News


Work is completed on The Chocolate Quarter


Work is now complete on The Chocolate Quarter, the highly anticipated new retirement village and care home on the site of the former Cadbury’s factory in Keynsham, Somerset. The new £60 million development by Bristol-based charity St Monica Trust offers a luxury retirement community with a range of facilities open to the public to encourage intergenerational use and prevent the isolation of the elderly. The Chocolate Quarter is home to 136


retirement apartments and a 93-bed care home, as well as office space and retail outlets. Community facilities, which are open to the public include a pizzeria, a spa, gym, swimming pool, cinema, craft studios for woodwork, pottery and art, hair salon, barber and nail salon. David Williams, chief executive of St Monica


Trust, comments: “The care home market has changed and developed so much over the last few years and with The Chocolate Quarter we really wanted to create something special and fit for the future. “We want The Chocolate Quarter to be


used by all, to create a hub of social activity that negates the need for older people to feel like they’re being isolated and instead allows


them to feel part of a buzzing intergenerational community. “The site has historically played such an


important role in the local community and with The Chocolate Quarter we want to restore that, breathing new life into this community hub for Keynsham while building new homes tailored to the needs of aspirational older people.”


Students help to tackle the generation gap


Caring Sunderland College students are doing their bit to help bridge the generation gap between young and old. More than 30 students have been named as ‘intergenerational advocates’ with the aim of working alongside older people to offer social engagement, support and advocacy. The level 3 health and care students are working with residents of care homes and extra care housing schemes, where staff have identified those who will benefit the most from the new initiative. Split into two groups, the first wave of


intergenerational advocates have already begun their new roles and will be setting up a range of group activities for extra care housing residents in Bramble Hollow in Hetton-le-Hole and Willow Brook in Washington. Five advocates are also volunteering at Belle


Vue House, a Hendon-based care home, where they are offering support and companionship to residents on a one-to-one basis. Christine Scott, manager of Belle Vue


House, says: “The experience has been a great success and the vibe in the home has been upbeat and very positive and rewarding. This is a great scheme, and is one that every care setting should embrace with open


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arms – we would certainly recommend it.” The students have introduced a broad


range of entertainment and activities including biscuit decorating, organising musicals, playing card games and board games, reading books and poetry, and helping residents to create memory boxes. This is intended to increase social engagement and help those who have cognitive impairments such as dementia, and is also designed to improve the self-efficacy of students.


Carla Raine, health and social care lecturer


at Sunderland College, says: “This initiative gives our students a meaningful opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of members of our older community. Unfortunately, social isolation is becoming an increasingly common problem for older people and there are many risks associated with this such as mental health issues. So it’s fantastic to see younger members of our society helping to combat the effects of social isolation by working with health and care providers in the region. “Many of our health and care students plan


to work in the adult care sector once they finish their education, and this experience is giving them an important insight into the social engagement element of this industry.”


The reality of care


Care England and ITN Productions have launched Shaping Tomorrow, a news and current affairs style programme exploring the future of health and social care and the challenges facing the sector. The programme brings to life how new


technology is changing people’s lives, showcases those behind the latest developments and highlights how appropriate funding, proportionate regulation and a sustainable workforce need to be maintained within our care communities. It also talks to Care England’s chief


executive Professor Martin Green OBE to find out how budget cuts and staff shortages are severely affecting the sustainability of our care services. ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ launched at the


Care England Annual Conference in November and will form part of an extensive communications campaign featuring industry partners, as well as relevant journalists, writers and bloggers. Professor Green, says: “Care England is


grateful to ITN Productions for bringing to life the reality of care. There are so many innovative ideas and packages that our members deliver for those in receipt of their care whatever their needs, whether they are older people or younger adults. The sector is vibrant, but it is teetering on the brink of collapse if we do not have sufficient funding or leadership from Government.”


NHG and Clinicare


Since merging late last year, Nursing Hygiene Group (NHG) and Clinicare Supplies have been overwhelmed by support from staff, customers and suppliers. The company has been able to retain all staff and has already linked IT and telephone systems. It has also installed new video conferencing facilities so that teams are fully connected. Scott Andrews, commercial director, says: “The integration process is well underway and we are excited about what this means for our customers. We are fully focused on creating a stronger organisation, better able to meet the needs of care homes across the UK.”


Correction


The article entitled ‘Know your responsibilities: a guide to Legionellacontrol’ by Simon Stone in the September issue of TCHE incorrectly stated that the frequency of shower descale should be monthly when it should be quarterly.


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • January 2018


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