News
Skills for Care and The Outstanding Society launch updated care guide
Skills for Care and The Outstanding Society have co-produced an updated edition of the Good and Outstanding care guide ahead of changes to CQC inspections. The 300-page guide is shaped around the CQC new Single Assessment Framework, which is now being applied in the south of England ahead of a nationwide expansion in 2024. The new framework represents the biggest changes to inspection in almost ten years. This framework will be used to inspect and rate all regulated social and health care providers. Aimed at frontline managers and those supporting regulated services, and building upon Skills for Care’s years of guidance and advice and The Outstanding Society’s expertise at delivering the highest standards of care, the updated guide includes practical advice to help providers in their next CQC inspection.
The guide looks at how to involve staff teams in preparing for inspection, and gives practical ways to gather evidence, as well as offering insight into CQC ratings, and access to 34 downloadable recommendation checklists
Nellsar increases menopause support for staff
Nellsar Care Homes is looking to create a more inclusive environment following its efforts to mark World Menopause Day in October.
The family-run provider, which
shaped around each Quality Statement. Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth said: “We
know there’s a lot of interest from providers and managers about the changes to CQC inspections and this updated guide will support managers to ensure they’re continuing to deliver and evidence best practice.” The Outstanding Society executive
director Zoe Fry OBE commented: “The CQC’s Single Assessment Framework will require all regulated providers across health and social care to gather more evidence to show inspectors how your service is meeting the Key Questions and new Quality Statements. In preparing your service for inspection it’s important that you build confidence across your staff team.”
Octopus Real Estate provides loan to LNT Care
Specialist real estate lender Octopus Real Estate has provided a framework loan to LNT Care Developments to support the development of new care homes. The facility to LNT will fund the
development of up to four care homes at any one time, beginning with the development of a 66-bed care home in Bexhill, East Sussex. To date, LNT has developed over £3.2bn of real estate, including over 200 care homes across the UK, providing more than 12,500 beds. The care home development in Bexhill will be built to be operationally carbon zero, incorporating solar panels alongside ground source heat pumps and battery storage. Nick White, head of development origination at Octopus Real Estate, said: “At
Octopus Real Estate we are committed to funding a diverse development portfolio within the later living sector, so we’re thrilled to be supporting LNT on these projects. As the leading provider of care homes in the UK, the team are highly experienced, and we look forward to growing the framework to continue to support LNT as they deliver much- needed new care homes in the years to come. “The Bexhill development aligns well with our sustainability mission and focus on delivering high quality, sustainable homes that are built for the future.” LNT CEO Matt Lowe commented: “Our mission at LNT is to provide every community across the country with a truly great place for their loved ones to live, work and visit. Our latest generation of operationally carbon-zero homes are our most ESG-forward yet, and we continue to innovate within our designs to suit the evolving needs of residents and operators. “Nick and the Octopus team have significant experience in the care sector, so were able to create a bespoke flexible funding package specifically designed for our requirements.”
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operates 13 homes across Kent, Surrey, and Essex, has carried out a survey among its staff to ensure it creates a supportive community that can help educate both men and women about the complexities of the menopause. The survey showed that 60 per cent of respondents wanted to learn more about the perimenopause and menopause and how symptoms can affect people, while 70 per cent of those going through the menopause said they have not mentioned how it is affecting them to management. The study also found that the number one request for support was access to uniforms with more breathable fabric — followed by having more information available. The main symptoms reported among staff going through the menopause were hot flushes, reduced concentration, increased stress, and reduced confidence in ability. Nellsar is therefore looking to create a supportive framework to prioritise the wellbeing of its staff experiencing the menopause, as well as educating other staff members who are working alongside them. Viv Stead, recreation and wellbeing manager at Nellsar, said: “It was great to get people talking on World Menopause Day and following on from that, we thought the best way to make a genuine difference to our amazing teams is to actually find out their opinions. So we conducted the survey and this has helped identify some great opportunities to further educate teams, and ultimately, dismantle any apprehensions or stigmas of what is a very natural thing for all women.
“Going through the menopause can be immensely challenging, and sometimes, work-life can become more difficult. I think it is the responsibility of employers to recognise these changes and be as versatile as possible. We want all of our teams to feel valued and supported and we look forward to making even more progress going forward.”
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com January 2024
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