financial calls or safeguarding and free up capacity elsewhere. • Dedicate regular time to finances and compliance, before they become urgent. • Seek outside perspective before a decision is made under pressure. • Track your own wellbeing indicators – sleep, mood, energy – as well as the business's. • Establish stringent financial forecasting. • Seek help before something becomes a significant problem. Asking for support from an accountant, a peer, or a support service is a sign of good governance, not a personal shortcoming.
A GOVERNANCE ISSUE AS MUCH AS A PERSONAL ONE Running a successful care business requires leaders to protect their own mental wellbeing, as well as strong finances and regulatory compliance. This way they can keep making clear decisions and lead with confidence. Close to a quarter of directors report they are near burnout, and over half feel they are going it alone. Neither is inevitable – both are addressable through peer support, clearer delegation, dedicated time for review, and a willingness to seek outside perspective before a crisis point is reached. In a sector where quality care depends on strong leadership, protecting the wellbeing of those at the helm should be viewed as an operational necessity, not a personal luxury.
Majority of Care Homes Score Highly in Reviews A major new analysis of verified care home reviews paints a positive picture of the UK’s care home sector, with nearly two-thirds of homes listed on carehome.co.uk achieving an overall review score of 9.0 or above out of 10. The report, published by carehome.co.uk analysed verified reviews submitted over the past five years to understand what matters most to residents and their families when choosing and living in a care home. Overall, the findings show that 44% of care homes have an overall review score of 9.5 or above out of 10, while a further 20% score between 9.0 and 9.5, demonstrating the high regard in which many homes are held by the people who know them best. The report also highlights the vital role staff play in shaping residents’ and families’ experiences. Staff consistently receive the highest ratings across all 12 review categories on carehome.co.uk, with residents and their loved ones awarding 56,222 five-star staff ratings between May 2025 and May 2026 alone – more than any other aspect of care. At a time when adult social care continues to face significant workforce shortages and recruitment challenges, the findings recognise
the extraordinary contribution care home staff make every day. Reviews consistently highlight their kindness, compassion, professionalism and dedication, with words such as “kind”, “friendly” and “helpful” appearing repeatedly in residents’ and families’ feedback. While the report paints a positive picture overall, it also identifies areas where providers have opportunities to improve. Value for money consistently receives the lowest ratings across every fee band. With care home costs increasing by around 10% in the year to December 2025, and the average weekly cost of a residential care home now £1,298, the findings reflect the financial pressures many families face and their expectation that fees should match the quality of care provided. Activities were the second lowest-rated category, followed by food and drink, highlighting the importance of everyday experiences that shape residents’ wellbeing and quality of life. The findings suggest these aspects of daily life represent important opportunities for providers to further enhance residents’ experiences. The findings also reflect a wider shift across adult social care, with regulators placing greater emphasis on people’s experiences and outcomes when assessing quality. Verified reviews are therefore playing
an increasingly important role in demonstrating what high-quality care looks like in practice. Will Blackwell, CEO of Tomorrow’s Guides, which operates carehome.co.uk, said: “Adult social care is often discussed in terms of the challenges it faces. However our review data tells another important story. Residents and their families are telling us that many care homes are delivering high-quality care and positive day-to-day experiences. “It’s particularly encouraging that almost two-thirds of care homes achieve review scores of 9.0 or above. Behind those ratings are thousands of dedicated care professionals whose kindness, compassion and commitment make an enormous difference to people’s lives every day. Our findings show that staff are consistently at the heart of the best care home experiences. “As adult social care enters one of its biggest periods of reform in a generation, verified reviews have never been more important. They help families make one of life’s biggest decisions, while giving providers valuable insight into what they are doing well and where they can improve.”
Don’t Miss the NACC Training & Development Forum 2026 Inspiration, innovation and leadership take centre stage at this year’s NACC Training & Development Forum and with the event now just one month away, there’s still time to secure your place. On 14 - 15 October 2026, the Hilton at St George’s Park, Burton-upon-Trent, will become the meeting place for care catering professionals from across the sector, with two packed days of expert insight, practical learning, innovation and networking. And it’s the programme that really sets this year’s Forum apart, designed to inspire, challenge and deliver practical ideas. From keynote presentations and interactive masterclasses to live cookery demonstrations, the 2026 programme has been carefully designed to give delegates ideas and inspiration they can take straight back into their organisations. A major highlight will be Michael Caulfield, Performance Psychologist, whose keynote promises to challenge delegates to think differently, embrace innovation and consider new approaches to leadership and positive change. Michael is joined by an outstanding speaker lineup, including Sachin Parmer, exploring AI and digital visibility; Sarah Restall, focusing on workplace wellbeing; Suzi Payton, sharing insights on neurodiversity; Toby Porter from Hospice UK, bringing insight and experience from the hospice sector; and the Seasons Care Dietitian Network from Canada. The lineup also features leading dietitians and care professionals exploring key topics including food allergy safety, blood sugar management, texture-modified meals, emerging technologies and much more. With such a diverse programme, there is something for every professional working to improve nutrition,
wellbeing, dining experiences and standards of care. The Forum isn't simply about listening to presentations. It is about connecting with colleagues, discovering new solutions, sharing experiences and gaining practical knowledge that can make a real difference. Alongside the expert programme, delegates can experience interactive masterclasses, live cookery demonstrations and valuable opportunities to meet and network with fellow care catering professionals and industry experts. And don’t forget the Supplier Exhibition. If you can't attend the full Forum, the NACC Supplier Exhibition on Thursday 15th October provides a fantastic FREE* opportunity for health and social care catering professionals. With the NACC Training & Development Forum 2026 now just one month away, now is the time to make sure you’re part of this must-attend event. Whether you join us for the full Forum or visit the Supplier Exhibition, you'll have the opportunity to discover new ideas, hear from leading voices, explore innovative solutions and leave inspired to raise standards across care catering. Find out more and register for the NACC Training & Development Forum 2026 at www.nacctraininganddevelopmentforum.co.uk *Exhibition-only registration provides access to the Supplier Exhibition and live cookery demonstrations only. It does not include entry to keynote presentations or interactive masterclasses, which are exclusive to full Forum delegates.
PAGE 14 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Why Hearing Loss Should Be A Priority In Care Homes Article supplied by Care England (www.careengland.org.uk) There is a familiar picture in many care homes. A resident starts sitting further back from a group activity. At mealtimes they smile and nod, but contribute less. They ask staff to repeat themselves, then eventually stop asking. A hearing aid sits in a drawer because it whistles, the battery has gone flat, or nobody is quite sure how to clean it. None of these things looks dramatic on its own. Put together, they can quietly reduce a person’s ability to take part in daily life. That is why hearing loss deserves more attention. Care England and Engage’s 2025 white paper, Hearing Loss in Care Homes: a Call to Action, estimated that at least 80% of residents in care homes for older people are living with some degree of hearing loss. RNID’s latest population data also shows that almost 80% of people over 70 have hearing loss. For people in their 80’s this rises to 90%. This is an issue affecting the vast majority of residents. In most homes, it is part of everyday care.
HEARING LOSS IS OFTEN HIDDEN Hearing loss does not always present as someone saying “I cannot hear”. A person may become quieter, seem confused, appear not to follow instructions, avoid noisy rooms, turn the television up, or become frustrated when other people “mumble”. For people living with dementia, the picture can be even harder to interpret. A change in communication may be attributed to cognitive decline when hearing has also deteriorated, a hearing aid has stopped working, or earwax is causing a blockage. This matters because the response is different. If staff understand that hearing may be part of the problem, they can check the basics, look at whether communication needs have changed, involve audiology when needed and make small adjustments straight away. Those steps can help avoid long periods where someone is effectively cut off from the people around them.
HEARING AIDS ONLY HELP WHEN THEY ARE WORKING Hearing aids can make a major difference, but they are not “fit and forget”. They need regular cleaning and maintenance. Batteries need changing or devices need charging. Tubing, domes and wax filters can become blocked. Hearing aids can be put in incorrectly, lost or left unused because the resident finds them uncomfortable. RNID advises regular cleaning and servicing, and its guidance for care homes stresses the importance of staff checking that hearing aids are working and knowing when to seek audiology support.
and a working light can all make a difference without turning the home upside down.
THE CONSEQUENCES ARE WIDER THAN HEARING
The practical reality in care homes is that many residents cannot manage all of this independently. The Care England and Engage white paper cites research showing that only around one in five residents were thought able to manage their own hearing aids. More recent research with long-term care staff found that hearing support for residents with dementia was inconsistent, despite staff recognising that it was important.
WHAT THIS CAN LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE A resident says their hearing aid is “useless” and stops wearing it. Before assuming the device is unsuitable, check whether it is switched on, charged, clean, inserted correctly and free from wax. If the problem persists, record it and contact the resident’s audiology service as soon as possible The environment can either help or make things harder A hearing aid cannot solve a noisy room. For many people with hearing loss, separating speech from background sound is one of the hardest parts of listening. Dining rooms, televisions, music, hard floors and several conversations happening at once can make even a familiar voice difficult to follow. RNID recommends reducing unnecessary background noise and using soft furnishings where possible to absorb sound. Good lighting matters too because many people use facial expressions and lip patterns to support what they hear. A quieter corner, a chair positioned so faces are visible, a television switched off when nobody is watching it
Unsupported hearing loss is associated with social isolation, poorer mental and physical wellbeing, falls and cognitive difficulties. The relationship with dementia needs careful wording. Hearing loss is recognised as a potentially modifiable risk factor, but it does not mean that hearing loss directly causes dementia in every case. RNID notes that the relationship may involve several shared factors and that research is still developing. What is much clearer is that hearing support can make communication easier, help people stay socially connected and reduce the effort involved in everyday conversation. Research in residential care has also found that social isolation is shaped by communication opportunities, not simply by the severity of someone’s hearing loss. In other words, the way staff organise the environment and interact with residents can make the difference between someone being included in conversation and quietly dropping out of it. There is emerging research linking hearing loss with cardiovascular outcomes as well, although this evidence is less settled. It is therefore better to see hearing support as part of a broader approach to maintaining communication, mental and physical wellbeing, independence and safety, rather than as a single intervention that prevents a specific condition.
STAFF NEED CONFIDENCE, NOT ANOTHER COMPLICATED PROCESS The problem is not a lack of care or goodwill. Staff often have to deal with hearing issues in the middle of a busy shift with little formal training. In one UK interview study, care staff described feeling that they were “just winging it” when supporting residents with dementia and hearing loss. The underlying message was not that staff were indifferent. It was that they wanted practical knowledge, clearer responsibilities and better links with audiology. That is the gap this campaign is trying to close. Good hearing support can be built into existing routines. It can sit within pre-admission assessment, care planning, daily checks, handovers, activities and environmental audits. Some homes may also choose to train Hearing Loss Champions who can help colleagues troubleshoot common problems and keep good practice visible.
Oadby Care Home Resident with Dementia Returns to Work A resident at Oadby Manor in Leicester, has swapped the care home for the counter of a local newsagent after staff helped her fulfil her wish to experience working again. 76-year-old, Jenny Wheetman who lives with dementia, returned to work from her retirement after carers arranged for her to work a shift at Holbrook News – down the road from the care home. Jenny had expressed her desire to work again to regain some of the independence she had enjoyed throughout her working life. A former cleaner at Leicester Royal Infirmary, Jenny moved into Oadby Manor as its very-first resident when the home opened in April 2026. Rather than allowing her diagnosis or move into the home to stand in the way, the team worked with their local newsagent to create an opportunity for her to experience being back in the workplace. For Jenny, working at the newsagent gave her a renewed sense of purpose, allowed her to meet new people and brought back memories of a working life spent caring for others. Commenting on the experience, Jenny said, “I was extremely excited. I am always nervous when trying something new, but you soon calm down. Her return to work at the newsagent gave Jenny the chance to try something completely different and prove that life doesn’t end when you move into a care home. During her shift, Jenny served customers, cleaned the shop and stocked shelves, enjoying the opportu-
nity to interact with members of the local community. She said. “I enjoyed serving customers because I like meeting new people and being able to give back to the local community. Being friendly and welcoming and making a difference to their day.” Home manager at Oadby Manor, Tamara Crosswell said, “We reached out to our local newsagent because it provided a familiar, communitybased environment where Jenny could interact with customers without becoming overwhelmed by a busy or high-pressure workplace. “The team at Holbrook News were extremely supportive of the idea and helped ensure Jenny had a positive experience.” The impact was immediately clear when Jenny returned to the care home. Tamara added, “On her return she had the biggest smile on her face, she hugged me tight and said, ‘thank you for believing in me’. Jenny was incredibly proud to have been able to try something new.” Tamara continued, “People often assume that when you live in a care home you aren’t capable of certain things. Working is one of those areas that people cannot usually continue. “By supporting Jenny with this experience allowed her to feel that her diagnosis has not and will not define her. “It allows her to feel that she is not being restricted due to living with dementia and gives back an element of control and independence.”
How Blue Light Card Rewards Carers With Savings On Everyday Life Blue Light Card, the well-known rewards service for key workers across the UK, recognises care as vital frontline work. If you’ve already heard of Blue Light Card, you probably know it as the discount card used by your friends in the NHS to save on shopping and meals out. What you may not have heard? Carers across the UK are eligible for Blue Light Card membership too – including residential and home care workers, foster carers, social workers and retired care professionals. Blue Light Card recognises that care workers help to keep the country ticking. That’s why carers can sign up to join Blue Light Card’s community of 6 million frontline workers across the UK and get rewarded with perks that make life a little more affordable. In recognition of vital care workers, Blue Light Card offers discounts at over 15,000 top brands in store and online, helping carers save money and live more comfortably. One support worker and Blue Light Card member says that “you get praised for your hard work with Blue Light Card,” adding that “my job in general makes me so proud. When I use my discount, it’s like a ‘thank you’ for your service.” Members can save on everyday costs like grocery shopping and household bills, as well as bigger purchases including cars, technology, holidays and more. Blue Light Card’s brand partners include Sainsbury’s, JD Sports, Currys, Debenhams, Argos, Deliveroo, Jet2holidays, to name a few.
ets. Carers can also attend Member Days, where attractions like zoos and theme parks open their doors only to Blue Light Card members and offer discounted tickets and free parking. A care worker shared that “these days out are really important for those who spend a lot of their time caring for other people. It's a really good way to get a break, spend time with your family and have a good day enjoying yourself, instead of thinking about the work you do all the time.” Membership is just £4.99 for two years of discounts. Take it from a Blue Light Card member and care professional: “you’ll make your money back the first time you use it.”
HOW TO SIGN UP TO BLUE LIGHT CARD
One support worker recently saved £300 using Blue Light Card: “I purchased a fridge-freezer by following the Blue Light Card discount link. The item should have been £600, but I got it for £300 with free delivery. Blue Light Card makes a difference because my money goes that little bit further in a time when costs are increasing.” Beyond savings on shopping, Blue Light Card rewards members with exclusive VIP events and discounted cinema, theatre and concert tick-
Current and retired care workers in the UK are eligible to become Blue Light Card members. To sign up, visit www.bluelightcard.co.uk. You will need to provide evidence of your status as a carer during the sign-up process. Once your evidence has been reviewed, you’ll receive your Blue Light Card in the post and get access to your virtual card immediately via the app, ready to start saving.
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 15
MHRA Issues Hoist Safety Alert Following “Serious Issue” Concerns Care providers have been requested to strengthen checks, maintenance and staff training for patient hoists and slings after the medicines’ regulator The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warned that preventable falls continue to cause fatalities and serious injuries across health and social care settings. The MHRA issued a National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) to support the safe use of patient hoists and slings across health and social care settings. Patient hoists are widely used to help transfer people with reduced mobility safely and comfortably in hospitals, care homes and in the community, including in people’s own homes. While these devices play a critical role in care the MHRA said, a review of recent safety data has shown that serious incidents can occur when they are not used, checked or maintained properly. The regulator said that between January 1 2015 and December 31 2025, it received 22 reports of incidents with a fatal outcome during patient transfers. These incidents are not linked to any single manufacturer or model and have been reported across a range of care settings, including hospitals, care homes and people’s own homes. This alert aims to reinforce good practice and raise awareness of steps that can help reduce risks during routine transfers.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: “Patient hoists are vital devices that support safe and dignified care, but when they are used incorrectly or not properly maintained, the consequences can be devastating. “Ensuring patients are safe during transfers and repositioning is our top priority. “Our alert sets out clear actions to help prevent avoidable harm. We are urging healthcare providers, carers and anyone using a hoist to follow this guidance carefully and ensure equipment is safe before every use.” The MHRA has set out urgent and practical steps that healthcare organisations and care providers to minimise risks, including: • Following extensive pre-use checks before every transfer • Making sure the hoist and sling are compatible and using the correct equipment for each patient • Confirming all attachments are secure before lifting • Keeping maintenance records and ensuring equipment is regularly inspected, serviced and is compliant with regulations • Ensuring all staff and caregivers are up to date with training and competency assessments. Anyone who experiences a problem with a medical device, including patient hoists or slings, should report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/
Socialite Lady C’s Summer Ball Extravaganza Raises £10k For Worthing Care Home TV personality and author Lady Colin Campbell raised nearly £10,000 for a Worthing care home when she held her annual charity summer ball earlier this year. The glittering Castle Goring Summer Ball event took place at her iconic home and raised £9,820 for Care for Veterans – a Royal Star & Garter Home. It was the fourth year running that the socialite, who is affectionately known as Lady C, has chosen Care for Veterans as the official charity of her summer ball. The Home provides long-term nursing, rehabilitation, respite and end-of-life care to veterans and their families who live with disabilities, including acquired brain injury and degenerative neurological conditions. It is now part of the Royal Star & Garter group, following a merger with the charity in 2025. The event took place in June, but the total raised for Care for Veterans was announced in September, after all ticket sales and donations were received. The Castle Goring Summer Ball was attended by 175 guests. Among those present were Lady C’s sons Dmitri and Michael Ziadie, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia’s grandniece
Princess Olga Andreevna Romanoff, and members of the exclusive Peel Club – including the Earl of Burford – who arrived at Lady C’s home by helicopter. They enjoyed a three-course meal in a marquee on the grounds of the castle and a charity auction and raffle. Among the prizes on offer were a week’s stay in an exclusive apartment in Tangier, a Champagne afternoon tea for 10 and a tour of Goring Castle with Lady C and a unique couture hat by luxury hat designer Deida Acero. Lady C said: “It was a pleasure to open my home again for this wonderful charity and support the important work Care for Veterans do for veterans and their families.” Clare Silva, Events & Corporate Manager at Royal Star & Garter, helped organise the event. She said: “We’re so grateful to Lady C for her continued support for Care for Veterans. I’d also like to thank her guests who attended and gave so generously on the night, and all those who donated prizes to the raffle and auction.”
PAGE 16 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Third-Party Harassment: What Care Providers Need To Do Before 30 October 2026
By Alice Moylan, Solicitor in the employment team at Birketts LLP (www.birketts.co.uk)
WHAT COUNTS AS THIRD-PARTY HARASSMENT? The new provisions are not limited to sexual harassment. They will apply to harassment related to protected characteristics such as race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. In a care setting, this could include racist comments directed at staff, inappropriate sexual remarks, homophobic abuse or other discriminatory conduct by residents, relatives, visitors or contractors.
FIVE STEPS PROVIDERS SHOULD TAKE NOW 1. Review risk assessments
From 30 October 2026, care providers may face employment tribunal claims where staff are harassed by residents, relatives, visitors or contractors and the provider cannot show that it took all reasonable steps to prevent it. The change is being introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 and represents an important development for employers across the care sector. For care providers, this is particularly relevant because staff regularly interact with residents, families, visitors, contractors and other professionals. While most of those interactions may be positive, providers will be familiar with occasions where employees are exposed to discriminatory comments, unwanted sexual behaviour, verbal abuse or other inappropriate conduct.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER FOR CARE PROVIDERS? The care sector faces challenges that many other employers do not. Staff frequently support individuals living with dementia, cognitive impairments, mental ill health and other conditions that can affect behaviour. Those factors will be relevant when considering what steps are reasonable in a particular situation, but they do not remove the need for employers to consider how staff can be protected. The key message is that inappropriate behaviour towards employees should not automatically be dismissed as ‘part of the job’. Employers should be considering whether risks have been identified and whether all reasonable measures have been taken to reduce or manage those risks. Providers should also be aware that the new law focuses on prevention. A tribunal is likely to look closely at what the employer knew about the risk in advance and what practical steps were taken in response to alleviate the risk.
Start by identifying where risks of third-party harassment are most likely to arise. Look at previous incident reports, complaints, safeguarding records and staff feedback. Particular attention may be needed where staff work alone, undertake home visits, work night shifts or provide care to individuals with a known history of aggressive, discriminatory or sexually inappropriate behaviour. Where concerns are known, individual care plans and risk assessments should be reviewed regularly.
2. Update policies
Many organisations have harassment policies in place that focus primarily on conduct between employees. Policies should be updated to ensure they also address behaviour from residents, relatives, visitors and contractors. They should clearly explain: • what types of behaviour are unacceptable; • how concerns can be reported; • who will deal with complaints, and • the actions that may be taken where concerns arise. Staff should understand that reports of harassment will be taken seriously and handled appropriately.
3. Train managers and staff
Managers should understand how to recognise harassment, respond to complaints and identify when issues need to be escalated to HR, safeguarding leads or senior management. Training is likely to be most effective where it reflects real life situations faced by care staff, rather than generic workplace examples.
4. Make reporting straightforward
Employees are much more likely to raise concerns if reporting processes are simple and accessible. Providers should ensure that staff know who they can contact and should consider whether existing incident reporting systems adequately capture concerns involving residents, relatives, visitors and contractors.
Good reporting systems will also help organisations to identify trends and recurring issues that may otherwise be missed.
5. Take appropriate action when issues arise
The most important step is acting and responding appropriately when concerns are raised. Depending on the circumstances, providers may need to consider: • reviewing care plans and risk assessments; • adjusting staffing arrangements; • increasing supervision; • discussing expected standards of behaviour with relatives or visitors; • implementing behavioural agreements, or • introducing proportionate restrictions where appropriate. The precise response will depend on the circumstances, but employers should be able to demonstrate that they have considered and implemented reasonable measures to protect staff.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF GETTING IT WRONG? An employee who successfully brings a harassment claim may recover compensation in the employment tribunal. Unlike unfair dismissal compensation, awards for discrimination and harassment are not subject to a statutory cap and can include financial losses as well as awards for injury to feelings. In some sexual harassment cases, compensation may also be increased where an employer has failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. There are also wider workforce implications. Employees who feel unsupported are less likely to remain engaged and may choose to leave. At a time when recruitment and retention remain significant challenges across the sector, creating a safe working environment will be increasingly important.
LOOKING AHEAD Although the new provisions do not come into force until 30 October 2026, providers should start preparing now. Reviewing policies, assessing risks, delivering training and encouraging effective reporting are all sensible steps that can be taken before the legislation comes into force. Most importantly, employers should speak to frontline staff. They are often best placed to identify situations where problems are most likely to arise. The care sector cannot eliminate every difficult interaction. What providers will increasingly need to demonstrate is that they identified the risks, listened to staff concerns and took all reasonable steps to reduce those risks. From 30 October 2026, being able to evidence those steps could make the difference between a managed workplace issue and a costly employment tribunal claim.
Care Home Chef Runs Half Marathon for Charity – Just Months After Breaking Ankle A chef who works at a dementia nursing home has recently completed a half marathon, raising £345 for Alzheimer’s Society, despite having broken her ankle just months before the Okehampton Steam Challenge was due to take place. Wendy Baker, 62, works as the head chef at the Deer Park Nursing Home in Holsworthy. She said: “Working in a dementia care home, I know how important it is for people living with dementia to get the right care and support, and my grandmother had Alzheimer’s, so I wanted to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. I’d been training for the half marathon for months and I was really enjoying it – I love to have something to work towards. “In May, I broke my ankle when I tripped over a cobbled pavement in Bristol and I was supposed to be running the Bristol 10K the following day. It was such a low moment for me. I’d been really looking forward to the race and knew my family, friends
and co-workers had all donated to my fundraiser. I was so worried I’d let them all down, but I couldn’t walk, let alone run. “I really didn’t think I would get back to the right level of fitness ahead of the event, but I worked hard on my recovery and just in the nick of time, the doctor gave me the go ahead to take part. “I love the freedom I feel when I run and this half marathon was no exception. It felt even more worthwhile when I crossed the finish line!” Wendy has been running for around 20 years. The Steam Challenge was Wendy’s tenth half marathon and she has more fundraising races planned for next year. Wendy’s been working at the Deer Park Nursing Home since May last year and is passionate about being able to provide nutritious meals for residents.
QCS Expands Care Sector Support Through Strategic Partnership with Weightmans Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) has announced a strategic partnership with leading law firm Weightmans, strengthening the support available to care providers as they navigate workforce challenges, new employment legislation and broader legal and regulatory change. QCS, an RLDatix company, is the UK’s leading provider of compliance, care management and learning for the care sector, supporting over 335,000 care providers and staff across more than 7,200 care locations. Weightmans has one of the largest specialist, full-service health and care sector legal practices in the country, with 200 sector-specialist lawyers acting for independent sector providers nationwide, as well as NHS providers and commissioners, local authorities, regulators and indemnifiers. Through the partnership, QCS and Weightmans will provide access to adult social care-specific guidance, practical resources, specialist legal knowledge and care sector insight, helping care leaders, HR professionals, and service providers navigate the full range of legal and regulatory challenges with confidence, consistency and evidencebased support. Nikki Walker, QCS CEO, commented: "As the adult social care sector continues to face legal, regulatory and practical challenges - including workforce pressures, changing employment legislation, evolving health and safety requirements and increasing regulatory scrutiny - managing people, compliance and operational risk has become more complex
than ever. At QCS, we're continually evolving our solutions to help providers meet these challenges and changes with confidence. “Our mission has always been to help organisations deliver safe, high-quality care through confidence, consistency and evidence-based best practice. By partnering with Weightmans, we're strengthening that commitment, combining trusted compliance support with specialist legal expertise to give care leaders the practical guidance they need to make informed decisions, reduce risk and support their teams effectively. “Together, we're creating an even stronger support network for care
providers as they adapt to an increasingly complex operating environment." Ben Troke, Partner in Weightmans’ healthcare team, commented: “There has never been a more challenging environment for health and care providers, dealing with workplace pressures, changing legislation and an evolving regulatory regime, in a very tight financial climate, and under greater scrutiny than ever. Our collaboration with QCS is a step change in equipping care providers to better respond to these challenges head-on. “Weightmans has a deep understanding of the health and social care sector, with a long-standing track record supporting regulated providers on the legal, regulatory, employment and commercial issues that affect care services every day, as well as dealing with acquisitions and disposals. Working alongside QCS, providers will now receive a full and enhanced provision of specialist legal and compliance support, when they need it the most.” The partnership strengthens QCS's role as a trusted compliance and operational partner to the care sector, providing organisations with the guidance, expertise, and support needed to manage challenges and focus on delivering outstanding care. The company’s own AI technology, Lyra, is the latest innovation in the QCS platform, providing users with instant answers to policy-related questions, pulling together trusted data from 100 QCS care experts. For more information, visit: https://www.qcs.co.uk/
PAGE 18 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Proactive Pressure Care: Connecting Clinical Risk Assessment With Everyday Equipment By Venessa Hodgson, Managing Director at Complete Care Shop (www.completecareshop.co.uk) Preventing pressure ulcers in a care setting is a multidisciplinary responsibility. Clinical assessment determines what support a resident needs, but the resulting care plan depends on having suitable equipment available and using it correctly. Managing pressure care effectively in care homes requires aligning clinical management with procurement strategy. Bedding, seating, mattresses, and repositioning equipment must be tailored to each resident's specific needs, with regular evaluations as a patient's health evolves. Equipment does not replace clinical oversight, but properly specified equipment can help staff implement an individual plan while supporting residents’ comfort, dignity and independence.
TURNING ASSESSMENT INTO ACTION A pressure-ulcer risk assessment should consider several things, from skin condition to mobility, nutrition to weight; these findings can then translate into a practical plan covering what equipment is required, how it should be used and when its suitability will be reviewed. Where appropriate, decisions should involve specialists such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, or nurses. If an assessment identifies reduced mobility, fragile skin and difficulty repositioning, the response might combine an appropriate mattress and seating cushion with heel protection, assisted repositioning, moving aids and a documented skin-monitoring schedule. The equipment supports the care plan; it does not constitute the plan by itself.
BEDS AND MATTRESSES AS A COMPLETE SYSTEM A profiling bed has an adjustable platform with sections that can be raised or tilted. Subject to assessment, these functions can support changes of position, help redistribute pressure and allow residents to sit up for activities such as eating or socialising. Height adjustment can provide a more appropriate working level during personal care and repositioning, reducing bending and reaching for staff. The selected height must also support the resident’s assessed transfer, mobility and falls needs. Profiling beds also require mattresses designed to move with their adjustable platforms. Selection should reflect the resident’s assessed risk, mobility, weight, body shape, comfort and skin condition. No mattress removes the need for regular skin checks or an individual repositioning plan. The bed and mattress must also accommodate the resident’s height, weight and build, as those with higher body weights may require specialist bariatric equipment that addresses width, positioning and pressure redistribution.
CONTINUOUS SUPPORT ACROSS DAILY ACTIVITIES A resident’s risk profile follows them beyond the bed. Someone requiring pressure redistribution overnight may also need appropriate support when sitting in a lounge chair, using a wheelchair or travelling to an appointment. Pressure-redistributing cushions, including air-filled, contoured, and foam options, help to distribute weight effectively. However, air-filled designs must be properly inflated, positioned, and maintained according to manufacturer guidelines and, because introducing a cushion can alter seat height, posture, stability, and access to arm rests or foot rests, care teams must ensure it remains suitable for both the resident and their chair. Specialist cushions designed for coccyx discomfort should not automatically be treated as pressure-ulcer prevention products, as their shape can alter posture and load distribution, so their suitability should
be assessed against the intended clinical outcome. A patient's heels are particularly vulnerable because they carry weight over a small area. A heel pad using gel compartments may cradle and support the heels, helping to redistribute pressure. Heel protection should be selected as part of the wider care plan, with the resident’s skin and positioning checked regularly. Adjustable backrests can help some residents sit upright in bed, but changing the angle can affect posture and increase sliding or shear. They should therefore be used only where appropriate for the individual and the bed arrangement. Blanket cradles can keep bedding away from sensitive areas, but they do not redistribute pressure and should not be presented as a substitute for heel protection or repositioning.
PROCUREMENT BEYOND THE PRODUCT Effective pressure care depends on more than buying equipment. Providers need clear arrangements for assembly, staff training, cleaning, inspection, servicing and fault reporting. They should also confirm that replacement covers, components and technical support will remain available. Before equipment is introduced, care teams should ask: What has the resident’s assessment identified? Is the equipment compatible with other items in use? Do staff know how to position, check and clean it? How will its effectiveness be monitored? When will the resident’s needs be reassessed? Good pressure care begins with the individual, not the product. By connecting assessment, equipment selection and daily practice, care providers can support proactive prevention while making informed investments that benefit residents and staff. Complete Care Shop works with care providers to identify practical equipment options for a wide range of resident needs. To explore its pressure-care range or discuss requirements for your setting, visit www.completecareshop.co.uk
Government Launches Survey to Hear Directly from England’s Adult Social Care Workforce Thousands of adult social care professionals, including nurses and care workers, are being invited to share their experiences as the Government gathers evidence to shape future workforce reform and plans for a National Care Service. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched the third wave of its Adult Social Care Workforce Survey, with a target of 7,000 responses from people working across England’s social care sector. The survey is open to a wide range of professionals, including nurses, care workers, personal assistants, social workers and managers. It also seeks views from staff working in residential and nursing homes, home care and disability services, as well as agency workers, selfemployed staff and people employed on zero-hours contracts. The Government said the survey will provide a clearer picture of the experiences of the estimated 1.5 million people working in adult social care in England – a workforce broadly comparable in size with that of the NHS. Topics covered include wellbeing and quality of working life, learning and professional development, employment terms and conditions, workplace culture, and experiences of violence, harassment, abuse
and bullying. Staff will also be asked about their intentions to leave the sector and their awareness of forthcoming reforms. Social care minister Alison McGovern said: “Care workers have been ignored for years. They are a workforce equal in size to the NHS but remaining among the lowest paid and unacceptably underappreciated. “This survey will provide a crucial insight and shed a light on their working lives and experiences and identifying the issues that we have a responsibility to address.” Ms McGovern said the latest survey would provide important evidence about the working lives of those employed in social care and help identify areas where action was needed. Previous research highlights some of the challenges facing the workforce. The latest available survey findings showed that 56% of respondents reported having little or no financial security, while 69% said the cost of living was too high. Almost half (49%) felt their hourly rate of pay was too low. At the same time, the research found positive indications around professional development and personal wellbeing. Half of respon-
dents rated their overall life satisfaction as high or very high, while around two-thirds said they had opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills. The previous survey attracted more than 3,000 responses, compared with more than 7,000 responses to the first survey in 2023. The Government says expanding participation in the latest wave will help provide a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences and priorities of the workforce. The survey is being conducted by Ipsos in collaboration with Skills for Care and the University of Kent. It was originally commissioned by DHSC in 2022. The survey forms part of a wider programme of work examining the future of adult social care. Baroness Louise Casey is separately leading work on the future shape of the sector, including the Government’s “Big Conversation” public consultation, which aims to gather up to one million views on the future funding and delivery of care. The workforce survey is open to anyone working in adult social care in England. Responses can be submitted through the Ipsos survey at https://bit.ly/3UZEOPN or by telephone on 0800 157 7794.
A Little Reassurance, Born from Love WHY MICODE EXISTS
Building on our work with Dementia Jersey, where codes have been
When you care for someone you love, you want to know they can get help, even when you cannot be beside them. That feeling inspired MiCode. My sister Louise and I cared for our brother Tony and our mother Betty. We understood how much it mattered for people helping them to have the right information. As a Professor of Computer Science at Goldsmiths, University of London, I wanted to make that easier. MiCode carries your chosen medical information and emergency contacts through a QR code. One smartphone scan opens it; no app is needed.
made available to support families, we are offering local community organisations supporting people with dementia up to 50 free MiCodes each, including free lifetime subscriptions. This builds directly on our outreach efforts, offering real reassurance to families. It is our way of turning a family experience into a little reassurance for other families, without ongoing subscription costs for the people receiving these free codes.
GET IN TOUCH Local dementia support organisations can register their interest by
NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND THE AXA AWARD
Winning a runner-up award in the national AXA Startup Angel Competition 2026, run in partnership with The Standard, from hundreds of entries, made us incredibly proud. The national recognition places MiCode among a select group of businesses backed by major UK pub-
lishing and mentoring support, giving us a valuable platform to reach
emailing info@micode.uk, including their organisation's name, area
families who may never have heard of us. We want to turn that recog-
served, contact person, and the number of MiCodes requested (up to
nition into practical help.
50). Individuals and families can also purchase MiCodes through
SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND DEMENTIA CARE
Amazon or at www.micode.uk.
PAGE 20 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
35 Years of Caring: How Later-Life Care Has Changed Through Abbeyfield’s CEO Sally Tidy’s Eyes This year, Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society celebrates an incredible milestone, 40 years of supporting older people across Surrey and Berkshire. For Chief Executive Officer Sally Tidy, it's a celebration that's especially meaningful. Having spent 35 of those years with the charity, she's witnessed first-hand how care has transformed over the decades, while seeing one thing remain wonderfully unchanged: the importance of kindness, compassion and community. Looking back to her first day as Manager of Wey Valley House in the early 1990s, Sally remembers immediately recognising that Abbeyfield was different. "I had come from a very task-orientated environment where everything happened at a set time. The 'family' ethos was evident even then, and I was determined to help it grow even further." It was a philosophy that would shape not only her career but also the way Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society has continued to evolve over the last three decades.
FROM INSTITUTIONS TO HOMES When Sally first entered the care sector, care homes often carried a very different reputation from the welcoming communities many have become today. "Back in the 90s, care homes carried a stigma. They were often thought of as institutions rather than homes. Over the years, that has gradually changed, and although families still face difficult emotional choices, care homes are now recognised as highly professional, specialised healthcare environments rather than the grim, institutional destinations of the past." That shift has been driven by a much greater understanding of what quality care really means. Today, Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society places each resident at the centre of everything it does. Rather than fitting people into routines, care is built around the individual, their preferences, interests, hobbies and the life they want to continue living. "One of the biggest changes has been focusing on each individual resident – their needs, wants and aspirations. We actively instil a mindset in our staff that they are guests working inside the residents' home. Every individual has the right to make informed choices about how
they want to live their life." Whether it's choosing favourite meals, decorating their room with treasured possessions or taking part in activities they genuinely enjoy, the emphasis is on helping people feel truly at home.
THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE Technology has advanced, regulations have changed, and care has become increasingly specialised. Yet, according to Sally, the most important ingredient has never changed. "Whilst technology, regulation and buildings have evolved over my years at Abbeyfield Wey Valley, there has always been one vital constant – our amazing staff. Their capacity to care with such compassion never ceases to impress me. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, they put their heart and soul into making our residents' lives better." She continues: "Our Society's success isn't built on the bricks and mortar of our homes. It's because of our dedicated team, who bring that little bit of joy to the lives of our residents every single day." It's this sense of community that has helped Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society grow over the years while staying true to its charitable roots.
MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME Asking Sally to choose her favourite memory from 35 years in care, and she laughs. "Picking just one moment from 35 years in care is almost impossible. There have been countless happy memories, a fair few tears and more birthday cake than I care to admit!" One story, however, has stayed with her throughout her career. "I started in December, and one of my very first tasks was persuading Santa to add our homes to his annual route, something he'd somehow forgotten to do until then! Thankfully, he agreed, and ever since he's visited every year, bringing smiles, laughter and a little festive magic to our residents." But it was another occasion that perfectly captured what care is really about. "During my first year, on a beautiful sunny day, we decided on the spur of the moment to take everyone to the seaside. It had never been done before, so staff and volunteers all pitched in, and we headed off to Southsea in convoy. This was before we had our own minibus and long before Sat Nav, so it felt like organised chaos. Somehow we all arrived in exactly the right place." The group spent the day enjoying fish and chips, strolling along the seafront and even paddling in the sea. "The best part wasn't the sunshine or even the fish and chips. It was seeing the residents' faces light up as they shared memories of childhood holidays, donkey rides, penny arcades and family trips to the coast. Listening to those stories was fascinating." The outing became an annual tradition that continues to this day.
"Moments like this remind me that care isn't just about meeting people's needs. It's about making sure residents continue to live meaningful lives with experiences to look forward to, rather than feeling life is simply passing them by. Those are the moments that make this job so special."
GROWING WITHOUT LOSING WHAT MATTERS One of Sally's proudest achievements has been leading Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society through a period of growth, while ensuring it has never lost its personality. "My proudest achievement has been guiding our growth into a larger, more resilient organisation without ever losing our core identity. It would have been easy to become a cold, corporate organisation, but we've fiercely protected our friendly, non-institutional feel." "Every one of our homes has its own unique character and ambience, yet the same compassionate ethos runs through them all."
LOOKING AHEAD Residents' expectations have naturally changed over the years, and Sally believes that's something to celebrate. "Quite rightly, expectations have increased. Care is now designed around the choices, wants and needs of each individual resident rather than being task-orientated with set times for everything." Life in Abbeyfield homes is about much more than care alone. Activities have become an integral part of daily life, evolving to reflect residents' interests and encouraging friendships and new experiences. "Something is happening every day for those who want to take part. We tailor activities to the people living in each home. That said, some traditions never disappear – Bingo remains a firm favourite!" Even the menus tell the story of changing times. "We've moved away from the traditional 'meat and two veg' towards something much more like a culinary tour of the world, with Chinese, Indian and Pan-Asian dishes all making regular appearances. But we've never abandoned tradition entirely; there's always a familiar option available, and of course the Sunday roast still holds its rightful place at the heart of the week." As Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society celebrates 40 years, Sally's reflections offer a reminder that while care continues to evolve, the values that matter most remain unchanged. Homes may look different, technology may have advanced, and expectations may have grown, but creating places where older people feel valued, respected and part of a community is as important today as it was when Sally first walked through Abbeyfield's doors 35 years ago. And if her stories are anything to go by, there's every chance Santa will still be making his annual visit for many years to come.
Resident’s Visit to National Arboretum is a Dream Come True Staff at a care home in Leicester have helped to make a resident’s dream come true. Brian Goulding, 93, who lives at RMBI Care Co. Home Devonshire Court, in Oadby, dreamed of going to the National Memorial Arboretum, a 150-acres site of national remembrance and home to more than 400 memorials, in Staffordshire. Brian spent a significant part of his life serving his country after completing his training with the Essex Regiment in 1951, including 22 years in the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC), the corps of the British Army responsible for adminis-
tering financial matters. During his visit, Brian, care home staff and volunteers were able to find the names of two of his friends who died during the war, which was a special moment for him. “Finding his friend’s names amongst the many memorials made the day particularly poignant,” says Claire Barrett, Business Relationship Manager at Devonshire Court. Brian described the visit as a “great day” filled with memories, reflection and moments that he will treasure.
Bridging the Gap Between Clinical Support and Home Comfort: Complete Care Shop Unveils Next-Generation Riser Recliner Range In today’s fast-evolving care landscape, providing equipment that delivers robust mobility support without compromising an individual’s dignity or giving a room a cold, institutional look remains a top priority for care providers, procurement teams, and occupational therapists alike. Addressing this exact challenge, Complete Care Shop, one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of independent living aids, has launched a new collection of riser recliner chairs engineered to blend advanced ergonomic functionality with a warm, residential aesthetic. Designed to enhance independence in both residential care settings and domestic living spaces, the collection delivers versatile seating solutions tailored to varying physical requirements and room dimensions. Built with sturdy wood and metal framing, each chair supports a maximum user weight of 135kg (21 stone) and features durable, easyto-maintain upholstery in timeless neutral tones to seamlessly blend into any décor.
FOUR MODELS FOR ALL NEEDS The collection offers care teams flexible, customisable options based on patient assessments and operational budgets: Vitality Heathersage (four-motor precision): The flagship model in the range features four independent motors controlling the back rest, foot rest, head rest, and lumbar support separately. This micro-adjustment capability makes it an exceptional choice for individuals requiring precise postural alignment, neck support, and targeted pressure relief,
mechanism synchronises backrest and footrest movement for simple, single-button operation.
COMMERCIAL VALUE AND PRACTICALITY FOR CARE PROVIDERS
alongside a smooth riser function for safer standing transitions. Stride Everleigh (therapeutic heat & massage): Combining dual-motor adjustability with targeted relaxation, this model includes integrated heat and multi-zone massage across the back, lumbar region, thighs, and legs. Caregivers can select from five distinct massage modes, two intensity settings, and integrated timers (15, 30, and 60 minutes) to relieve stiffness and promote circulatory comfort. Freedom Fenton (dual-motor flexibility): Offering independent control of the back rest and foot rest, the Freedom Fenton delivers high positioning versatility and gentle standing assistance in a dependable, midtier package, featuring a comfortable 49cm-wide seat. Freedom Foxcombe (compact single-motor simplicity): At just 70cm wide, this model features a compact footprint specifically tailored for rooms that might be a bit more restricted on space. Its single-motor
Beyond resident comfort, the range directly addresses the financial and practical constraints facing modern care operators. By facilitating smoother sit-to-stand transfers, these chairs help reduce manual handling demands on staff while encouraging self-reliance among residents. With VAT-exempt prices starting from just £399.99, the range makes high-spec supportive seating accessible across varying procurement budgets. By combining clinical-level functionality, residential aesthetics and exceptional commercial value, Complete Care Shop continues to help care sector professionals create dignified and comfortable living environments. To help care organisations maximise budgets, Complete Care Shop offers its Professional Buyers Scheme, designed exclusively for care homes, supported living providers, and charities. The scheme rewards ongoing custom with automatic tiered discounts applied every time you order, providing meaningful savings across thousands of care products. For more information or to place an order, visit www.completecareshop.co.uk
PAGE 22 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Right Care, Right Place: Improving Hospital Discharge For People Living With Dementia By Dr Pete Inkpen, CEO of The Royal Alfred Seafarers' Society (www.royalalfredseafarers.co.uk) At any one time, up to one quarter of acute hospital beds are occupied by people living with dementia. Many are medically fit to leave but remain in hospital because the right support isn’t available in time. The financial pressure on the NHS is considerable. Delayed discharges can lead to lost bed days, reducing hospital capacity and increasing pressure across the system. The NHS formally monitors this through the time elapsed between the date a patient is deemed ready for discharge and their actual discharge date. But this isn’t just a budget or capacity crisis. For a person living with dementia, every unnecessary day spent on an acute hospital ward can be actively harmful.
Dementia-informed step-down care, respite placements and tailored home care offer vital alternatives for people clinically ready to leave hospital but not yet ready to return to their usual routines. These services can provide a calmer, more consistent environment where recovery can continue. Teams with dementia expertise can use person-centred communication, maintain familiar routines, support nutrition and hydration, encourage mobility, and respond sensitively to signs of distress. Meaningful activity and everyday structure also matter. Confidence returns more readily when someone is supported to get dressed, take part in activities, spend time with familiar people and practise routines for returning home safely. But there’s no single solution. Some may benefit from short-term residential or nursing support, while others may return home with the right combination of domiciliary care, equipment, reablement and community support. What matters is that support is tailored to individual needs, preferences, and circumstances.
ACUTE WARDS MAY NOT SUPPORT RECOVERY AFTER ACUTE ILLNESS
DISCHARGE MUST BE COORDINATED, NOT RUSHED
Hospitals are essential for diagnosing and treating acute illness. But once that treatment is complete, the noise, overnight activity and limited privacy of an acute ward can be disorientating and frightening for a person living with dementia. Someone who was managing well with support at home or in a care setting may experience increased confusion, distress, withdrawal or agitation in hospital. Communication becomes harder, especially when it isn’t adapted to their needs. Eating, drinking and sleeping may suffer, as well as engagement with rehabilitation. In some cases, this unfamiliar environment can intensify dementia symptoms or trigger delirium, inadvertently beginning to undo the progress made during treatment.
THE PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES OF DELAYED DISCHARGE The effects of a prolonged hospital stay aren’t just emotional or psychological; they’re physical too. Reduced movement leads to rapid loss of muscle strength, balance, and mobility, especially in older or frail patients. Time spent in bed or sitting alone erodes confidence and increases fall risk. Everyday activities, such as walking to the bathroom or getting dressed, become difficult after even brief inactivity. For someone living with dementia, these changes are especially significant. Adapting to reduced mobility is harder, and as their physical abilities decline, support needs grow. This can create a harmful cycle: the longer the hospital stay, the greater the risk of physical deconditioning and cognitive decline. Increased support needs complicate discharge planning, causing further delay. Without the right support, even a short hospital admission can trigger a significant and potentially longterm reduction in day-to-day abilities, choice and control.
SPECIALIST STEP-DOWN CARE CAN IMPROVE OUTCOMES
Timely discharge must never mean unsafe discharge. Leaving hospital quickly is futile if someone returns home without adequate support, experiences a crisis or is readmitted shortly afterwards. Safe discharge depends on joined-up planning between hospital teams, local authorities, care providers, GPs, community dementia services, and families. Crucially, the person themselves should be involved in decisions about their care, with the communication support or advocacy they need to participate fully. Planning should begin early in an admission rather than waiting until a person is deemed medically fit. Care providers need clear information about medication, mobility, nutrition, communication needs, individualised support strategies and any risks identified in hospital before discharge. Families also need honest, accessible information about the plan and what support will be in place. Too often, discharge is shaped by the next available placement rather than what best meets the person’s needs, wishes and circumstances. A better approach recognises that safe and sustainable discharge requires time, communication and shared responsibility.
KEEPING THE PERSON AT THE CENTRE Delayed discharge is often discussed in terms of hospital flow and financial pressure. These issues are real and urgent, but they mustn’t be the only lens through which to view the problem. For people living with dementia, remaining in hospital after acute treatment can cause avoidable distress and physical deconditioning. Investment in dementia-informed step-down provision, home care, respite and community support isn’t optional, but essential to helping people recover in the right place, with the right care, at the right time. Freeing acute beds matters, but it must never be the only measure of success. The real test is whether a person living with dementia leaves hospital safely, receives appropriate support and has the best possible opportunity to maintain their wellbeing, autonomy, and day-to-day abilities.
“Trailblazer” Nurse Makes History As The First In Wales To Prescribe Care Home Meds A care home nurse has won a major award after creating history by becoming the first in Wales to qualify to prescribe medication to residents. Ezelina Dacruz, 50, gained her qualification after studying at Bangor University while also carrying out her duties as the clinical lead at Glan Rhos Nursing Home at Brynsiencyn. Care leaders say Ezelina’s trailblazing qualification could become the blueprint for how social care is delivered in Wales in the future – allowing swifter prescribing and treatment and reducing the need for GP callouts and ambulances attending care homes to take residents to hospital. A celebration to mark her achievement was held at Glan Rhos Nursing Home to mark Ezelina’s landmark achievement. She was presented with a Wales Care Award by Ynys Mon MP Llinos Medi who was accompanied by local Senedd members Elfed Williams and Mair Rowlands. Modest Ezelina, who is originally from Malawi, was “deeply grateful” for the award. Ezelina, who has worked at Glan Rhos for 21 years and qualified as a nurse in Malawi in 2000, said: “I thought having a prescription qualification would really help our residents.
“As the clinical lead, if somebody is poorly in the home I do the GP callouts and I do the e-consultations for the patients. “I thought me being able to prescribe would make things easier and the residents could get the treatment quicker.” Ezelina, who lives in Llanfair PG, started the qualification, funded by Glan Rhos, said the knowledge she gained was invaluable in the care of her residents. Wales Care Awards founder and chair, Mario Kreft MBE, who is also the chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “Ezelina is without doubt a trailblazer and she deserves every accolade. “What she has done is a very important step forward and we need more people like Ezelina in the independent care sector. “We must do more to make sure that residents in our sector don’t have to go into hospital and don’t necessarily have to have the GP called out, and that is why having prescribing nurses is such an important thing. “Ezelina deserves every credit, as do the management here at Glan Rhos for giving that support and helping her attain what is absolutely a first in Wales. This is a blueprint for the social care sector going forward.”
OakNorth Provides £4.7m Loan to Strengthen Close Care Facilities at Lavender Fields Care Village OakNorth, the digital bank for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, has provided a £4.7m loan to Spring House Farm Developments Ltd, to support the development of 19 new close care bungalows at Lavender Fields Care Village near Pocklington, East Yorkshire The homes will be purpose-built for people living with care needs due to age or incapacity, and will form the latest phase of Lavender Fields Care Village a 10-acre integrated retirement and care community created by Chris Mitchell. The village already comprises a 72-bed specialist care home, 29 close care bungalows delivered across two earlier phases, together with a café, fully licensed pub, hydrotherapy suite, hair and beauty salon, village shop and consulting rooms for visiting healthcare professionals, all to enable sustainable living catering for every need within the site. Dementia Forward, Yorkshire’s largest dementia charity, whom Chris has worked with for over 10 years, have also based their East Riding of Yorkshire HQ on site at Lavender Fields. Chris Mitchell has spent more than 30 years in the care sector and has developed Lavender Fields into one of the UK's most distinctive integrated retirement living and dementia care communities. Previous phases of the development sold well ahead of schedule, with strong demand continuing for the village's close care bungalows. The latest phase has already attracted significant early interest and will further expand the community's offering.
Chris Mitchell, Owner of Lavender Fields Care Village, commented on the transaction: "We're delighted to once again be working with OakNorth as we continue to grow Lavender Fields. The team has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of both the real estate and healthcare sectors, which has been invaluable in supporting our vision. James Espley and the wider team have been particularly impressive - combining expertise with speed, clarity and transparency throughout the process. We've now partnered with OakNorth on several projects because they understand what we're building here and consistently deliver. This latest phase will allow us to meet growing demand for high-quality close care housing while continuing to enhance the wider Lavender Fields community. A ‘one stop shop’ from the onset of care right through to the final days. A forever home!" James Espley, Senior Director of Property Finance at OakNorth, added: “Chris has built something truly distinctive at Lavender Fields. Having supported multiple phases of the development over several years, we've seen first-hand the strength of demand for this integrated model of retirement living, close care and specialist dementia care. Earlier phases sold ahead of schedule and the wider village has continued to evolve into a genuine destination community. We're delighted to continue supporting Chris and the team as they deliver the next phase of a scheme that is helping meet growing demand for high-quality close care accommodation."
PAGE 24 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
1,500 People Quit Work Every Day to Care for Relatives Survey Reveals New polling by Opinium for Carers UK reveals that 3.33 million people have given up work to care for a family member or friend who is older, disabled or seriously ill, with 1.1 million leaving their job in the last two years alone – more than 1,500 people a day. This is an increase of 150% since 2019, when the charity’s last public poll on the issue found that nearly half a million (468,000) unpaid carers had left their job in the last two years – more than 600 people a day. Many carers want to remain in work, not only for income, but because being able to work supports their wellbeing, offering a break from caring, boosting confidence and social contact. Without the right support, more people are reaching a point where they feel they have no choice but to reduce their hours or leave work altogether. One in five workers (20%) are now juggling paid work with unpaid care. This has also increased significantly since 2019, when 15% of people were combining work and caring responsibilities. Around one in five people (21%) and almost two thirds (59%) of working carers said that caring responsibilities have had a negative impact on their employment at some point, including reduced hours, lower-paid roles, missed career opportunities or employer changes in order to continue providing care. When asked what support would be most important to combine paid work with unpaid caring responsibilities, 79% of UK adults said flexible working, 79% said a supportive line manager or employer. Around three-quarters agreed that the introduction of additional paid carers would make a difference, with 73% supporting five days of paid Carer’s
Leave. Carers UK’s recent ‘Tipping Point’ research also found that 45% of carers would be more likely to remain in employment if they had paid Carer’s Leave. For 35% of carers, more affordable, accessible or reliable social care would have helped them stay in employment. The charity says these findings underline why Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission into Adult Social Care must recognise the role that a well-functioning social care system plays in supporting unpaid carers to remain in work and why reform should be viewed as both a social and an economic imperative. The research has been supported by Standard Life as part of their Caring for Carers initiative. Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Carers UK said: “It is deeply worrying to see growing numbers of unpaid carers leaving employment. These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care. “The sizeable impact of caring responsibilities on peoples’ working lives should concern us all, because when people are forced to leave work to care employers lose valuable skills and there are wider implications. The economic cost of carers leaving paid work is estimated to be £37 billion a year. “The positive news is that employer-led initiatives can make a real difference and the government’s review of employment rights for unpaid carers is an important opportunity to ensure better support is
available for all working carers. Introducing paid Carer’s Leave would provide time away from work without a loss of income.” Director of Corporate Affairs & Chief of Staff at Standard Life and Executive Sponsor of the company’s Carers Network, Claire Hawkins, said: “Carers play a vital role in supporting families and communities, but the growing number of people leaving work to care for loved ones highlights the need for greater support. “Time out of the workforce can have lasting consequences, reducing income, retirement savings and the opportunity to build the long-term financial resilience that underpins security in later life. “At Standard Life, we’ve seen that supporting carers doesn’t need to be costly or complex. Practical measures such as paid carer’s leave, flexible working, supportive managers and employee networks can make a meaningful difference. Creating workplaces where people can balance work and care helps them remain connected to employment, continue building retirement savings and strengthen their long-term financial security, while enabling employers to retain valuable skills and experience. “As policymakers consider the future of support for unpaid carers through initiatives such as the recent consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and wider social care reform, there is a real opportunity for employers and government to work together. By helping more people stay in work while managing caring responsibilities, we can support greater financial resilience throughout life and help more people achieve better outcomes in retirement.”
Care Home Celebrates Dedicated Staff Staff and residents at dementia specialist care home Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington have had a special celebration to acknowledge the dedication of the people who work there. Long-service awards were presented to 10 colleagues who have worked at the home for at least a decade, while group administration manager Ann Vaughan and group maintenance manager Barry Boulton received special awards for notching up 15 years and 16 years respectively. Manager Zillah Oakes said: “It is often said that an organisation is only as good as its people, but nowhere is this more true than in the care sector. “I am so proud of my committed and caring colleagues at Camelot House and Lodge, and this was a perfect opportunity to thank them for all their hard work. “Altogether 76 people received awards – and we handed out a few unexpected ones too, like the Keep Calm and Carry On Award, the Motivation on Tap Award and – just for a laugh – the Most Likely To Appear On Reality TV Award. “It was a lovely occasion, enjoyed by staff and residents alike, and was followed by a delicious buffet lunch. “We know how important it is to make sure our staff are aware how very much we appreciate the dedication they bring to work every day, and we try to communicate that on an ongoing basis, but this ceremo-
ny was a great opportunity to do so publicly and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves.” Staff recognised at the awards ceremony were: • Fifteen Years Service Awards: Ann Vaughan; Barry Boulton • Ten Years Service Awards: Alison Southcott; Anil George; Bincy John; Catalin Bulgaru; Debra Maunder; Ryju Puthenveettil; Samantha Paddon; Sarah Vile; Stephanie Hart; Vlad Toma • Three Years Service Awards: Alby Karerakkattil Paul; Amala Shaji Pullan; Bobin Sebastian Michael; Jessy Varghese; Lincy George; Michael Rowe; Samuel Abosah; Sonu Abraham; Tom Alex; Zillah Oakes • One Year Service Awards: Ahamed Basha Mohammed; Albin Sebastian; Alphy Philip; Amrutha Jacy; Anandu Jayakuma; Anil Anand; Anila Shaji; Bichu Tom Joseph; Debra Jacobs; Gina Marin; Hanna Jamsheed; Harsha Valappil Sukumaran; Jinto Vincent Porathur Kunkumath; Julian Edeki; Loveena Prakash; Manya Manoj; Mohammed Hassanpour; Osayuware Jennifer Ahunwan; Sreejith Millikunnel James • Special awards: Motivation on Tap Award – Anil George and Jinol John; Keep Calm and Carry on Award – Anil Koch Oommen and Mifla Mehaboob Cherlakodan; Helping Hand Award – Reshmy Nair and Jenies Karanirappil Sunny; Organisation Oracle Award – Bincy John and Vlad Toma; Most Likely To Appear On Reality TV Award – Marie Thorne and Csilla Barabas
Building Confidence Through Compliance in the Care Homes Sector Trust is the foundation of every successful care home, and residents and their families place their confidence in providers to deliver not only high-quality care, but also transparency and professionalism throughout their experience. From initial enquiries and admissions through to ongoing care arrangements, every interaction shapes perceptions and helps build confidence in your service. Alongside delivering excellent care, providers must also ensure they are meeting a range of legal responsibilities designed to protect consumers and support informed decision making. Recent changes to consumer protection law have made this more important than ever.
UNDERSTANDING THE NEW CONSUMER LANDSCAPE The introduction of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) marks one of the most significant developments in consumer protection legislation in recent years. While the legislation applies across many sectors, care homes need to pay particular attention to how the changes affect customer journeys, pricing information, advertising, contracts and communications with prospective residents and their families. Many of the requirements reflect principles that reputable providers already strive to follow. However, the new legislation strengthens expectations around transparency and fairness and introduces much stronger powers for enforcement authorities. Some of the key areas care home providers should be aware of
Prospective residents and their families should be able to understand the full cost of care before making a decision. The DMCCA introduces measures to tackle so-called "drip pricing", where additional mandatory charges only become apparent later in the purchasing process. Businesses are expected to provide clear information about unavoidable costs upfront, helping consumers make informed choices from the outset.
That's where the Business Companion’s FREE Care Homes Guide can help. This guide has been developed to provide straightforward, practical information specifically relevant to care home providers. Rather than navigating complex legal texts, businesses can access clear explanations and actionable guidance designed to support compliance in dayto-day operations. Whether you're reviewing resident contracts, updating pricing information, assessing marketing materials or considering how information is presented to prospective residents, the guide serves as an essential point of reference. Importantly, it helps providers understand not only what the law requires, but also how those requirements can be applied in a realworld care setting.
Authentic Reviews and Testimonials
A TRUSTED SOURCE OF GUIDANCE
Online reviews play an increasingly influential role when families are researching care options. The legislation prohibits fake reviews and misleading endorsements, reinforcing the need for businesses to ensure any testimonial or review content accurately reflects genuine customer experiences.
Business Companion supports businesses across a wide range of sectors with free, accessible and authoritative guidance on consumer protection and regulatory requirements. In addition to care home-specific resources, the platform provides information on topics such as consumer vulnerability, complaints handling, pricing practices, online sales, delivery charges and much more. All guidance is backed by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and is regularly reviewed and updated by legal and regulatory experts. To find out more, visit: www.businesscompanion.info
include:
Greater Transparency Around Costs
Stronger Enforcement The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) now has enhanced powers to take action against businesses that fail to comply with consumer protection requirements.
PRACTICAL SUPPORT FOR CARE HOME PROVIDERS
PAGE 26 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Better Ratings Begin Before The Regulator Arrives By Kevin Groombridge – Chief Executive, Care Inspections UK (www.careinspections.co.uk) For a care provider, a regulatory rating is more than a judgement published online. It influences the confidence of people choosing care, families, commissioners, lenders, insurers and potential employees. A disappointing rating can damage a service's reputation and commercial performance, but it need not define its future. Improvement begins with knowing precisely where the service stands. That requires much more than a brief “mock inspection” or a checklist designed only around the most obvious regulatory questions. Care Inspections UK (CIUK) provides a comprehensive, independent assessment of the entire service, examining the factors that determine quality, compliance, safety and organisational resilience.
rarely exist in isolation. A training gap may affect practice; poor oversight may allow it to persist; incomplete records may then make it difficult to demonstrate good care. CIUK’s professional inspectors triangulate their findings from observation, interviews, records and other evidence. The resulting report does not simply identify what is wrong. It explains the evidence, the applicable requirement and the significance of each finding, while also recognising strengths and good practice.
ACTION PLAN AND SUPPORT Crucially, the report is followed by a detailed action plan. This converts findings into clear, prioritised steps, identifying what must be done to achieve compliance and strengthen performance. Providers are not left with a list of problems and no route forward. CIUK offers continuing support as actions are implemented, helping leaders address root causes, evidence-based improvements and embed changes that will withstand future scrutiny. Used proactively, the process also gives providers time to address weaknesses before the regulator visits,
PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION
reducing avoidable surprises and allowing improvement to be evidenced in everyday practice rather than in
CIUK is the UK’s only UKAS-accredited care service inspection body. Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020 means that its competence, impartiality, methodology and consistency are independently assessed. This matters because providers need findings they can trust, based on verifiable evidence rather than opinion or reassur-
last-minute preparation.
ance.
PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION Each inspection looks across the whole operation. Depending on the service, this includes governance and leadership, safeguarding, medicines, staffing, recruitment, training, care planning, consent, infection prevention and control, health and safety, premises, record keeping, quality assurance and the experience of people receiving care. Broader risk management and commercial issues are also considered, as weaknesses
This creates a disciplined improvement cycle: inspect, understand, act, verify and sustain. It enables boards, owners and managers to deploy resources where they will have the greatest effect, while giving staff clarity about expectations and accountability.
CIUK GUARANTEE CIUK guarantees that a service’s rating will improve when the complete process is followed and the agreed action plan is implemented. That confidence comes from experience: detailed inspection exposes the issues holding a service back, while structured support ensures they are properly corrected. A better rating should never be achieved through presentation alone. It must reflect safer systems, stronger leadership and demonstrably better care. CIUK helps providers deliver exactly that, turning independent inspection into measurable improvement and lasting assurance.
Alfreton Care Service Blooms in National Gardening Competition A Derbyshire care home is celebrating after being crowned a winner in a gardening competition involving services across Salutem Care and Education. Ash Lea House in Alfreton impressed judges in the annual Salutem in Bloom competition, which encourages the people supported by the organisation, alongside staff teams, to transform their outdoor spaces through planting, creativity and teamwork. Ash Lea House is a 24-hour residential home supporting adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and complex needs. Individuals supported at the home played an active role in the competition, working alongside staff to plan, plant and care for the garden and helping to create an outdoor space everyone could enjoy. The competition saw Salutem services across the country embrace their green fingers, with everything from colourful flower beds and planters to vegetable patches and peaceful areas in which people could relax and enjoy being outdoors. The initiative was designed to encourage people to get involved at whatever level suited them, share
ideas, learn new skills and experience the enjoyment and sense of achievement that comes from seeing plants and gardens develop. Ash Lea House’s efforts stood out to the judges, with the enthusiasm and teamwork behind the garden helping it secure the accolade. John Godden, chief executive of Salutem Care and Education, said: “Salutem in Bloom is always a wonderful initiative because it brings together so many of the things we value – participation, creativity, teamwork and, most importantly, having fun. “The team and the people we support at Ash Lea House have put a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and hard work into their garden and they should be extremely proud of what they have achieved. “Gardens and outdoor spaces can make such a positive difference to people’s everyday lives. They are places to relax, socialise, be active and enjoy nature, and it has been fantastic to see everyone at Ash Lea House making their space their own. “Congratulations to everyone involved on a thoroughly deserved win.”
Hospice Deficits Have More Than Doubled In A Year
Hospices across England ended the last financial year with a collective deficit of more than £70 million – more than double the previous year* – as rising costs and stagnant funding force services to make difficult decisions about care. Hospice UK analysis highlights ongoing financial pressures across the sector, with many hospices being pushed to reduce services despite increasing demand for end of life care. According to Hospice UK, at least 33 hospices in England have already made significant cuts to services, with almost 60% of hospices either making changes or considering reductions as they struggle to balance their budgets. Specialist community hospice visits have fallen by 150,000 in a year, and there are now 380 hospice beds out of use across England. Queenscourt Hospice in Southport is one of the services facing significant financial pressures. The hospice has described the current situation as the most challenging financial period in its 35-year history and has warned that, without urgent action to provide sustainable funding, it could be forced to close in the future. The hospice is facing an estimated £2 million annual deficit, with spending of around £7.5 million and income of £5.5 million. NHS funding covers approximately 24% of its core costs, leaving it heavily reliant on fundraising, donations and grants. To manage these pressures, Queenscourt has already taken difficult steps, including reducing inpatient beds from 10 to five, cutting some Queenscourt at Home shifts, reducing outpatient therapy services, scaling back housekeeping and catering services, and consulting on significant staff redundancies. Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK said: “Hospices are facing immense pressure. Their costs are rising drastically while funding is not keeping pace. Their collective deficit has more than doubled in a year and nearly six in ten hospices have made or are considering cuts to frontline services. Already, nearly one in three people who need palliative care miss out on the support they need. “We welcome the Prime Minister’s recognition that palliative care must be fixed as a priority so everyone can get the care they need. But that ambition must now be matched by a commitment to fair and sustainable funding, so hospices can provide their expert care to everyone who needs it, without the constant
worry of whether they can afford to keep services running. “Hospices play a crucial role in supporting people in their homes and communities, as well as easing pressure on an already stretched NHS and social care system. When hospice services are reduced, it is hospitals, patients and families who pay the price. “Without action, more hospices will face impossible choices about which services they can keep running. This cannot continue. Hospice UK is calling on the Government to commit to £112.5 million in recurring funding this year as part of our four-point plan to secure the future of hospice care.” Louise Charnock, Executive Director of Nursing Services at Queenscourt Hospice said: “Like many hospices across England, we are facing unprecedented financial pressures. Despite delivering significant savings and making some incredibly difficult decisions, including reducing inpatient beds and making changes to some of our community services, we continue to face a substantial funding gap. “Demand for hospice care continues to grow, while the cost of delivering that care continues to rise. Hospices provide essential NHS services, yet we still rely heavily on charitable donations to fund the majority of our work. “We know we are not alone. Hospices across the country are facing the same impossible choices, and without sustainable funding, more services will be forced to reduce the care they provide. We urgently need a funding model that reflects the vital role hospices play in supporting patients, families and the wider NHS.” Hospice UK has set out a four-point plan to secure the future of hospice care. This includes: • Full funding of specialist palliative care provided by hospices. • Proper NHS contracts for hospices. • Funding to cover the cost of NHS pay rises for hospice staff. • National accountability for equitable provision of palliative care, wherever you live. Hospice UK estimates that £112.5 million of Government funding would be the first step required to shore up the future of hospice care, as part of an estimated £450 million required to fully fund hospice-delivered specialist palliative care and ensure essential services can continue free from financial uncertainty.
PAGE 30 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
‘Broken’ End of Life Care is ‘Devastating Families,’ Marie Curie Warns End of life charity Marie Curie has written an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to match words with actiont. Matthew Reed, the charity’s chief executive, is calling on the Prime Minister to grasp the nettle and transform end of life care in England describing our current system as ‘broken’, insisting the UK Government must do better. He writes: “For far too many people today, experiences of the end of life are marked not by care and dignity, but by avoidable pain, poverty, and significant uncertainty around where to turn for help. Our recent research identifies that nearly one in three dying people have unmet palliative care needs. That equates to over 200,000 people across the UK each year not receiving the care and support they need at the end of their lives. “With our population ageing, without additional significant intervention, this figure will only grow. We believe the UK can and must do better than this.” In England, opportunity for change lies on the horizon with the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care due to be published by the UK Government this Autumn. The new Prime Minister has rightly acknowledged that palliative care is in crisis, but has yet to set out how his government intends to close the huge gaps in end-of-life care. In response, Marie Curie wants to see the framework published soon and has called for initial short-term investment to support its delivery. By improving access to palliative care in the community, this would help to drive a shift away from expensive crisisdriven hospital care. Mr Reed explains: “In order to drive rapid improvements in people’s experiences of end-of-life care across our country, a major delivery effort will be required. That’s why we are calling on your Government to now accelerate and deliver the much -delayed Modern Service Framework, supported by a time-limited threeyear palliative care and end of life care transformation fund to enable its delivery and catalyse the scale of change required. “This wouldn’t be about pouring more money into the status quo. It’s about enabling a transformed approach and focus within the ‘cradle-to-grave NHS’ to ensure patients get access to the care
they need and deserve at the end of their lives.” As well as public support for change, there is a strong economic argument the charity hopes will win over the Treasury. Mr Reed concludes: “NHS data on patterns of care shows that in England 14% of all emergency admissions to hospital, and 30% of all bed days spent in hospital, involve people in the last year of life. The current lack of adequate access to palliative care in the community means that dying people and their carers often have no alternative but to attend A&E, call out an ambulance or be admitted to hospital at crisis point when they need help. That is not delivering care where many patients want to be, and it is extremely costly for our NHS.” If the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were to pass, the law would change in both England and Wales. The palliative and end of life care system in Wales is in crisis. Urgent action is required from the recently elected Welsh Government and commitments made prior to the election must now be reflected in the Programme for Government. Jon Antoniazzi, Associate Director for Policy and Public Affairs at Marie Curie Cymru, said: “The palliative and end of life care system in Wales is under immense pressure. Too many people are dying in isolation, in painand without the care they need. Urgent action is required to ensure everyone can access the right care, in the right place, at the right time. “Marie CurieCymruhas set out the changes needed to policy and practice to fix end of life care in Wales, and as we await the Programme for Government, we hope to see the Plaid Cymru Government commit to its pre-election promises to do this. This must include action to improve how services are planned and delivered, a sustainable funding solution, investment in the palliative care workforce and vast improvements in community and out of hours care for people living with a terminal illness. “We stand ready to work with the Welsh Government to ensure that ambitions translate into meaningful change that delivers better care for all.” Marie Curie stands neutral on assisted dying. The letter can be read in full at www.mariecurie.org.uk/media
Staff Bring a Little Piece of Zimbabwe to Care Resident Staff at Hilton Park surprised Archbold with a very special celebration of his Zimbabwean heritage — a beautiful moment filled with joy, laughter, warmth and a few happy tears. Activities Coordinator Jenny Szabo reached out to Archbold’s son to learn more about him, his background and the things he enjoys. She decorated his room with Zimbabwean flags and set up a projector to play some of his favourite Zimbabwean songs and dances. As the music started, Archbold became teary-eyed with happiness. He was so touched to see his culture being celebrated and to hear the familiar music from home.A colleague had also brought back traditional dresses from their holiday, which Jenny and Monika proudly wore during the celebration. To make the day even more special, Louis Lunga from our housekeeping team, who shares the same native dialect as Archbold, joined him for a lovely conversation in their home language. It was a very special moment of con-
nection and familiarity. Then came an even bigger surprise when staff started dancing. Archbold laughed and cried happy tears as he watched everyone celebrate with him. Jenny Szabo, Activities Coordinator, said: “Seeing Archbold’s smile made every bit of effort worthwhile. Moments like this remind us why we love what we do — bringing joy, connection and a little piece of home. Seeing how happy he was made me very emotional and incredibly proud.” Manager Geanina Tinca added: “It was truly touching to see Archbold so happy and emotional. His smile and laughter showed us just how much these moments of connection mean. Celebrating someone’s culture, memories and identity is such an important part of caring for the whole person. We were all very proud to be part of such a beautiful moment.”
‘Stop Using Council Tax To Pay For Spiralling Social Care Costs’, Think Tank Says Removing social care costs from council budgets could create a path towards fairer property tax and a better funded social care system, think tank shows. In a recent report the Social Market Foundation – a cross-party think tank – argued that social care costs should be taken out of English council budgets. Doing so would result in an average council tax cut of around £356 per household, with highest cuts in the South West (£413) and lowest in London (£243). Earlier this year, PM Andy Burnham said his government would look at options to pay for a reformed social care system. The new system is likely to need greater, shared funding, as currently those who need care in later life face losing all their assets above £14,250, which can include losing their home (for residential care). Despite the lack of generosity within the system, old age social care costs are a huge burden on local authorities, and only set to increase with Britain’s increasing ageing population. In 2024/25, roughly £9.2 billion is spent on adult social care for those over 65 – that’s around 22% of total council tax receipts for that year. Huge spending requirements on social care make it difficult for councils to fulfil their other functions – from filling potholes to litter picking – leaving the general public frustrated that they are paying council tax without receiving basic services, and raising questions on whether council tax is fit for purpose. Property valuations and council tax bands have also not been changed since 1991, leading to some absurd imbalances in people’s council tax liabilities. This creates a situation where Buckingham Palace’s annual council tax bill is less than a typical three-bedroom semi in Hartlepool. But changes to council tax, including moves to make it more progressive, have long been resisted, because it is set to produce stark winners and losers, with some households paying far more than they do at present. The report argues that removing social care costs from council tax opens up much needed political space to make these reforms possible. The SMF report shows that when social care costs are taken out of council budgets, it has an overall progressive effect. Local authorities with lower home values, and therefore weaker council tax revenues generally spend more on old age social care as a proportion of tax income. The most affluent areas generally
stand to save relatively little. 9 out of the bottom 10 local authorities that will save the least (less that £200 per household) are in London, and include the likes of Wandsworth, Westminster, Islington, Lambeth and Hackney. In contrast, East Lindsey (East Midlands), New Forest (South East), East Devon (South West), are among the top 10 highest savers, saving upwards of £500 per household. The report also looks at how removing social care from council tax bills would impact on different proposals to reform council tax. For example, creating a single continuous tax based on current property values (as proposed by the Resolution Foundation) results in an estimated 38% of properties losing out under the current system, but just 23% after social care is removed – making reforms much more politically viable. Alongside changes to council tax, a new national funding settlement for social care would allow the cost to be shared across the country more fairly with risk pooled more widely. Barney Dowling, Researcher at Social Market Foundation, said: “Everyday we see stories that remind us that the social contract is broken – people feel they are contributing far more to the state than they get out of it. We see story after story about the frustration of residents not getting basic services from their councils, overburdened local authorities, and struggles of those facing sky-high social care costs. These are not unconnected issues, and our report makes clear that taking social care costs out of council budgets could pave the way for ambitious and progressive reforms that go hand-in-hand, rather than tinkering at the margins of each system. Councils budgets should be responsible for resident services and local amenities, while the social care burden should be shared across the country more fairly and risk can be pooled more widely. Our research shows how to maximise the political feasibility of reform, by minimising the share of households that may have to pay substantially more.” Jané Mackenzie, Poverty Premium Lead at Trust for London, said: “Council tax hits those on the lowest incomes hardest, and at a time of surging living costs, it stretches those households thin. Bold, innovative ideas like those put forward in this research are exactly what’s needed if we’re serious about tackling poverty. We hope this report helps spark a conversation about how we fund local services, support people in later life, and build a fairer council tax system, without pushing people into poverty.”
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 31
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CareZips Classic Adaptive Pants ®
CareZips® Classic are patented, easy dressing unisex adaptive pants designed for older and disabled people suffering with problems associated with continence, mobility, mental function and cognition. Suitable for persons living in care institutions, receiving care at home or living independently at home, CareZips® Classic enable people to dress themselves or with assistance from carers. CareZips® Classic feature patented 3-zipper system, which opens the front of the pants from the waist to the knees for quicker access during toileting, continence pads changes and personal hygiene. The forward positioning of the two side zippers lessens pressure on sensitive hip areas, helping to eliminate discomfort. The third zipper facilitates simple full frontal opening for faster more dignified diaper changes, catheter adjustments, personal cleansing and hygiene routines. CareZips® Classic have many benefits for the older and disabled users and their carers: • People dressing themselves enjoy the practical functionality and versatility of the CareZips® Classic, all day comfort and easy garment care.
• People dependent on assisted dressing appreciate quick easy dressing process with less stress, embarrassment and greater dignity offered by CareZips® Classic. • CareZips® Classic offer practical gains to the carers, helping them to provide better care, whilst reducing physical efforts and saving valuable time. CareZips® Classic are unisex, available in 6 sizes and 3 practical colours (i.e. black, charcoal and navy). Tapered fit at the ankles gives a tidy appearance. Made from breathable moisture-wicking 4-way stretchy crease-free and easy-care durable fabric, CareZips® Classic are comfortable, practical and conveniently functional. For more information, contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com See the advert on page 3 for further information on Win Health’s product range.
Serve in Style with Euroservice Trolleys Watch your resident's eyes light up when the trolley arrives! Euroservice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care products to residents. How about a delicious snack/pastry trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple? Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents! Visit the website at www.euroservice-uk.com to see the full range. See the advert on page 9 for further information.
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Explore our full activity range - www.bluerain.store where you will also find our informative blogs and contact form as friendly advice is always on hand.
little different, discover products for all ages and abilities at Blue Rain Activity Store.
See the advert on page 4.
External Compliance Audits – Are They Worth It? Working in social care is demanding. It is one of the most heavily regulated yet underfunded sectors, with providers expected to comply with regulations, meet Quality Statements, follow good practice guidance, respond to local authority monitoring, and operate under constant scrutiny. Regulation itself isn’t the problem — it protects people and improves standards. The challenge is capacity. Larger organisations may have in-house quality assurance teams, but smaller providers rarely have the time or budget to review compliance in depth. Many owners and managers tell us they feel overwhelmed and unsure how well their service is really performing, especially since the introduction of the Single Assessment Framework. For many, confidence in compliance is the number one concern — not because standards are poor, but because there simply isn’t time to step back and take a full, objective view. CAN AN EXTERNAL AUDIT HELP? In short, yes — when it’s done properly. A high-quality external audit provides: • A clear snapshot of current performance • Identification of good practice and priority risks
• Practical advice on how to improve • Evidence to support action plans and improvement journeys • Demonstration of good governance and continuous improvement — a key CQC focus • Reassurance for owners, directors, and managers HOW W&P CAN HELP W&P have supported health and social care providers for nearly 25 years, completing hundreds of audits across a wide range of services. This experience gives us deep insight into what regulators look for — and what genuinely improves outcomes. Our audits are supportive, non-judgmental, and practical. They typically include around six hours on-site, followed by a detailed report that links evidence to regulations and Quality Statements. Reports also include clear guidance, tips, and sources to help you respond confidently. Every audit is tailored to your needs — whether that’s safeguarding, medication management, or overall governance — ensuring it is truly fit for purpose. If you would like to know more, then please contact us on audits@wandptrainng.co.uk or call 01305 767104 for a no-obligation chat on how our audits can help you. See the advert on page 5.
Consort Unveils New Identity For Its Next Chapter In Electric Heating Electric heating manufacturer Consort Claudgen has adopted Consort as its master brand, introducing a new logo and visual identity effective 1 September 2026. The change reflects the name already used by customers and colleagues and creates a clearer, more consistent presence across the company’s communications and trade materials. The refreshed identity uses a warm red, retains the familiar heat-wave element and introduces the strapline, “Your trusted electric heating partner.” The Claudgen name remains part of Consort’s product brand portfolio.
Gareth Davies, Managing Director at Consort, said: “Customers already know us as Consort, so the new identity makes the brand clearer while reflecting the business we are today. What has not changed is our focus on dependable electric heating, practical support and long-term partnerships. The new look gives us a stronger platform for the next stage of the business.” www.consortepl.com | 01646 692172 | marketing@consortepl.com See the advert on page 8 for further information.
OXFORD UP - Supporting Safer, More Active Transfers with the Oxford Up The Oxford Up from Oxford Healthcare is an active manual stand aid designed to support assisted standing, seated transfers and rehabilitation. Developed for people who require some assistance to stand but are able to participate in the transfer, the Up encourages the individual to contribute to the movement process, helping to promote a more active approach to mobility and rehabilitation. With a safe working load of 200kg (31st), the Up is designed to provide a practical solution across a range of care environments. Its compact, portable design also makes it particularly convenient for care providers where equipment may need to be moved between rooms or stored when not in use. The Up can be quickly separated into three components without the need for specialist tools, making transportation and storage considerably easier. Once required, it can be reassembled in seconds and is ready for use. For carers, an oversized multi-point push handle provides improved control and manoeuvrability, while the integrated foot push pad enables the carer to generate for-
ward momentum when moving the individual. Adjustable leg opening allows the stand aid to be positioned more closely around furniture, helping facilitate better positioning during transfers. Patient comfort has also been considered throughout the design. Swing-away seat pads and adjustable knee support help provide a secure and comfortable position, while offering flexibility for different users and transfer requirements. Where additional seated support is required, the Oxford Deluxe Standing Sling with Clips is fully compatible with the Up and is available in three standard sizes - small, medium and large. Available to order now, the Oxford Up comes with a standard five-year warranty, providing added reassurance for care providers. For further information, contact Oxford Healthcare on 0344 811 1158, email info@oxfordhealthcare.co.uk or visit www.oxfordhealthcare.co.uk. See the advert on page 15.
PAGE 32 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
Supporting Care Through Change: What to Expect at Care Show Birmingham 2026 • Future of care • Workforce sustainability • Funding pressures • Compliance and regulation • Technology and digital transformation The conference also welcomes an impressive line-up of speakers, including Chris Badger, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care at CQC; Sarah McClinton, Chief Social Worker from the Department of Health and Social Care; Jeremy Richardson, CEO of Avery Healthcare; Raina Summerson, Group CEO of Agincare; Nitesh Somani, CEO of Kara Healthcare; Nye Brown, CEO of Hallmark Luxury Care Homes; Amrit Dhaliwal, CEO of Walfinch; and Baroness Glenys Thornton, Chair of the Social Care Institute of Excellence.
NEW FOR 2026 The social care sector continues to navigate funding pressures, workforce shortages, evolving regulation and rapid advances in technology. That's why bringing the sector together has never been more important. On 7–8 October 2026, Care Show Birmingham returns to the NEC Birmingham, bringing together the people, insights and innovations helping to support care through change. As the UK's leading event for the care community, Care Show Birmingham brings together practical learning, the latest innovations and thousands of care professionals. Whether you're an owner, director, registered manager or care professional, you'll leave with ideas, inspiration and valuable new connections.
PRACTICAL LEARNING FOR TODAY'S CARE LEADERS With more than 200 expert speakers delivering an extensive CPDaccredited conference programme, Care Show Birmingham focuses on providing practical advice. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions and solution-focused sessions, delegates will hear directly from sector leaders, regulators and providers tackling the biggest issues affecting care today. This year's programme centres around five key themes:
This year's event introduces several exciting new features designed specifically for senior leaders and business owners. The brand-new Owners' & Directors' Forum has been created exclusively for strategic decision-makers. Dedicated to the realities of running a care business, the theatre explores everything from occupancy and commissioning to investment, business growth, funding challenges and long-term sustainability. It offers high-level content tailored specifically to those responsible for leading care organisations through change. Alongside the forum, visitors can take advantage of the new Care Business Clinics. These informal drop-in sessions give care leaders the opportunity to speak directly with some of the sector's most experienced business experts, ask pressing questions and gain practical advice from professionals who have successfully built and grown care businesses themselves. When the exhibition closes on day one, the excitement continues with the return of Care Sector's Got Talent, hosted at the Care Show for the very first time. This much-loved evening event promises entertainment, networking and the chance to celebrate the incredible personalities that make the care sector so special.
DISCOVER THE LATEST INNOVATIONS Beyond the conference programme, visitors can explore more than 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest products, services and technologies supporting care providers. From digital care planning and AI-powered solutions to recruitment, compliance, facilities management and resident wellbeing, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to compare suppliers, experience live demonstrations and speak directly with the organisations driving innovation across the sector.
BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION Care Show Birmingham brings together people from every corner of the sector because some of the best ideas don't come from presentations - they come from conversations. Whether that's with a speaker, another provider or an exhibitor, every discussion has the potential to spark something you can take back to your organisation. Join us at the NEC Birmingham on 7–8 October 2026 and be part of the conversations shaping the future of care. Register for your free pass today: https://forms.reg.buzz/care-show-birmingham-2026/carer
IVC Commercial Shows its Caring Side at the Care Show Birmingham Discover the affordable floors that show you care from IVC Commercial at the Care Show. IVC Commercial is exhibiting at the Care Show Birmingham, the UK’s leading event for the care community. It will use the show to demonstrate how its European-made sheet vinyl floors can support the well-being and independence of care residents while delivering excellent long-term value, durability and ease of maintenance. Jake Parks, national sales manager commercial, says, “As the UK’s leading event for the sector, the Care Show is a fantastic opportunity for us to spend time with specifiers and explain how our sheet vinyl floors can deliver the durability, safety and hygiene they need while also ensuring residents benefit from welcoming designs that help them to feel settled in their environment. We’re looking forward to meeting delegates and hearing from the sector on what they need from their choice of flooring.” Through ranges with a highly durable and long-lasting 0.70mm wear layer that delivers class 34 perfor-
mance, IVC Commercial’s floors can withstand intense use, including from wheeled traffic such as wheelchairs, mobility aids and care equipment. They are also finished with Hyperguard+, a permanent PUR coating that resists stains and scuffs and makes cleaning easier. Selected floors include Sanitec anti-bacterial protection to inhibit the growth of bacteria and mould and improve hygiene. Specialist slipresistant safety and acoustic specifications are also available. Across all its collections, IVC Commercial delivers a wide range of natural wood designs that offer a homely, welcoming feel for care settings. With LRV available for all its designs and different planks sizes, grain effects and colours; they can be used to aid navigation and help residents to understand their space, while also creating a ‘sense of home’. Helping residents to feel calmer, IVC Commercial floors support their wellbeing and independence. IVC Commercial, Stand M25, Care Show Birmingham, NEC, Birmingham, 7-8 October 2026 For further information, please visit www.ivc-commercial.com
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Care Show Birmingham Showcase READ IT ONLINE TODAY! thecareruk.com/ recommends/ careshowshowcase
The Carer
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Access Group
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Aston Brooke Solicitors
Stand: F03
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Complete Care Shop
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Courtney Thorne
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Digital Care Hub
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Eden Alternative
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Euroservice Trolley Manufacturers Stand: F62
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Fairfield Care
Stand: L20
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Gloveman Supplies
Stand: C32
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Hetikal
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IVC Commercial
Stand: M25
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Little Islands
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MEIKO UK
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Person Centred Software
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Planday
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QCS
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PAGE 34 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
CATERING FOR CARE Hard To Swallow: Meeting the Challenges of Dysphagia Neel Radia, National Chair of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), explores the challenges facing care home chefs when catering for residents suffering from dysphagia, and the solutions. Chefs in care homes are required to display far more than basic cooking skills. They bring culinary creativity to tempt the most jaded of palates, nutritional expertise to support the health and wellbeing of residents and, importantly, specialist knowledge of texture modification to cater for those suffering from dysphagia. Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty moving food or liquid safely from the mouth to the stomach; sufferers may have trouble with swallowing food or drinks, chewing, sucking, controlling saliva, taking medication or protecting the airway from choking. It is estimated that around 60% of care home residents suffer from some degree of dysphagia and, every year, dozens of care home residents die from choking. Dysphagia can occur at any age, brought on by conditions such as stroke, progressive neurological disorders including Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis, head injury, head and neck cancer, respiratory disorders such as COPD, or people with oesophageal disorders like reflux or hiatus hernia, but it is predominantly seen in frail, elderly people, especially if they are unwell or palliative. In addition, those living with dementia are likely to be experiencing cognitive changes that can result in swallowing difficulties. The main problem caused by dysphagia is aspiration, when food, fluid, saliva or vomit enters the airway. The immediate risk is an airway obstruction requiring immediate choking first aid response, but other long term health risks include life-threatening chest infections (or pneumonia), malnutrition, dehydration, fatigue, delayed recovery from illness and skin problems. In addition, people with dysphagia have a high risk of UTIs, constipation, headaches, dry skin, confusion, renal problems and pressure ulcers. The psychological impact and reduced quality of life can also be considerable, with affected residents potentially suffering from social isolation at mealtimes, anxiety when faced with eating or drinking and depression. Safe dining with dignity is something that the NACC as an organisation is committed to normalising for all individuals in care, and
texture modified diets are a huge part of this objective. Thankfully the traditional solution of putting the components of a ‘normal’ meal in a blender with some water to create a plate of grey slop has been largely consigned to history by the introduction of the IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) Framework and Level Descriptors in 2015. Today’s care chefs take great pride in producing dishes that closely resemble the non-modified version that other residents are being served, based on the eight IDDSI Levels (0-7), which between them cover all the requirements of those who are mildly, moderately or severely dysphagic. Before the introduction of IDDSI, confusion and miscommunication regarding diet textures and drink consistencies was likely to result in increased risk of illness or even death. After all, one person’s interpretation of ‘thick’ or ‘thin’ may be very different from the next person’s and what IDDSI does is to take away any confusion or subjective bias. Drinks are measured from Levels 0-4 while foods are measured from Levels 3-7 with common terminology to improve safety for all individuals with swallowing difficulties. A clinician (Speech and Language Therapist) will make recommendations for suitable IDDSI Levels for their patients, but it is then the responsibility of the catering team to make sure any food or drink given to that individual is compliant with the required Level. Fortunately the guesswork has been taken out of this by the IDDSI Testing Methods. These are intended to confirm the flow or textural characteristics of a particular product at the time of testing – which should be done under the intended serving conditions, especially in regard to temperature. The IDDSI Testing Methods have been designed around a 10ml syringe for liquids and, for foods, the use of common eating utensils that are easily accessible and available in most food preparation and dining environments. Testing methods for purées, soft, firm and solid foods include the Fork Drip Test, Spoon Tilt Test, Fork or Spoon Pressure Test, Chopstick Test and Finger Test. Whilst there are a number of commercially available pre-prepared texture modified ranges on the market, the IDDSI Framework and Testing Methods have made it possible for care home chefs to adapt their regular menu options to suit individual textural needs. But, with resident safety on the line, training is obviously vital in ensuring that all relevant staff are familiar with IDDSI and can competently prepare and test texture modified diets. April 2026 saw the launch of the Level 2 Award for Catering in Health and Social Care, developed with input from both the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) and the Hospital Caterers
Association (HCA). The Award is suitable for all catering staff in care homes, hospitals and other health and social care settings, and is the only Ofqual-regulated qualification that supports the IDDSI Framework and other special dietary needs. It is quality assured externally by the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH) and is delivered through a hybrid model combining virtual learning, guided learning and a face-to-face practical day. The new Award is appropriate for everyone from a kitchen assistant involved in preparing special diets right through to a head chef who may have been working in the sector for some time but without any formal training in texture modification. The aim is that it will become standard for new recruits and form part of every induction, and also enable senior chefs to mentor and train their future staff to work in the correct way. Despite having such a vital role in supporting both physical and mental health among residents, chefs working in the care home sector still tend to be undervalued and under-recognised for the skills and professionalism they bring to the table. Yet their ability to give residents suffering from dysphagia a dignified, safe and pleasurable dining experience day in, day out is testament to those skills. To register interest for the Level 2 Award for Catering in Health and Social Care or to find out more information, visit www.nacctraining.co.uk
WARNING SIGNS Dysphagia must ultimately be diagnosed by a Speech and Language Therapist, but all members of the care home team should be alert to the warning signs: • Coughing or choking when eating or drinking • A marked change in breathing/colour when eating or drinking • Tearing or watery eyes • A wet or gurgly voice after swallowing • Frequent throat-clearing after swallowing • A weak cough or no reflexive cough on aspirating
Simply Food Solutions Strengthens Support For Healthcare Caterers With New ‘Small & Mighty’ Range As healthcare catering teams continue to balance nutritional requirements with growing operational pressures, specialists in healthcare dining, Simply Food Solutions, has expanded its offering with the launch of its new ‘Small & Mighty’ meals. Unlike traditional 380g portions, ‘Small & Mighty’ provides concentrated nutrition in a more manageable format that’s straightforward for healthcare caterers to prepare. Developed in line with British Dietetic Association (BDA) guidance, each 300g ‘Small & Mighty’ meal provides at least 20g of protein and 500kcal to support the nutritional needs of patients and residents with reduced appetites. Available under Simply Food Solutions’ new healthcare brand, Tastefull, the range consists of eight frozen Level 4 texture-modified meals: Beef Casserole, Cottage Pie, Fisherman’s Pie, Fish & Chips, Lamb & Mint Sauce, Chicken & Potato Pie, Macaroni Cheese and Sausage & Mash. The launch forms part of Tastefull’s wider strategy to enhance the specialist healthcare range, with
continued development of individual-plated and multi-portion meals, as well as training and operational guidance on menu management. Yaqoob Ishaq, Managing Director of Simply Food Solutions, said, “We’re delighted to have launched ‘Small & Mighty’. This is an important step forward because we know how important it is for healthcare caterers to provide meals that are safe and suitable, without compromising on texture and flavour. “‘Small & Mighty’ will support residents and patients who may find traditional portions difficult to finish, while also giving healthcare teams access to practical, dependable products that will suit a range of dietary preferences. “By making more of the right products available through Bidfood, we can support customers with greater choice while continuing to focus on quality, consistency and ease of preparation. This is only the beginning, and I’m excited for the next stage and the positive difference it will make for the healthcare industry.” To find out more, please visit: https://simplyfoodsolutions.co.uk/tastefull/
Dishwashing Advice for Care Homes What are the biggest challenges in care homes when it comes to dishwashing? Infection control and compliance. But they’re not the only challenges. Winterhalter’s team of warewashing experts has put together a comprehensive advice guide for care home dishwashing. From the five key considerations when specifying a dishwasher through handling chemicals safely to budgeting and running costs, it gives care homes and the companies that supply them the information they need to select the best warewashing solution, whatever the site’s requirements may be. Care Homes: advice on dishwashing is available right now to download from the dedicated Care Home section at tinyurl.com/carehomedishwashing. It shows how to help care home staff get dishwashing right, focusing on areas such as simple operations and training. It considers how to protect the most vulnerable
patients, for example by using features like Winterhalter’s Thermo option, which disinfects the ware being washed. Ergonomics, workflows, managing critical hygiene risks, specifying for care homes with limited space – the Guide has it covered. And for care homes on limited budgets, there’s information on finance options. “Care homes have very specific requirements from their warewashing systems,” says Paul Crowley, marketing development manager at Winterhalter UK. “This guide is designed to give users and specifiers the information they need to ensure they are operating as safely, efficiently and hygienically as possible.” The guide is available as a free downloads from the Winterhalter UK website. Anyone interested in advice for other particular sectors can contact info@winterhalter.co.uk. Winterhalter provides a total solution for dishwashing and glasswashing, from pre-sales advice to aftersales service, training and maintenance, with sustainability fitted as standard. Alongside its market-leading dish washers and glass washers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, and cleaning detergents and rinse aids. For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, visit www.winterhalter.com/uk-en/ or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.
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LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS
Keeping Care Home Laundry Running When a washing machine stops, a care home's laundry keeps arriving. Bedding, towels and residents' clothing still need attention, while staff face the challenge of keeping daily routines moving. Reliable laundry equipment and support deserve a place in every care home's operational planning, before a breakdown forces the issue. At PDS, we help care homes choose, install and maintain commercial laundry equipment that suits the way they work. We have supported care homes since 2007, bringing together equipment supply, installation and repair services. Our aim is to help you keep your laundry working so your team can concentrate on caring for residents. Choosing equipment starts with understanding your setting. Space, the volume of washing and the demands of everyday routines all influence what will work best. A larger machine is not automatically the right answer. Capacity needs to fit the workload, while controls and programmes need to make sense to the people using them each day. PDS supplies commercial washing machines, tumble dryers, stacked equipment and ironers, with options for different spaces and laundry demands. We work with manufacturers including Electrolux, Miele, Ipso, Primus, Girbau, Grandimpianti and Schulthess to name a few. This choice allows us to discuss suitable equipment with you and explain the options in the context of your home, rather than expecting one solution to fit every setting. Our support covers laundry consultations, project design and management, installation and spare parts. Whether you are replacing an ageing machine or planning a new laundry, discussing the whole project early
helps bring equipment choices and site requirements together. It also gives your team the opportunity to ask questions before making an investment. For managers who want to see equipment working before deciding, the PDS Customer Experience Centre offers a useful next step. Visitors can watch washing, drying and finishing demonstrations, try the controls and explore different programmes. Seeing a machine in operation makes a specification sheet easier to understand and gives everyday usability the attention it deserves. The centre also provides an opportunity to review cycle data and energy consumption. These conversations help you consider operating costs alongside the purchase price. You can discuss your laundry requirements, ask about suitable programmes and understand how the available options relate to your workload. Bring your questions about capacity, routines and equipment performance: the visit is designed to help you make an informed choice. Support continues after installation. Our in-house engineers provide nationwide support, including maintenance and repairs, to help keep your equipment performing. Having a laundry partner who understands your setting gives you someone to turn to when you need advice, replacement equipment or help with a fault. If your care home's laundry is becoming harder to manage, start a conversation with PDS. Tell us what is working, what is causing difficulty and what you would like to improve. Call 02476 880 880 to discuss your requirements or arrange a Customer Experience Centre demonstration. You can also visit www.pdssolutions.co.uk. Let us help you find a way forward for your laundry and the people who depend on it.
Lavamac Award-Winning Sustainable Laundry Equipment Lavamac has built a reputation as a trusted name in industrial and commercial laundry technology. Recognized across global markets for its commitment to durability, innovation, and operational efficiency, the company continues to deliver advanced laundry solutions tailored to the evolving demands of healthcare, commercial laundries, and institutional facilities. With a product philosophy centered on reliability and performance, Lavamac has become synonymous with high-quality engineering and longterm value. Innovation remains a defining characteristic of the Lavamac brand. The company continues to invest heavily in research, engineering, and modern control systems that improve ease of use and machine efficiency. Lavamac’s commitment to sustainability is equally impressive. Its machines are engineered to meet stringent environmental standards while supporting lower water and energy usage. Advanced airflow systems in the dryers and optimized water management technologies in the washers contribute to reduced utility costs and greener operations. This meant that Lavamac was award-
ed a bronze award in sustainability by the Groundworks Trust, affirming their commitment to the sustainability industry Lavamac's refurbishment programme in their specialist facility includes stripping down the machines, and giving them a check-over, to see which parts, if any, can be carried over the refurbishment. Lavamac will only carry over the highest-quality parts from the machine from pre to post refurbishment. The machine then undergoes an extensive refurbishment, with almost all the parts being replaced, with the refurbished machines being given specialist parts based on the model type. The company offers a complete service-oriented approach that includes laundry design consultation, project management, technical expertise, installation support, and after-sales service. Supported by experienced engineers and factory-trained technicians, Lavamac works closely with customers to develop customized laundry solutions that meet operational goals and space requirements. Call today on 0151 317 3127, email info@laundrytec.com or visit www.lavamac.eu
AWARD-WINNING SUSTAINABLE LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT • New or refurbished Laundry equipment • Award-winning sustainability drive • washers, Dryers and Roller Irons • PPMs, Callouts and Installations • Fast and friendly service • Over 80 5* Trustpilot reviews
0151 317 3127 info@laundrytec.com www.lavamac.eu
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LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS
Washing Machines For Care Homes Trusted by thousands of care homes across the UK, MAG Laundry Equipment is an award-winning supplier of commercial washing machines and tumble dryers. Reliable laundry machines that meet the highest hygiene standards are essential for care homes, hospices, nursing homes, hospitals, and other healthcare organisations. MAG provides support to the care sector for all makes, models, and brands of laundry machines. Whether you require free technical assistance, maintenance, repairs or installation, the professional team of experts at MAG will be happy to answer any questions. MAG’s product range includes commercial washing machines, tumble dryers, ironers, presses, and detergents, all supported by a nationwide network of accredited engineers. Built since 1922, their commercial laundry equipment has a 5-star reputation for being reliable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective. Care homes benefit
from complete peace of mind knowing their commercial laundry machines can be professionally supplied, installed, maintained, and repaired throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. Thermal disinfection comes as standard on MAG washing machines designed for care home and healthcare applications, helping businesses maintain the highest hygiene standards and regulations. For organisations seeking exceptional wash performance and effective stain removal, MAG Laundry Equipment also supplies high-quality commercial laundry detergents. To find out more about how MAG Laundry Equipment can support your care home, visit www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk/care or phone 01353 883025. See the advert on the back cover.
Hetikal - Over 20 Years Of Clothing Identification Expertise For more than 20 years, Hetikal has been developing identification solutions specifically for the healthcare and care sectors. Born from the need for a reliable way to identify clothing in demanding healthcare environments, Hetikal developed its own patented clothing labelling system, designed to provide permanent, professional identification across a wide range of garments and fabrics. Unlike conventional product-only solutions, Hetikal works directly with its customers, without distributors or third-party sales channels. This allows the company to provide not simply a product, but a complete service. Equipment is provided on loan, together with installation, training, ongoing technical support and maintenance, helping care homes and healthcare organisations use the system correctly and achieve consistent results throughout its lifetime. When correctly applied, Hetikal labels are designed to withstand
labelling and full-colour printing capabilities. These solutions can help larger care homes and groups introduce greater levels of garment organisation and traceability, including visual identification by unit, department or service. Visitors will be able to see the system in operation and discover repeated industrial laundering without fading, smudging or peeling. Their low application temperature also allows the system to be used across a wide variety of garments, including delicate fabrics, as well as shoes and slippers. Today, Hetikal is trusted by over 2,000 care homes across the UK and thousands more across Europe. At Care Show Birmingham 2026, Hetikal will showcase its patented clothing identification system, with particular emphasis on its colour
how a structured approach to clothing identification can make day-today laundry management simpler, more efficient and easier for care teams. HETIKAL UK 01932 226866 sales@hetikal.com - www.hetikal.com For further information see Hetikal on Stand F01 at The Care Show or see the advert on page 11.
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Could Your Care Home's Infection Control Strategy Do More Than A Pulp Macerator? PROTECTING RESIDENTS EVERY DAY Maintaining high standards of hygiene is a daily priority for care homes. With residents often more vulnerable to infection, the way care utensils are cleaned and disinfected plays an important role in protecting residents, staff and visitors, while supporting safe, dignified care.
IS IT TIME TO REVIEW YOUR CURRENT APPROACH? For many care homes, pulp macerators have been a familiar part of the sluice room for years. However, increasing pressure to improve infection prevention, reduce waste and control costs is encouraging providers to take a fresh look at alternative approaches. Modern bedpan washer disinfectors help care homes maintain high standards of hygiene, while reducing waste and supporting more efficient sluice room routines.
RELIABLE HYGIENE AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON MEIKO's TOPLINE bedpan washer disinfectors have been developed for demanding care environments, where reliable hygiene and ease of use are essential. Trusted in healthcare and care settings across the UK and Europe, TOPLINE machines provide consistent cleaning and disinfection at the touch of a button. Highly effective against bacteria, viruses and even C. difficile spores, TOPLINE helps provide reassurance that care utensils are being processed to consistently high standards. Built for long-term reliability, the machines are designed to support care teams day after day.
BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR
BUDGET Reusable systems can help reduce the waste associated with disposable products, supporting sustainability goals while maintaining excellent hygiene standards. To make investment easier, MEIKO SMARTPAY offers all-inclusive packages including service and support, helping care homes access proven infection control technology without significant upfront capital expenditure. As care homes continue to balance resident safety, staff pressures and rising costs, many are taking a fresh look at how care utensils are cleaned and disinfected. For those considering an alternative to pulp macerators, washer disinfector technology offers a proven route to improved hygiene, sustainability and operational efficiency. See the advert on the facing page for further details or visit www.meiko.com
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 39
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Gloveman Supplies Ltd – Supporting the Care Sector Since 2003 For more than two decades, Gloveman Supplies Ltd has been helping care providers across the UK protect their staff, residents and service users with dependable healthcare, hygiene and infection-control products. Established in 2003, Gloveman has grown into a trusted UK supplier and manufacturer of its own GLOVEMAN® disposable glove range, including nitrile, vinyl, latex, synthetic and Vynite blended gloves. Alongside hand protection, the company supplies an extensive portfolio of everyday care essentials, including infection-control products, paper and polythene disposables, hygiene wipes, first aid, incontinence products, housekeeping supplies, PPE and toiletries. With care organisations facing continued pressure
to control costs while maintaining high standards of hygiene and protection, Gloveman focuses on delivering the combination that matters: quality, competitive pricing, reliable stock availability and dependable service. Customers can also benefit from Gloveman’s VIP Online Account, providing negotiated pricing, quick ordering, access to invoices and statements, order history, multiple-branch ordering and tiered purchasing approval. As the care community comes together at Care Show Birmingham 2026 at the NEC on 7–8 October, Gloveman continues its commitment to supporting care professionals nationwide. Gloveman Supplies Ltd – We care because you do. Visit www.gloveman.co.uk
Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem. As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross
infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%. For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags. You can order Angloplas products directly from its website at www.angloplas.co.uk
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NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING From Analogue to Action: Rethinking Digital Nurse Call for Better Care By Stuart Barclay, healthcare technology specialist at Syndora Alto (https://syndoraalto.com) The analogue-to-digital transition in health and social care is not simply a technology refresh. It is a chance to rethink how help is requested, how staff respond, and how care is coordinated across a home. Too often, procurement still begins with a like-for-like mindset: replace the old panel, keep the old workflow, and hope for a better result. But digital nurse call should not be bought as a newer version of an old problem. It should be purchased as part of a wider care model that improves visibility, response, accountability, and resident experience.
START WITH THE OUTCOME
Before comparing systems, providers should define the problem they are trying to solve. Is the issue slow response times, poor escalation, noisy environments, duplicated paperwork, or a lack of oversight? The right solution should be judged against those outcomes, not against a checklist
cation tools, the result is less duplication and faster decision-making. When systems do not connect, staff are left repeating tasks, chasing information, and working around the technology rather than with it. For care providers, that means the question should not be, “What does this system do on its own?” The better question is, “How well does it fit into everything else we already use?”
BUY SUPPORT, NOT JUST HARDWARE Digital systems do not end at installation. They begin there. Any provider selecting a nurse call platform should think carefully about what happens after go-live: training, maintenance, updates, fault resolution, and ongoing optimisation. Care homes need suppliers who understand the realities of the sector, not just the technology. A strong supplier relationship should include responsive support, practical training, and a willingness to adapt as the home’s needs change. In digital care, support is not an extra service; it is part of the product.
CHOOSE FLEXIBILITY OVER LOCK-IN
of features. This matters because modern nurse call is no longer just about a resident pressing a button and a sounder going off. In better-designed systems, alerts can be routed directly to staff mobile devices, calls can be prioritised, and managers can see patterns in demand and response. That creates a more responsive and less fragmented way of working.
The biggest risk in this transition is buying something that cannot evolve. Care homes are operating in a fastchanging environment, and technology that cannot scale or adapt soon becomes a constraint rather than an asset. Future-ready systems should be designed to expand, integrate, and respond to changing needs without requiring a complete replacement every few years. That flexibility is especially important in a sector facing pressure to modernise ahead of the 2027 digital switchover.
A presentation is not a demonstration. A brochure cannot show how a system behaves during a busy morning shift, when several alerts happen at once and staff are moving across different parts of the home. That is why live testing in a real care environment is essential. Staff should be able to use the system, question it, and pressure-test it before any decision is made. If the workflow is clunky in practice, the promise of digital efficiency disappears very quickly.
A BETTER QUESTION TO ASK
TEST IT IN REAL LIFE
INTEGRATION IS THE REAL VALUE
One of the biggest mistakes in purchasing technology is treating integration as a nice-to-have. In reality, it is central to whether the system adds value. When nurse call works alongside care records, mobility devices, alarm management, and internal communi-
The analogue era encouraged a narrow question: does the system work? The digital era demands a better one: does the system help us deliver safer, smarter, more person-centred care? That shift in mindset changes everything. It moves procurement away from hardware replacement and towards care improvement. It encourages providers to look for visibility, integration, responsiveness, and longterm support rather than simply ticking a technical box. The homes that get this right will not just be compliant with the digital transition. They will be better equipped to use technology as part of everyday care, supporting staff and improving the experience of residents.
Alarm Radio Monitoring - Wireless Nurse Call & Staff Alarm Systems Alarm Radio Monitoring is the market leader in the design, manufacture and installation of bespoke, end-to-end, wireless alarm systems and solutions for the healthcare, leisure, custodial and education industries. We have been providing wireless alarm and nurse call systems for over 30 years. Supplying care homes and hospitals with an essential lifeline that supports the delivery of outstanding care. We believe in excellence which translates into: Advanced Technology Industry-leading wireless alarm technologies and software Bespoke Solutions We design systems to your needs rather than your team having to work around
the system Innovative Design Pushing boundaries with the reliability that comes from decades in the industry Flexible Finance Options Ensuring organisations of any size can provide safety for their staff and clients 24 Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year Service Your ARM service team is on hand, on the phone, on-site or return to base, whether you have a service contract or not For further information, see the advert below or visit www.arm.uk.com
Wireless Nurse Call & Staff Alarm Systems Data Analysis software provides a full audit trail of events The all-new call logging software from ARM enhances the functionality of your care call system dramatically. • It can help you track the quality of your service to your residents. • It can help you demonstrate compliance with your aims and best practices, both to relatives and to authorities. • It can help you find bottlenecks in service provision, track staffing requirements, and allow you to ensure staff are meeting expectations. • Most importantly, it provides assurance that you know and can demonstrate what is happening in your care home.
The wireless ARM Nurse Call system has been developed over 30 years with both the client and user in mind. It enables staff to efficiently answer calls, making the
management of resources more flexible and provides the functionality you would expect of any nurse call system.
Call messages can be sent direct to staff to speed up response times and can also be integrated to work with smart phones & messaging.
The system is quick and easy to install and works wirelessly, using radio communication between both the call points and the system infrastructure.
Phone: 01568 610016 | Email: sales@arm.uk.com | Website: www.arm.uk.com
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NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING
Courtney Thorne Leads the Way in Wireless Nurse Call Technology for UK Care Homes In today’s complex care environment, we understand that choosing the right technology is about far more than functionality alone. For care providers, reliability, sustainability, and supply chain resilience are critical factors—especially when it comes to nurse call systems that play such a vital role in resident safety and day-to-day operations. At Courtney Thorne, we are proud to champion the “Made in Britain” mark. For us, this is not simply about where our systems are manufactured; it reflects our commitment to quality, accountability, and supporting the UK care sector. By designing and building our nurse call systems here in Britain, we can ensure they are developed with a deep understanding of the real challenges faced by care homes, resulting in solutions that are practical, reliable, and easy to use. Manufacturing in the UK also allows us to maintain close control over our supply chain—something that has become increasingly important in recent years. Global disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on complex, overseas supply networks. By keeping our production local, we are able to offer greater consistency, shorter lead times, and improved access to parts and upgrades. This means our customers can rely on continuity, even in uncertain times, with minimal risk of disruption to their services.
Sustainability is another area where we believe local manufacturing makes a meaningful difference. By reducing the need for long-distance transportation and focusing on robust, long-lasting system design, we help care providers lower their environmental impact. We are committed to creating solutions that not only meet today’s needs but are built to last—reducing waste and supporting more sustainable care environments over the long term. Of course, delivering high-quality technology is only part of the picture. We know that ongoing support is essential. That’s why our UK-based technical team is on hand to provide expert assistance, from installation and training through to maintenance and rapid response when it matters most. Our proximity allows us to respond quickly and effectively, giving our customers the confidence that support is always within reach. At Courtney Thorne, we believe that care homes deserve technology they can depend on—both now and in the future. By combining British manufacturing, sustainable practices, a resilient supply chain, and dedicated local support, we are proud to deliver nurse call systems that underpin safe, effective, and reliable care every day. For more information or to book a free demo, visit www.c-t.co.uk or contact info@c-t.co.uk.
Innovative Fall Prevention Solutions by Medpage: A Comprehensive Look Falls are a significant concern for vulnerable individuals, especially seniors and patients at risk. Medpage, a leader in assistive technology, offers a range of cutting-edge products designed to enhance safety and provide peace of mind for caregivers and families. Here’s an in-depth look at some of their standout solutions:
MPRCG1 (2023) BED LEAVING DETECTION ALARM WITH CAREGIVER RADIO PAGER The MPRCG1 is a comprehensive system tailored for fall prevention in domestic, commercial, and NHS care settings. This all-inclusive kit includes a bed pressure mat sensor, a BTX21-MP alarm sensor transmitter, and an MP-PAG31 radio pager. The system is designed to alert caregivers when a patient leaves their bed, reducing the risk of falls.
HDKMB2 HOSPITAL DISCHARGE KIT FOR FALLS RISK PATIENTS The HDKMB2 is a thoughtfully curated kit aimed at supporting patients transitioning from hospital to home care. It includes essential tools to mitigate fall risks and promote recovery. This kit is ideal for caregivers seeking a comprehensive solution to enhance patient safety during the critical post-discharge period.
CMEX-21 MULTI-PORT WIRELESS SENSOR INPUT EXPANDER FOR NURSE CALL CONNECTION The CMEX-21 is Medpage’s latest innovation, designed to integrate seamlessly with existing nurse call systems. This multi-port expander allows for the connection of multiple wireless sensors, enhancing the monitoring capabilities of healthcare facilities. Its versatility makes it a valuable addition to any care environment, ensuring timely responses to patient needs.
RON-WC2 WATERPROOF DISABLED PULL CORD ALARM TRANSMITTER WITH WIRELESS ALARM RECEIVER The RON-WC2 is a robust solution for disabled individuals requiring immediate assistance. This waterproof pull cord alarm is ideal for use in bathrooms and other high-risk areas. Paired with a wireless alarm receiver, it ensures that help is just a pull away. For more information, visit Medpage’s official website or contact their team to explore these products further. Safety starts with the right tools, and Medpage delivers just that. www.easylinkuk.co.uk or T: 01536 264 869 See the advert on page 2 for more information.
SEE US ON STAND K21 AT THE CARE SHOW
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NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING Sector Challenges Inspire Technical Innovation and Solutions A commitment to continuous research and development, partnered with UK design and manufacturing, has made Intercall a global leading care technology brand. Established in 1986, Intercall nurse call systems can be found in residential care settings across the UK and in healthcare facilities around the world. Intercall has built a reputation as innovators in the care sector, developing nurse call, dementia care and staff duress systems in conjunction with healthcare professionals, through listening to their needs and understanding their challenges. Care Home managers are turning to technology to help support staff, improve resident safety, and enhance the operational efficiency of the Home. Intercall One and Touch nurse call systems can be programmed to individual home requirements. Calls and events are prioritised, with system colours and sounds specified to cause as little distress and alarm fatigue as possible, while the Intercall Connect App for Android mobile devices alert and keep staff updated on nurse call status, wherever they are within the building. The sector is seeing increasing numbers of residents requiring specialist dementia care. Intercall Safeguard for Dementia Care is being used to help care for patients with complex needs. Thermal imaging technology is used to monitor the patient environment. A ceiling mounted sensor encourages independence and privacy while alerting staff to wandering residents, especially at night, and automatically illuminating a light in the residents room to help reduce the risk of injury through falls. For daytime care, the Safeguard Portable Transmitter can be discreetly attached to furniture and fittings providing a simple wireless connection to assistive technology devices and the care home’s nurse call system, where it can be individually programmed to raise the appropriate alerts. Wearable call devices, in the form of either a comfortable wrist strap or neck pendant, can be personalised to provide invaluable independence for residents, giving peace of mind that help is immediately at
hand. Meanwhile, Managers are seeing the benefits of using Intercall Care Cards and Tokens, which can monitor staff response times, manage access to drug stores, log movement around the home and time spent in individual resident rooms, offering an extra level of security and reassurance for both families and Managers. Designed as accessories to the Intercall One and Intercall Touch nurse call systems, the Care Cards and Tokens are an invaluable tool in the day-to-day running of a care home. Likewise, the Intercall Insights App offers Managers access to detailed care data from wherever they are, powered by the secure Intercall Cloud. One of the more recently recognised sector challenges is the rise of violence against staff. The Intercall Guardian Staff Duress System includes a discreet, durable personal activation device that can be worn by all staff members requiring protection, which when activated generates a silent alert, summoning urgent assistance and reporting the precise alert location and caller identity to security staff or colleagues. Using infrared technology to accurately pinpoint a call, a signal is transmitted to wired receivers, providing the exact location and identity of the caller from the PAD’s own unique ID code. The PAD can be supported by Guardian system wall-mounted display units or integrated with the Intercall nurse call system. Intercall is committed to rigorously training and supporting distribution and installation partners, such as Safety Systems Distribution Ltd, who have specified and installed hundreds of Intercall nurse call systems. Safety Systems, in partnership with Intercall, will be exhibiting at the Care Show on the 7th- 8th October. They will be showcasing and demonstrating Intercall systems, including Intercall One, Intercall Touch and Guardian Staff Attack. Find them at Stand J11 at The Care Show Birmingham or visit www.intercall.com, +44 (0) 1403 713240 or email: sales@intercall.com
Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions Fall Savers®, are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years.
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Safer for patients; less work for staff Bed and chair pads available One monitor works with two sensor pads Integrates with most nurse call systems A variety of options, including: Call button Pager Floor sensor mat Wireless door/window exit alerts
TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR SENSOR PAD The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable
construction that far out lasts the competition. Our anti-bacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems or can be used with a portable pager to sound an alert when a person steps on to the sensor pad. Caregivers typically place the sensor pad at the bedside, in a doorway or other locations to monitor persons at risk for falls or wandering. An optional anti-slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors. FEATURES INCLUDE: Connects directly to most nurse call systems High Quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately): Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors See the advert on this page for further details or visit www.fallsavers.co.uk.
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NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING Nursecall Shop Brings You Everything from Accessories & Falls Monitors to Complete DIY Systems From Falls Sensors to Wireless Crash Mats and pendants through to complete systems, Nursecall Shop has become a trusted supplier of quality products since its’ launch in 2016. It has become a valuable source of vital spares for most nurses call systems. For example, purchasing a jack socket nut can allow a call point to be repaired cheaply without the need to completely replace the whole unit. Anti-Ligature & Anti bacterial pull cords are a popular replacement for old nylon string. These can be easily changed by the user and provide a good wipe clean alternative. Assistive technology is used in almost every care home and forms a vital part of the care provided to residents. When connected to a Nurse Call system, it is the primary way staff are alerted to the needs of the resident. Nursecall Shop has a whole range of assistive technology that can connect to most nurse call systems and
is ready to order online. Wired and wireless bed and chair sensor packages are available. These help monitor a vulnerable resident trying to get out of bed or up off a chair and alert staff immediately. An urgent response can help prevent falls and injury to the resident. Ordering these through the online store is simple, choose the package, specify the nurse call system and checkout. It’s as easy as that. Visit NursecallShop.co.uk today Contact us on : Email : support@nursecallshop.co.uk Tel : 0330 321 1060
Growing Further and Staying Grounded Edison is growing fast and doing it our way. Our new Hampshire HQ on Reddan Road reflects a team and client base that continue to expand, with maintenance contracts spanning NHS Primary Care and Mental Health Trusts, Private Hospitals, Clinics, Care homes, and Specialist Education settings across the country. Alongside this, we have numerous installations underway. That growth is built on trust: trust from the NHS, from Private Healthcare providers, and from Care groups who rely on us for consistent, expert support. But scale isn't the only measure of progress. As our fleet grows, we're transitioning more work vehicles to hybrid and electric, and wherever possible, we choose to source local, including our partnership with Intercall, the market-leading NurseCall manufacturer based in neighbouring Sussex, for whom we're a main UK distributor. Since 1984, we've built our reputation on one core belief: NurseCall is not one-size-fitsall. Alongside Intercall, our engineers are trained across a wide range of manufacturer systems; we also hold international partnerships that extend our reach and expertise further still, giving healthcare providers seamless integration and support, however complex their setup. Bigger team. Bigger footprint. Smaller environmental impact. Talk to us about a tailored maintenance contract, including 24/7 engineer response and call-out.
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 45
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Cyber Incident: Communication Checklists For Care Providers Support to communicate clearly during a cyber incident Digital Care Hub has launched new resources to help adult social care providers prepare their communications before a cyber incident happens. The resources include separate checklists for home care and residential care services, and are designed to sit alongside a provider’s Business Continuity Plan. When a cyber incident happens, people can feel under pressure very quickly. Systems may be down, information may be unclear and staff, families, commissioners and suppliers may all need updates at the same time. In that moment, it is easy for people to panic or say too much too soon, or forget about a key contact. The checklists give providers a simple structure to follow, helping them decide who needs to be contacted, what should be said and when the next update should follow. Daniel O’Shaughnessy, Head of Delivery at Digital Care Hub, said: “A cyber incident is not just a technical problem. It can affect care, staff confidence, family trust and the ability to keep services running. That is why communications planning is an important part of business continuity planning. Providers need to know who they will contact, what they will say, when they will update people and how they will reach them if normal systems are not working. Even basic things, like keeping contact details up to date, can make a real difference in a crisis.” The checklists cover the practical steps that are easy to overlook until they are
needed. They prompt providers to identify key roles, keep printed and offline copies of important contacts, agree back-up communication routes, prepare short holding statements and practise their response at least once a year. They also include prompts for the first few hours of an incident, stakeholder updates and post-incident review. For residential care services, the checklist also looks at the extra risks linked to digital systems, connected equipment and building-based technology, such as digital care records, electronic medication administration records, nurse call systems, falls sensors, Wi-Fi, phones and access control. Dr Jason R.C. Nurse, Reader in Cyber Security at the University of Kent, who worked with Digital Care Hub and care services to develop the checklists said: “Effective communication is essential to planning for and responding to cyber incidents, but it is often overlooked. This new checklist will help care organisations strengthen their cyber resilience and respond more effectively when incidents occur.” Good communication will not solve a cyber incident on its own, but it can make a difficult situation easier to manage. It helps staff understand what to do, reassures people who use care and their families, reduces the risk of rumours and supports safe, joined-up decision making. The new resources are available now on the Digital Care Hub website:
PCS to Introduce CarerOS at Care Show Birmingham As digitisation continues to make care more efficient, care providers now rely on a growing number of different systems: care planning, medication, staffing, HR, finances and more. It's common for a care home to work across multiple systems that don't talk to each other well. This has created a new source of effort and risk for care providers since the sector moved away from paper records. That is why Person Centred Software (PCS) is launching CarerOS: to close those gaps by integrating data and workflows across all PCS solutions, so nothing gets missed, care needs are surfaced, and carers can spend more time with residents. CarerOS gives care teams one to-do list of everything that is important that day. From ordering medication to creating care plans, care teams see a real-time feed of critical activities, and one click to navigate directly to action.
The launch follows PCS's acquisition of Camascope and the appointment of Kehan Zhou as Group CEO and reflects a wider shift in care technology away from single-purpose software toward integrated platforms. CarerOS is built on a powerful base: PCS record over 5 billion structured care observations annually, support more than 8,900 care locations and work with over 3,500 pharmacies nationwide. PCS will unveil its full vision for CarerOS, across web and app, for the first time at Care Show Birmingham on 7 and 8 October, giving the sector its clearest look yet at what a genuinely connected care home will look like. For further information see PCS at the Care SHow or visit www.personcentredsoftware.com
PAGE 46 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE The Changing Face of Telephony in the UK: A Survival Guide for Care Providers By Eric Toll, MD, 123Telecom Limited (www.123telecom.co.uk) Almost 10 years ago, Openreach announced a definitive shift: the UK telecoms industry would transition entirely to digital VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony. This is not merely an upgrade; it is a total replacement of all traditional analogue and ISDN lines. With the official "switch-off" of traditional telephony planned for January 2027, every business in the UK— especially those in the care sector—must now treat digital transformation as an immediate operational priority. For care homes, this is not just about technology; it is about resilience, safety, and continuity.
daily investment to ensure your home remains connected. 3.Redundancy is Key: Avoid providers offering "dual FTTP" services, as they usually share the same fibre route back to the exchange. If that optic fails, both lines go down simultaneously. Instead, combine FTTP with a secondary technology, like a 4G/5G mobile SIM backup or StarLink satellite service. 4.Hardware Matters: Consider Resilience VoIP handsets with integral SIM cards. These devices can be switched to mobile data if the wired internet drops. Furthermore, install mini-UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) on all critical desk phones and Internet equipment to ensure your phones remain operational in the event of a power outage.
UNDERSTANDING VOIP: MORE THAN JUST INTERNET CALLS At its core, VoIP is simple: your voice is converted into digital data packets and sent across the internet to your provider, who then routes it to the receiver. It is efficient, cost-effective, and flexible. However, unlike traditional landlines that draw power from the exchange, VoIP relies entirely on your local internet connection. When you disconnect from the old copper network, you disconnect from the traditional safety net of "always-on" power. This is where resilience planning moves from an IT concern to a safeguarding necessity.
RESILIENCE PLANNING: SAFEGUARDING YOUR HOME Reliable communication is the heartbeat of a care home. If your internet fails, your phones should continue to work. When planning for this transition to VoIP, you must prepare for the unexpected: total loss of your main Internet connection, power outages and maybe even router or switch failures. 1. Prioritise Physical Stability: Avoid relying on Wi-Fi for your desk phones. Wi-Fi can introduce unnecessary problems and failure points. Use physical Ethernet cabling to connect handsets directly to your network. 2.The Gold Standard of Internet Connectivity: Ideally, you should secure a dedicated "Leased Line" with auto failover to Fibre-To-The-Premises (FTTP) backup. While Leased Lines are a premium service, consider the cost against the daily operational risk—it often amounts to a modest
they are reachable whether they are at the nurses' station, in the garden, or on the move. On-Premises systems can carry heavy upfront equipment and setup costs, ongoing support fees, and rigid licensing. Conversely, Cloud solutions operate on a simple "per-user" model, typically including unlimited calls, analytics, and CRM integration. Because the "system" lives in the cloud, it is inherently easier to update and maintain. Your telephony system should work wherever you have an internet connection, allowing you to manage communications across an entire care group from a single dashboard.
BUYER BEWARE: NAVIGATING THE MARKET As the 2027 deadline approaches, you may encounter aggressive sales tactics. Here are a few golden rules to protect your business: • Avoid Long Contracts: There is no industry justification for a five-year or seven-year contract. Two or three years is becoming the new standard. Be wary of providers using high-pressure tactics or offering "extra discounts" to sign immediately on the spot. • Clarify Ownership: Ensure the contract explicitly states who owns the equipment. Avoid lease contracts if possible; if the suåpplier stops trading, the lease company will still expect payment in full. Ideally, buy the equipment outright or arrange credit terms with a defined ownership outcome. • Look for All-In Packages: Avoid hidden management fees or extra costs for features like call recording or analytics, as many providers offer them included within a transparent, inclusive price. • Do Your Due Diligence: Always check the provider’s reputation on independent sites like Google Reviews and consult the Ofcom website to ensure you are dealing with a regulated, reputable entity.
CONCLUSION CLOUD VS. ON-PREMISES: THE GREAT SHIFT The last decade has seen a seismic movement away from traditional On-Premises PABX systems. With industry giants like Panasonic, Samsung, and NEC exiting the marketplace, these outdated systems are becoming increasingly unsupported and difficult to maintain. For the vast majority of care providers, Cloud Telephony is now regarded as the superior solution. It offers seamless integration across any number of locations—perfect for care groups managing several homes—and allows staff to use mobile Apps as extensions, ensuring
The transition to digital telephony is inevitable, but it does not have to be painful. By treating this transition as a strategic opportunity to build resilience and improve mobile working, care providers can ensure their homes are better connected and safer than ever before. Take the time to audit your infrastructure now, avoid long-term traps, and ensure that your care home remains the reliable, communicative environment your residents and their families depend on. Find a service provider who offers both phones and connectivity with an established reputation in the industry. See the advert on this page for further information
PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING
Digital Transformation in Care Homes What Being Truly Digitised Really Means By Scott Hooper-Jones, Chief Clinical Data, Care & Operations Officer (RMN), Roda BI. Roda BI is the Cognitive Care Intelligence Platform, developed by Delphi Care Solutions
Digital transformation in care homes is no longer simply about whether an organisation uses software. The bigger question is whether digital systems work together well enough to give care leaders a clear, timely and trustworthy view of what is happening across the service. Digitisation is having fully connected care. The sector has already made major progress in moving away from paper. The Department of Health and Social Care reported that adoption of digital social care records among registered care providers reached 80% by July 2025. But digital records are not the finish line. A provider can use electronic care plans, eMAR, rostering, finance, training and governance platforms and still spend hours reconciling reports, moving between logins and trying to work out which version of the data is current. More importantly, is the alignment of your digital strategy with the NHS 10-year digitisation plan. Where does your organisation currently fit with the "digital by default by 2028" commitment? The plan drives a shift "from hospital to community" and signals that care homes will move from isolated entities to primary hubs for clinical monitoring, embedded directly into "digital by default" NHS infrastructure. That makes digitisation a core strategic focus, not a back-office project.
WHAT DOES BEING TRULY DIGITISED MEAN? A truly digitised care organisation does more than replace paper. Its digital systems are connected enough for reliable information to flow where it is needed, supported by clear data standards, secure access, good governance and a workforce that can use technology confidently. Leaders can see timely information across care, workforce, quality, finance and operations, identify patterns and risks, and use that insight to make better decisions. The goal is not more software. It is a more connected operating model. Digitisation and digital transformation are not the same thing Digitising a process usually means converting something paperbased into a digital format — moving a paper care plan into a digital social care record, for example. Digital transformation goes further: it changes how information, systems, people and decisions work together across the whole organisation. This matters because many providers have digitised in stages — rostering first, perhaps, then eMAR, care planning or governance software. Each system solves a genuine problem, but separate systems can create a new form of fragmentation if information stays trapped inside them. Leaders may still need to export spreadsheets, reconcile figures manually, or wait for different teams to produce reports before seeing the full picture.
WHAT DOES A TRULY DIGITISED CARE HOME LOOK LIKE? There is no single technology stack every care home should buy — providers differ in service model, budget and digital maturity. The principle matters more than the product list: critical information should be accurate, accessible to the right people and capable of being brought together for meaningful oversight. Important digital information typically sits across: accounting and finance; HR, rostering and workforce management; care planning and records; governance, quality and compliance; eMAR; policies and procedures; safeguarding and incident management; training and competency records; asset management; and health and safety. Each platform generates valuable information in its own area — the problem is when leaders must understand those areas separately. This direction is reflected in national guidance: Digital working in adult social care: What Good Looks Like is built around services digitising, connecting and transforming, with seven success measures covering leadership, secure foundations, safe practice, workforce capability, empowering people, improving care and using data to understand populations.
INTEROPERABILITY IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT As of August 2026, the direction of travel is clear: digital care is not only about putting records online, but making information consistent and easier to exchange safely. The Adult Social Care Digital Social Care Record Minimum Operational Data Standard (MODS) was formally published in April 2025, and from 1 July 2026 assured digital social care record suppliers are required to comply with it. For providers choosing new technology, interoperability
should be treated as a strategic requirement, not a technical detail.
WHY CONNECTED CARE DATA MATTERS 1. Less manual administration and duplication. Every report rebuilt by hand, every spreadsheet reconciled and every repeated search adds friction. CQC guidance states that good-quality records underpin safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care, and that digital systems can support more effective working and quality monitoring. The benefit depends on implementation and data quality, but the principle is simple: technology should reduce unnecessary work, not add another layer of it.
• Are the same metrics and definitions used consistently across services and systems? • Can information move between systems without repeated manual reentry? • Can managers see relevant operational, care, workforce, quality and financial information in time to act? • Can emerging patterns or risks be identified across more than one dataset or location? • Are access controls, data protection, cyber security and business continuity appropriate and understood?
2. Better visibility of safety and care quality. A single incident may not reveal a wider problem — but several similar incidents combined with staffing changes, overdue training or other indicators may tell a different story. Connected data makes those relationships easier to identify. It should support, not replace, professional judgement, direct observation and clinical review.
• Do staff have the digital skills and confidence needed for their roles?
3. Stronger governance and regulatory oversight. CQC Regulation 17 requires providers to have effective systems to assess, monitor and improve quality and safety, and to assess, monitor and mitigate risk. Digital systems don't create compliance by themselves, but better-connected information makes governance more timely, transparent and defensible.
• Could the organisation change a system without losing the ability to access, exchange or analyse important data?
4. A clearer view of operational and financial performance. Care quality, workforce performance and finances do not operate independently — occupancy, agency use, training, incidents, overtime and sickness can all influence one another. Business intelligence helps providers move from "what happened in this system?" to "what's happening across the organisation, and where should we look next?" — especially valuable for multisite providers comparing services consistently.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT DIGITAL PARTNERS Before adding another system, providers should ask: Is it cloudbased, reliable and able to scale? Can it integrate with existing systems via APIs or agreed data exchanges? Can data be exported, with clear ownership and portability? Does it support recognised interoperability standards? Are access controls and audit trails appropriate? What reporting and alerting capabilities does it offer, and how is alert fatigue avoided? What security, governance, training and support arrangements are in place? Can it adapt as the organisation grows? The strongest digital ecosystem isn't necessarily the one with the most products — it's the one where systems, data and people work together with the least unnecessary friction.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS A PEOPLE PROJECT Technology succeeds when people understand why it's being introduced, trust the information it produces, and have the confidence to use it. Successful transformation needs involvement from Registered Managers, care coordinators, supervisors, care teams, administration and senior leaders — and often finance, quality, HR, IT and governance teams too. Providers should identify digital champions, build digital skills into induction, involve frontline teams in implementation, and ensure technology improves real workflows rather than forcing staff to work around it.
FROM DISCONNECTED SYSTEMS TO CONNECTED CARE INTELLIGENCE A care planning platform manages care records; a rostering platform manages scheduling; an eMAR platform supports medicines administration. Business intelligence sits above these individual functions and helps leaders understand the combined picture — analysing performance across services, clarifying risk and underperformance, and supporting earlier, better-informed action. This doesn't require replacing every existing system with one enormous platform; often the more practical goal is making existing systems work together and creating a trusted layer of intelligence above them.
• Can leaders show how data has informed decisions and improvement? • Are people receiving care appropriately involved in decisions about the technology used in their care?
If several answers are no, the organisation may be digitised but still digitally fragmented — a useful starting point for a transformation plan.
FAQs What is digital transformation in a care home? Using technology, connected data and improved processes to change how the organisation works — going beyond digitising paper records to how information supports care, governance, workforce management and decision-making. Is using digital social care records enough? No. It's an important foundation, but providers may still have disconnected workforce, medicines, finance and governance systems. Full digitisation also requires interoperability, data quality, security, staff capability and using information to improve care and operations. What does interoperability mean in social care? Different digital systems exchanging information and using it consistently. Common data standards such as MODS are intended to improve consistency and support safer information sharing between systems and organisations. How can care home data analytics support management? By combining information from different sources, identifying trends, comparing services and focusing attention where investigation or action may be needed — supporting professional judgement and governance rather than replacing them.
THE NEXT STAGE OF DIGITAL CARE IS CONNECTED INTELLIGENCE The practical next step is to map the systems already in use, identify where information is duplicated or trapped, and define the decisions leaders need to make more quickly and confidently. Digital transformation should be built around those needs, rather than around buying more technology for its own sake. Roda BI, the Cognitive Care Intelligence Platform from Delphi Care Solutions, helps care organisations bring fragmented operational, workforce, care, governance and financial information into a clearer, unified view. Delphi Care Solutions is a specialist Care Consultancy supporting care homes across the UK with regulatory compliance, registrations, turnaround, recruitment, occupancy and growth. Find out more at delphi.care.
www.delphi.care
HOW TO TELL WHETHER YOUR CARE ORGANISATION IS TRULY DIGITISED A useful test is not how many systems you own, but how easily information becomes action. Ask: • Can senior leaders get a reliable organisation-wide view without waiting for several teams to prepare separate reports?
www.rodabi.ai
PAGE 48 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
TRAINING Beyond The Green Dashboard: Why Compliance Is Not The Same As Confidence A new joint initiative from myAko, Care Business Associate Training and Confident Competence asks care providers one simple question: your training matrix is green, but is your team actually ready? Every care provider knows the feeling. The training matrix is green, the compliance score reads 98%, and the audit folder is in good shape. On paper, everything looks fine. Then a real moment arrives: a fall, a safeguarding concern, a resident who suddenly deteriorates. In that moment, nobody is thinking about completion certificates. The only question that matters is whether the person in the room knows exactly what to do. That question sits at the heart of Built for Confidence, a new joint initiative from myAko, Care Business Associate Training (CBAT) and Confident Competence. The campaign message is refreshingly blunt: compliance tells you the training happened. Confidence tells you your people can do the job when it counts. The two are not the same thing, and the gap between them is where risk lives. None of this is an argument against compliance. Regulation matters, records matter, and a well-run training programme is the foundation of safe care. The point is that a tick in a box is the start of readiness, not the proof of it. Knowledge fades without practice. Skills wobble without
rehearsal. And a certificate from eight months ago says very little about how someone will perform under pressure this afternoon. Built for Confidence brings together three specialists to close that gap, each covering one part of the journey. Learning sits with myAko, the eLearning and learning management platform built specifically for UK health and social care, giving providers structured training and clear, real-time visibility of compliance across every service and role. Practice sits with CBAT, whose face-to-face training means skills are rehearsed hands-on with expert trainers, not just read about on a screen. Proof sits with Confident Competence, whose structured competency assessments turn training into recorded evidence that each member of staff can genuinely do what their role demands. Together they form what the partners call a Confidence Ecosystem: learn it, practise it, prove it, all connected. For registered managers and quality leads, the practical benefit is a straight answer to the question
every inspector eventually asks: how do you know? Not "our matrix is green", but "here is the training, here is the practice, and here is the assessed evidence of competence for this person, in this role, today". That is a very different conversation, and a far more comfortable one. The timing is no accident. Workforce pressures, high turnover and rising regulatory scrutiny have made genuine readiness harder to build and easier to lose. Providers are being asked to do more with less, and stretched teams need training that translates into calm, capable action rather than paperwork for its own sake. Confidence, the partners argue, is not a soft extra. It is the difference between a workforce that has been trained and a workforce that is ready. You can see the whole approach in action at Care Show Birmingham on 7 and 8 October 2026 at the NEC. Visit the Care Business Associates stand, C31, where the Built for Confidence team will be on hand to talk through the ecosystem, share the campaign film and show how learning, practice and proof fit together in one connected picture of workforce readiness. Come and ask the awkward questions. That is rather the point. Find out more at www.builtforconfidence.co.uk, or visit the partners directly at www.myako.online, cbassociatetraining.co.uk and www.confidentcompetence.co.uk
Don’t Let Cyber Criminals Catch Your Care Team Off Guard AI is making scams harder to spot
A member of staff receives an email that appears to come from a regular supplier. At first glance, everything looks familiar: the logo, the wording and the request to update payment details, reset a password or open a document before the end of the day. A few years ago, staff may have spotted warning signs such as poor spelling, odd formatting or a message that did not sound quite right. Now, AI tools can help criminals create convincing emails, fake documents and messages in seconds, making scams look more professional, personal and relevant to a care setting. A single click could affect care records, staff rotas, payroll, medication information, family communications or confidential resident data. With care homes now using more digital systems — from care records and eMAR to staff platforms, shared devices and video calls — there are more places where information needs to be protected.
TRAINING TURNS AWARENESS INTO ACTION
This is not a reason to panic. Care homes do not need to become cyber security experts overnight; often, the most effective protections are simple habits built into everyday routines. Training and regular updates help staff understand how to spot something suspicious, who to tell and what to do next. October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it a good moment to refresh knowledge and upskill your team. Short reminders in handovers, team meetings and supervision can help reinforce everyday habits: pausing before clicking, checking unexpected requests through a trusted contact route, using strong passwords and individual logins, and reporting concerns early.
FREE SUPPORT FOR CARE PROVIDERS Digital Care Hub offers free elearning and an interactive Cyber Game for adult social care staff on data protection and cyber security, with practical examples drawn from care settings. Providers can also
share NHS England’s Keep I.T. Confidential campaign materials to keep cyber safety visible throughout October and beyond. Providers looking for practical, judgement-free support can also contact Digital Care Hub about a free Digital Health Check. It can help identify what is working well, spot gaps early and provide clear recommendations to strengthen your approach. And keep an eye out: new training resources are coming soon to help staff learn on the job. Find out more: www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/cyber-security
PAGE 50 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
TRAINING Why Care Home Training Needs to Move Beyond Tick-Box Learning Care home staff today face increasingly complex responsibilities. Supporting residents with dementia, autism, frailty, safeguarding concerns, and communication difficulties requires far more than theoretical knowledge. Staff need confidence, judgement, teamwork, and the ability to respond compassionately in challenging situations. However, much care home training still relies heavily on passive e-learning and compliance-focused approaches. While online modules may meet mandatory requirements, they often do little to improve reflective practice, communication, or real-world decision-making. Care home managers are increasingly recognising the need for more engaging and practical approaches to workforce development. Gamification, game-based learning, and facilitated group activities offer an important opportunity to improve staff learning and engagement. Instead of simply completing quizzes or reading policies, staff work together through realistic scenarios, discussion exercises, and collaborative problem-solving activities. This encourages active participation and helps teams apply learning directly to everyday care situations. Research increasingly supports these methods. Studies examining simulation-based learning in nursing homes have shown improvements in staff confidence, communication skills, leadership, and reflective practice. Dementia care simulations, for example, have helped staff develop more person-centred approaches
and greater confidence in responding to distressed behaviours. These approaches also strengthen teamwork and workplace culture. Much mandatory training is completed individually, often in isolation. Group-based learning encourages discussion, peer learning, and shared reflection, helping teams develop more consistent approaches to care. This aligns closely with the growing emphasis from the Care Quality Commission on learning cultures, staff understanding, and continuous improvement. Importantly, game-based learning is not about replacing professional standards or mandatory training. It is about making learning more meaningful, memorable, and practical. As pressures on the care sector continue to grow, providers need training approaches that build confidence, communication, and real-world capability — not simply certificate completion. To explore practical, evidence-based training tools designed specifically for care teams, see the Focus Games advertisement on the front page of this issue, including a special reader discount offer for physical and digital team-learning resources that support communication, teamwork, decision-making, and improved CQC outcomes. See the advert on the front cover or visit www.FocusGames.com
Eden Alternative - It’s Time to Change the Way We Care 23 years, operating 4 Devon Nursing homes, has been pretty tough, as anyone in social care, knows, only too well. And if it was hard already, after 2024 budget, it's just got harder. Anyway, at heart, I am just customer of Eden Alternative, and it was a stroke of luck to come across this whilst on holiday in New Zealand in 2009. It started in USA in 1994 and now runs in 22 countries. The fact that I am now involved with this not-for-profit organisation (in the UK area) came about when one of the 2 main UK directors died suddenly just before Covid. But it's something I have run with for 11 years to help make 'vision' a reality, not a struggle. So, being both a customer and helping the admin seems quite natural. It is a modern philosophy of care, but moreover, it's a programme that is straight
forward, tried and tested for 30 years and really works. Its member care organisations generally become trainers for their own teams, and run it themselves. The programme is run in person over 2-3 days or online 1 hr a wk for 7 weeks. You choose. It addresses loneliness, helplessness and boredom and operates through 10 principles to underpin 7 critical domains of wellbeing. Moreover, it's effective, transformational and really works. As residents, and team members wellbeing, matter so much , it's a must, in my opinion. Geoffrey Cox Southernhealthcare.co.uk eden-alternative.co.uk
New Level 2 Award for Catering in Health and Social Care Launched by HCA and NACC After more than two years in development, the new Level 2 Award for Catering in Health and Social Care has welcomed its first cohort of 15 learners, who began their studies on 7 September 2026. Co-produced by the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) and the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), the specialist Level 2 Award for Catering in Health and Social Care is the only Ofqual-accredited qualification that supports the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework and other special diets. It is externally quality-assured by the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH) and sits within funding frameworks, helping to reduce the cost for many employers. The course combines online and face-to-face learning, workplace assessments and a one-day practical assessment. It is available to people working in catering roles as part of their career pathway in health and social care kitchens, including catering assistants, catering supervisors, cooks, chefs, assistant catering managers, food service assistants and housekeepers in hospitals, care homes, hospices, Meals on Wheels services and other health and social care settings. The qualification will help participants prepare safe, nutritious and appetising meals that meet a wide range of dietary requirements, including texture-modified diets, dysphagia needs, allergies, intolerances and specialist clinical diets. Learners will build the knowledge to plan balanced, compliant menus using national nutrition guidelines, while considering hydration, malnutrition, sustainability, seasonality and the diverse needs of different service-user groups. They will also develop an understanding of food standards, multidisciplinary working and best practice in health and social care settings, enabling them to provide high-quality din-
ing experiences that improve nutrition, safety and quality of care. The HCA and the NACC have worked collaboratively to create sector-specific content around nutrition and dietary needs for the bespoke qualification, which is delivered in two modules. Said NACC National Chairman Neel Radia: “I am delighted that this landmark qualification is now available to all catering personnel in our two sectors. The Level 2 Award has been designed by caterers, for caterers and is suitable for any level as a benchmark standard, be that as a core skills standard for all new inductions or a careerenhancing qualification for existing staff. “With health and social care facing ever-worsening challenges when it comes to recruitment and retention, food price inflation and squeezed budgets, demonstrating support through clear career progression pathways is more important than ever. As a regulated, quality-assured qualification the Level 2 Award will carry far more credibility than any existing unregulated training courses. Not only will it give successful candidates the confidence to safely deliver nutritional support to their service users, but it will also provide valuable recognition in their chosen career.” Nicola Strawther, National Chair of the HCA, said: “The launch of this qualification is an important milestone for healthcare catering. Our workforce has a vital role in supporting patient safety, recovery and wellbeing. Providing colleagues with access to recognised, high-quality development ensures they can build the specialist knowledge their roles require. “The HCA is proud to have worked with the NACC to create a practical qualification that will strengthen professional standards, support career progression and help catering teams provide safe, nutritious and inclusive food for everyone in their care.”
THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026 | PAGE 51
FINANCE AND PROFESSIONAL Nine In Ten Home Carers Report Workplace Injuries, Research Finds
Workplace injuries and near misses are widespread among self-employed home carers, according to new research which highlights ongoing uncertainty about insurance and legal liability. A survey of 250 UK carers working in family homes found: • 91% had experienced an injury or near miss during their career. • 48% had suffered a serious injury. • 54% had experienced a minor injury. • 92% had cared for a client who was injured or involved in an accident. • 47% said the client’s injury was serious. • Among carers who had experienced an incident, almost half (49%) said they had personally covered some of the associated costs, while 42% said they had relied on their own insurance. Despite the frequency of workplace incidents, many carers remain unclear about the insurance they need if something goes wrong. The research, commissioned by specialist insurance provider Surewise, found: • 37% said insurance was too complicated. • 28% were unsure what cover they needed. • 29% did not know where to obtain appropriate insurance. • 40% did not currently have public liability insurance, which can help protect carers if they are found legally liable for accidental injury to a client or damage to their property, helping to cover legal defence costs and compensation claims. The survey also highlights ongoing confusion
around legal liability. When asked who would be legally responsible if a client was injured because of the care they provided, carers were almost evenly divided: • 45% believed the carer would be responsible • 45% believed responsibility would lie with the household • 10% believed liability would be shared. The findings suggest uncertainty over liability may be contributing to confusion about insurance requirements, particularly for self-employed carers working directly for families rather than through an agency. Stuart Bensusan, director at Surewise, said: "Home care is physically demanding and accidents can be frequent – affecting both the carer and those they care for. “Despite everyday risks, many carers are still unsure what insurance they need or who would be legally responsible if something went wrong. "Understanding liability can be complicated – it’s important not to assume someone else's insurance will automatically protect you. Taking the time to understand your responsibilities and ensuring you have appropriate cover can help prevent significant financial and legal difficulties later on." Surewise is encouraging carers to review their insurance arrangements regularly, particularly if they are self-employed or their working arrangements change, to ensure they have cover that reflects the way they work. For more information, please visit: www.surewise.com
PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING
PAGE 52 | THE CARER | SEP/OCT 2026
LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL
Immigration Changes and the Future of Care Recruitment: What Providers Need to Know
By Nicola Maynard, Partner and Head of Department at Reeds Solicitors
For much of the past four years, international recruitment has played a vital role in helping care providers address workforce shortages, maintain safe staffing levels and continue delivering highquality care. However, the immigration landscape has changed significantly. Government reforms to the Health and Care Worker visa route, together with wider proposals aimed at reducing net migration, mean employers across the sector must reassess their recruitment and workforce planning strategies. Recent changes include restrictions on dependants, increased compliance requirements for sponsors and the closure of overseas recruitment routes for care workers and senior care workers. These developments represent one of the most significant shifts in social care recruitment policy in recent years.
THE END OF OVERSEAS RECRUITMENT FOR CARE WORKERS The most significant change has been the closure of the overseas visa route for new care worker and senior care worker recruits. From July 2025, care providers have no longer been able to sponsor new overseas applicants for these roles through the previous Health and Care Worker visa arrangements. For many providers, particularly in areas where domestic recruitment remains challenging, this has caused understandable concern. The sector continues to face substantial workforce pressures. Demand for services is increasing, the population is ageing and providers operate in a highly competitive labour market. International recruitment became an important part of many organisations' workforce strategies because it offered a solution to vacancies that remained unfilled despite extensive local recruitment efforts. Whilst the Government's intention is to encourage domestic recruitment and reduce reliance on overseas labour, many within the sector question whether sufficient numbers of UK-based applicants will be available to meet continuing demand.
EXISTING SPONSORED WORKERS REMAIN PROTECTED
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Employers who already sponsor overseas care workers should be aware that existing visa holders remain entitled, subject to immigration rules, to continue working, extend their visas and, in many cases, progress towards settlement in the UK. Transitional arrangements are expected to continue for several years for those already in the system. This means providers should not panic. Existing sponsored employees remain an invaluable part of the workforce. Organisations should focus on retention, support and compliance to help these workers continue their careers in the sector. Retaining experienced staff is likely to become increasingly important as opportunities to recruit replacements from overseas become more limited.
Further immigration reforms have been proposed, and providers should expect continued change. Policy discussions have focused on tighter eligibility requirements, enhanced English language standards and wider measures intended to reduce overall migration levels. Some changes have already been implemented, while others remain subject to legislative and policy development. Recruitment decisions, sponsorship arrangements and workforce strategies should therefore be considered within the context of a rapidly changing regulatory environment. What was standard practice only a few years ago may no longer be available today.
GREATER COMPLIANCE EXPECTATIONS Alongside restrictions on recruitment, employers have also faced increased scrutiny from the Home Office. Sponsor licence holders are expected to demonstrate robust recruitment practices, accurate record keeping and effective oversight of sponsored workers. Enforcement activity has increased, with some organisations facing licence suspensions or revocations where compliance concerns have arisen. For providers, sponsorship can no longer be viewed simply as a recruitment exercise. It must form part of a wider governance framework that includes effective HR systems, right to work checks, reporting procedures and ongoing monitoring. A sponsor licence remains a valuable asset, but it carries responsibilities that should not be underestimated.
THE IMPACT ON WORKFORCE PLANNING The practical reality is that providers may need to rethink workforce planning over the coming years. Organisations that previously relied heavily on overseas recruitment may find themselves placing greater emphasis on staff retention, apprenticeships, training programmes and local recruitment initiatives. Investment in existing staff is likely to become increasingly important. Competition for experienced care workers may also increase. Employers who can demonstrate a positive workplace culture, clear career progression and a commitment to employee wellbeing will often be best positioned to attract and retain talent. While immigration policy continues to evolve, workforce sustainability is likely to depend on long-term planning rather than short-term recruitment solutions.
SPECIALIST LEGAL SUPPORT FOR CARE PROVIDERS Navigating immigration law, sponsor licence compliance and workforce planning can be challenging, particularly when the rules continue to evolve. Our specialist team advises on all aspects of UK immigration law. We assist with sponsor licence applications, all types of visa applications and strategic workforce planning. Whether you are seeking to protect an existing sponsor licence, support valued overseas employees or understand how the latest immigration reforms affect your organisation, obtaining clear and proactive legal advice can make a significant difference. The care sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience through periods of unprecedented change. While the immigration landscape may look very different today, organisations that remain informed, compliant and forward-thinking will be best placed to meet the challenges ahead and continue delivering outstanding care to those who depend upon their services. Reeds Solicitors LLP is a leading national law firm with offices across England and Wales, providing specialist legal advice to individuals, businesses and organisations. The firm is recognised for its expertise across a wide range of practice areas, including Criminal Defence, Prison Law, Family Law, Immigration, Court of Protection, Mental Health and Regulatory Law. Reeds' dedicated Immigration Team combine technical expertise with a client-focused approach, Reeds is committed to delivering clear, practical advice tailored to each client's needs. For further information, visit www.reedssolicitors.co.uk or contact the team on 01865 592670
Why Care Providers Must Take A New Approach To Deprivation Of Liberty By Kella Bowers, a Partner and Head of Insurance at Forbes Solicitors (www.forbessolicitors.co.uk) A recent Supreme Court judgement changes the definition of deprivation of liberty, requiring health and social care staff to now take a multifactorial approach.
MOVING AWAY FROM THE ‘ACID TEST’ The Supreme Court has moved away from the ‘acid test’ as the single means of determining whether someone is confined and has their freedom taken away. The ‘acid test’ stated that a person is deprived of their liberty if they are under continuous supervision and control, and not free to leave. It originated from a Supreme Court ruling in 2014 (P v Cheshire West and Chester Council [2014] UKSC 19, known as Cheshire West 2014) and proceeded on the basis that, if someone lacks the mental capacity to consent to their care and living arrangements under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, they cannot give valid consent to their confinement. Practically, care professionals relied on the ‘acid test’ as a basis for applying Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), helping to ensure the removal of an individual’s freedom was lawful and compliant with Article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Care providers had a legal benchmark for identifying potential deprivations of liberty and managing the risks of liability associated with unlawfully restricting a person’s freedom. This process has now changed after the Supreme Court ruled the Cheshire west 2014 judgement was incorrect.
A NEW MULTIFACTORIAL APPROACH
On 2 June 2026, the Supreme Court handed down a judgement in a case brought by the Attorney General of Northern Ireland, which changes how deprivation of liberty is assessed. Rather than focusing solely on whether a person is under continuous supervision and control, and not free to leave, deprivation of liberty must now consider multiple factors. The multifactorial approach is in effect and places greater emphasis on an individual’s particular circumstances, including giving significant weight to their wishes and feelings. This could prove complex for care providers, especially in cases where a person’s cognitive impairment affects their ability to express preferences or wholly understand their situation. Care professionals are best placed undertaking a detailed and formalised evaluation of proposed restrictions, considering their nature, purpose, duration, implementation and overall impact when determining whether a deprivation of liberty exists. When assessing a person’s wishes and feelings, care professionals will need to clearly show how they’ve considered any objections. In some instances, where a person lacks the legal mental capacity to consent to their care and residence under the Mental Health Act 2005, objections may take different forms. For example, a person may make attempts to leave care settings, or they may refuse care treatment. Similarly, an individual may appear discontented or distressed. Care professionals will need to show how a multifactorial assessment has accounted for objections, including alternative options of care and the relative normality of care provision. It may be the case that greater restrictions would be placed on an individual when receiving care in a different environment. An important aspect of the new multifactorial approach is that it acknowledges that not all restrictions associated with care will amount to a deprivation of liberty. For example, it’s unlikely to be considered a deprivation where a person’s liberty is constrained by their own illness, condition and impairment. In many senses, there’s now a greater acceptance that any form of restrictions will be imposed on a person against their will. With this in mind, it’s crucial that care professionals adopt a personalised approach to assessing each person’s circumstances to clearly determine that a deprivation of liberty supports care requirements and provision.
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LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL Sponsor Licence Compliance: Would You Be Ready if UKVI Came Knocking? By Kashif Majeed, Director of Aston Brooke Solicitors (www.astonbrooke.co.uk) If your organisation sponsors care workers, you already know the responsibility that comes with it. What has changed recently is the level of Home Office scrutiny, and how quickly issues can escalate when your systems, records, and day-today practices don't stand up to examination. Recently published numbers tell the story better than we can. Between July 2025 and June 2026, the Home Office revoked 4,403 Skilled Worker sponsor licences and suspended a further 4,840. Revocations increased by 141% compared with the previous 12-month period, reaching their highest level since the current employer-sponsored system was introduced. So here is the question worth sitting with. If the Home Office examined your organisation tomorrow, could you not just demonstrate compliance, but actually evidence it? That distinction matters more than most sponsors realise. Believing you run a tight ship is not the same as being able to prove it on the spot.
COMPLIANCE IS AN ONGOING RESPONSIBILITY One of the recurring issues we see when working with care providers is an over-reliance on individual members of staff or manual processes. Maybe your HR manager knows every sponsored worker by name. Maybe payroll double-checks salaries every month. That is great, until that person is off sick, moves on, or simply forgets a deadline in a busy week.
During a UKVI audit, a care provider needs to demonstrate that appropriate processes are in place and that compliance does not depend on a single individual. A spreadsheet tracking visa expiry dates is a start, not a system. You need something that actively flags a deadline before it becomes a problem, not after. The same logic runs through every part of sponsorship compliance.
SMALL GAPS TURN INTO BIG PROBLEMS Most compliance failures we see do not start as an obvious breach. They start small. In our work with care providers, recurring risk areas we see include salary underpayments, unpaid overtime, failure to report changes through the Sponsor Management System (SMS) and inadequate record-keeping. Salary compliance could be one of the biggest areas of risk for sponsors at the moment. UKVI is increasingly cross-checking the hours recorded on a Certificate of Sponsorship against payroll and HMRC data, and where the figures do not align, questions are likely to follow. Sickness, unpaid leave and changing shift patterns can all affect that picture, so if a change triggers a reporting obligation, it is important to act on it promptly and keep clear evidence of what was reported and why. That means HR, payroll and operations need to communicate regularly, rather than only reviewing compliance periodically or when an issue arises.
COULD YOU EVIDENCE YOUR COMPLIANCE TODAY? Here is a useful exercise that every sponsor can do right now. If a UKVI inspector turned up right now, could you quickly produce the relevant right to work evidence? Show exactly how you track visa expiry dates? Prove you still hold historic contact details? Produce clean recruitment and employment records? Could you show that absence, sickness and annual leave are appropriately tracked? Could you demonstrate that your organisation understands which changes need to be reported through the SMS?
These are not hypothetical questions. They reflect the areas UKVI examines when assessing sponsor compliance, from preventing illegal working through to maintaining migrant contact details, record-keeping and recruitment practices. The goal should be to move from reactive to continuous compliance, so that being ready for a UKVI inspection becomes a natural part of how you operate day to day.
BUILDING COMPLIANCE INTO THE WAY YOU WORK Years of helping care providers through real Home Office inspections led us to build Cierra Secure, a Compliance Case Management System designed to do one job well: Help you track, manage and evidence sponsorship compliance in one place, instead of across five spreadsheets and someone's memory. It will not replace good governance, a well-trained team, or proper legal advice. Instead, it provides the infrastructure to help those things work together, reducing reliance on scattered spreadsheets, manual reminders and information held across different places. At a time when Home Office enforcement is at record levels, providers should be asking not simply whether they are compliant today, but whether they have a system capable of keeping them compliant tomorrow.
COME AND TALK TO US If you would like to discuss UKVI compliance, protecting your sponsor licence or how Cierra Secure could support your organisation, visit the Aston Brooke Solicitors team at Care Show Birmingham, 7–8 October 2026, Stand F03. We will also have an exclusive gift available while stocks last for visitors who follow Aston Brooke Solicitors on LinkedIn and show us proof at Stand F03. Bring your compliance questions or just come say hello and discover a more structured way to manage your sponsorship responsibilities. See the advert on the facing page for further information.
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Re-Thinking Recruitment In The Care Sector
By Sarah Goldie, HR consultant in the employment team at Birketts LLP (www.birketts.co.uk)
The care sector continues to face significant recruitment and retention challenges, with an overall workforce vacancy rate of 6.2% in adult social care in 2025/26 and turnover at 23.6% according to Skills for Care. With increased demand for care services, skills shortages and growing competition for talent, traditional recruitment methods based primarily on qualifications and employment history are often no longer sufficient. Forward-thinking employers are increasingly rethinking recruitment approaches, as well as strategies to retain high-quality staff, who will thrive in care environments.
VALUES-BASED RECRUITMENT Care providers often still prioritise people with previous care experience. Widening recruitment criteria to focus on transferable skills and values can unlock new talent pools. Values-based recruitment focuses on identifying candidates whose personal values align with those of the organisation, rather than relying solely on experience or formal qualifications. While technical skills can often be taught, qualities such as compassion, empathy, respect, integrity and commitment to supporting others are more intrinsic. For care providers, this approach can broaden the talent pool considerably and improve retention. Individuals from retail, hospitality, education or customer service backgrounds, for example, may possess the interpersonal skills and attitudes necessary to succeed in care roles, even if they have no previous sector experience. Employers can implement values-based recruitment by incorporating behavioural interview questions, situational judgement exercises and strengths-based assessments into their recruitment processes. Instead of only focusing on what a candidate has done, recruiters should explore how they approach challenges, support others and demonstrate resilience and kindness.
BUILDING INCLUSIVITY INTO RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES An inclusive recruitment strategy aims to remove unnecessary barriers and attract candidates from diverse backgrounds. This is particularly important in the care sector, where a diverse workforce can better
reflect and understand the communities it serves. Inclusive recruitment starts with job design and advertising. Job descriptions should focus on the skills and behaviours genuinely required for the role and avoid unnecessary criteria that may discourage capable applicants. Recruitment materials should use accessible language and clearly communicate the organisation's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Employers should also review where vacancies are advertised. Relying solely on traditional recruitment channels may limit reach. Expanding advertising to community groups, local networks and specialist platforms can help attract a broader range of candidates. Workforces increasingly value flexibility, particularly where people have caring responsibilities outside of work. An employer’s ability to offer flexible working options, or self-rostering, will increase attractiveness. Importantly, inclusivity must extend beyond hiring. Individuals who feel respected, supported and able to bring their authentic selves to work are more likely to remain with the organisation and contribute positively to workplace culture. They are also more likely to be employer advocates, positively contributing to, and impacting, recruitment.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO REACH AND ENGAGE TALENT Technology is transforming recruitment across all sectors, including social care. Digital tools can help organisations attract candidates more effectively, streamline recruitment processes and improve candidate experience. Significantly, social media platforms, online job boards and targeted digital advertising enable employers to reach potential applicants who may not actively be searching for care sector roles. Applicant tracking systems can simplify administration and reduce delays in the recruitment process, while video interviewing can increase accessibility and flexibility for candidates. In a competitive market, such agile recruitment can make a difference. Technology can also support retention. Digital onboarding, e-learning platforms and employee engagement tools can help new recruits feel connected and supported from day one. However, technology should enhance rather than replace human interaction. The care sector remains fundamentally people-focused, and personal engagement remains essential throughout the recruitment journey.
CREATING A CULTURE OF TEAMWORK AND BELONGING Recruitment success does not end when an offer is accepted.
Organisations must create environments where employees feel valued and that they belong, connected through a shared sense of purpose. A culture of teamwork and belonging can be fostered through effective induction programmes, mentoring opportunities, communication and visible, compassionate leadership. Employees who feel appreciated and supported, working as part of a well led and collaborative team, are more likely to remain engaged and committed to providing highquality care. Recognition schemes, wellbeing initiatives and opportunities for career development can all contribute to stronger retention outcomes. In a competitive labour market, organisational culture is increasingly becoming a key differentiator. Showcasing employee stories on their own paths into the care sector and career development is a great way to boost engagement and support recruitment.
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS An effective way to expand recruitment pipelines is through greater community engagement. Building relationships with local colleges, schools, universities and community hubs can raise awareness of careers in care and challenge outdated perceptions of the sector. Employers can offer careers talks, open days and work experience placements to introduce people to rewarding care careers. Partnerships with local job centres, faith groups, voluntary organisations and community networks can also help reach individuals who may not otherwise consider a role in care. Further, offering a range of structured pathways into the sector can make it more accessible and attractive, such as apprenticeships, work academy programmes, preemployment training partnerships with local colleges and returnships for people re-entering the workforce.
LOOKING AHEAD The future of recruitment in the care sector requires organisations to think differently. Values-based hiring, inclusive recruitment practices, effective use of technology and strong community partnerships underpinned by a breadth of entry-routes and career pathways can help employers attract dedicated individuals who are committed to delivering excellent care. Combined with a culture that promotes teamwork, belonging and supports wellbeing and development, these strategies offer a sustainable approach to building and retaining the workforce that the care sector needs today and for the future.