Our experience of vaccination as a condition of deployment
Barchester Healthcare has been working tirelessly, in difficult circumstances, to protect and reassure its colleagues, residents and their relatives about COVID-19 and vaccinations throughout the course of the pandemic. Chief Executive Dr Peter Calveley explains how he and his team worked hard to keep staff updated on the vaccination roll out and allay their concerns …
WRES stories: less talking, more action
Kent County Council colleagues are really excited to be part of the workplace race equality standard (WRES). They believe it can lead to greater representation of people from different ethnic backgrounds in leadership positions, and, more broadly, enhance career development opportunities at all levels.
COVID-19 vaccinations protect us all
COVID-19 vaccination has to be comprehensive to be truly effective as protection – particularly for those most vulnerable to infection. While the SAGE recommended levels of at least 80% of care home staff and 90% of residents have been reached and exceeded in many parts of England, regional variation persists. Deborah Sturdy, our Chief Nurse …
Reshaping health and care with data
Matthew Gould, CEO of NHSX and Michelle Dyson, Director General for Adult Social Care at DHSC set out what the Government's Health and Social Care Data Strategy means for the adult social care sector.
Care Home Open Week: a good reason to throw a party!
After what can only be described as an uncertain and difficult 18 months, Care Home Open Week was a fantastic opportunity to focus on the positives and have some fun. Many of the people supported at Precious Homes have found the pandemic hard. Changes to routine can be a challenge for autistic people, and isolation …
Care Home Open Week: the poetry of personalised care
Often, when people think about moving into a care home, they might picture bingo at 3pm, lounges filled with old people watching endless re-runs of Corrie and early bedtimes. At Maycroft Manor in Brighton, they pride themselves on doing things differently. Care Home Open Week was no exception.
Care Home Open Week: a chance to share happiness
COVID-19 has led to many changes in the way residential care is provided and the way care colleagues work together. One thing that hasn’t changed is the sense of family and community within Priscilla Wakefield House, a teaching care home in Haringey, north London. Despite the outside world being turned up-side-down, care staff have succeeded …
Friendships matter
Andrew Reece, head of the integrated learning disability service for Camden Council, has always struggled with how the social care sector measures ‘what good looks like’, particularly in the context of supporting people with learning disabilities to make and sustain friendships. In this blog for DHSC's Social Care site, he proposes an alternative approach to …
A safe place to be yourself
Although anyone can experience mental health issues, those of us who identify as LGBTQ+ are more likely to develop problems including low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. As this month marks Pride Month, Andrew Seed, Integrative Psychotherapist at Cygnet Hospital Ealing, reflects on how creating a safe space for service users and staff is vital to …
Giving assurances
If you’ve not come across DHSC's Regional Assurance team, its members act as two-way information sharers between the Department and local areas. They use their experience of the adult social care sector to provide informed assessments to the Department and the Minister for Social Care. They also provide opportunities for the sector to influence and …