Manor Community Blog

Catch up with Manor!

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:30:03 GMT

A visit from the Mayor of Yate

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:00:06 GMT

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The NAPPI system

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:06:57 GMT

Manor catch up!

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:15:26 GMT

Welcome Simon!

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:25:35 GMT

Manor catch up!

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:20:26 GMT

Life at Manor Community - Weekly catch up

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:10:11 GMT

Working in care and support, Serena's story.

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:36:38 GMT

Life at Manor community

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:26:58 GMT

Hazel's internship

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:56:02 GMT

A personal journey in care work

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:09:57 GMT

Knitting!

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:11:44 GMT

A day as a care home manager

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:02:29 GMT

Working in care and support

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:42:22 GMT

Day in the life!

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:14:29 GMT

Swimming time!

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:06:27 GMT

Deep clean!

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:12:10 GMT

Day in the life of a HR manager

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:26:31 GMT

Celebrating Chloe!

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:08:05 GMT

The Women achieving greatness awards! Our very own rising star.

A cute little visitor at Firgrove House

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:37:04 GMT

Today, our residents were in for a special treat when a little puppy named Teddy paid us a visit! With his soft fur, big eyes, and wagging tail, Teddy quickly won the hearts of everyone in the room, bringing a wave of joy and comfort to our residents.

For many of our residents, it’s been a while since they’ve had the company of a furry friend, and Teddy’s playful energy was a breath of fresh air. As he trotted around, curious and excited, many of our residents couldn't help but smile and reach out to pet him. The simple act of stroking his soft fur seemed to lift their spirits and spark memories of their own beloved pets from years ago.

Teddy’s visit was more than just a cute moment. It was a reminder of the healing power of animals. His gentle nature helped ease any worries, and his presence provided a comforting sense of companionship. For many seniors, the act of caring for or simply being around a pet can reduce stress, ease loneliness, and bring about a sense of calm and Teddy did all of that today.

Whether it was playing with a squeaky toy or curling up on someone’s lap, Teddy brought warmth and happiness to the room. The laughter, stories, and smiles that filled the air were proof of just how much joy a little puppy can bring. Teddy’s visit reminded us all that no matter our age, the love and connection we share with animals can make a world of difference in our emotional well-being.

We’re so grateful for Teddy’s visit today and look forward to many more moments like this, where the love of a puppy can brighten our residents' days and fill our hearts with happiness.

Working in Care and Support

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:47:44 GMT

Blog from one of our senior support workers.

What seems like an age ago now I first got interested in working in the social care sector working with adults with learning difficulties in the land-based industry. Right from the start I could see the benefits this sector has mainly, obviously to the individuals using a service – improving knowledge, confidence and having a purpose to get up for. After many courses/qualifications and throughout the decades I pursued this sector, again working with adults and young people in different settings including residential and supported living, not only in the land-based sector but supporting people in their communities.

Fast track to the present day and Manor Community. I have been working for Manor for roughly seven years, with a slight hiatus after four years, believe me the grass isn’t always greener. Today my passion for helping people with learning difficulties and mental health issues remains the same, albeit there have been some knocks and falls but after self-reflection and kind words of encouragement you get up and carry on.

Presently at Manor I have progressed through the ranks as a senior. I was thrilled to get the role as it shows that I’m valued within the company. No two days of my working week are the same, I could be completing audits or assisting colleagues with their work one day, to supporting individuals for appointments and social scenarios or pulling my hair out trying to get through bureaucratic (external agencies) red tape ensuring individuals are treated as equals. Occasionally I go home frustrated, but more often I go home satisfied I have made a positive difference to someone’s day.

Trust, Dedication, and Compassion: Voices from Our Care Workers

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:47:27 GMT

Continuing our feedback series, we are delighted to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the incredible care workers who make Manor a truly special place. At Manor, we believe that every member of our team plays a vital role in creating a supportive and nurturing environment for our residents. Our care workers are at the heart of this effort, working tirelessly day and night with unwavering dedication, compassion, and skill. They go beyond just providing care—they build relationships, offer comfort, and ensure that each resident feels valued, respected, and safe. Their efforts create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where families can feel at ease, knowing their loved ones are in the best possible hands.

We are incredibly proud to have such a devoted team whose passion and commitment help make Manor not just a care home, but a true community. Now, we’d like to share some of the heartfelt feedback we’ve received from our care workers, whose voices are essential in shaping the culture and spirit of our home:

“ It’s a small friendly home and feels a homely environment. The staff are all friendly and we work as a team. Managers are approachable and listen to suggestions.” – Care worker 1

“I absolutely love Firgrove house the staff are amazing the residents are all so lovely, for me it feels like I am just coming home, and I have only been here since May! Never have I felt so settled working in a home before! This is how every care home should be.” – Care worker 2

“Chloe is the best manager I feel I can talk to her about absolutely anything! Always finds time for us and supports us in everything we do, again I haven’t had a boss like Chloe she is just brilliant, and I feel so lucky” - Care Worker 3

“I have not worked long but feel valued and appreciated I didn’t have that in my last workplace feel I can talk to them with ease” – Care Worker 4

Thank you to all our care workers for your commitment, hard work, and compassion. Your feedback means the world to us, and we are honoured to have you as part of the Manor Care Home family, continuing to provide exceptional care for all our residents.

Trust and Care: Heartwarming Feedback from Families

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:01:45 GMT

At Manor Care Home, we understand that trust is the foundation of a strong relationship with the families of our residents. We strive every day to ensure that your loved ones are not just cared for, but cherished as part of our family.

We know how important it is for families to feel reassured that their loved ones are in a safe, nurturing environment. That's why we go above and beyond to create a community where respect, comfort, and care are at the heart of everything we do.

The feedback we receive from our residents' families is invaluable, and we’re proud to be a place where trust thrives. So, here we share some of the heartfelt feedbacks from our residents’ families:

“This is just a quick note to say thank you for the warm reception when we visited mum! Please extend our gratitude to all staff - from you and Flo to the personal carers to the kitchen staff to hair/salon carer… all were incredibly generous and kind to us and obvious in their warmth towards mum. Thank you! We are now in Dublin and will board for Toronto soon. Please do let mum know if you can and let her know we are sending our love. We will keep in touch.” – Resident Family 1

“Dad is very settled and content here. He's telling me that he has no worries and everyone is very nice which is great to hear.” – Resident Family 2

“Thank you so much to you all for the love and care you and the wider team extended to Jean during her time at Oak Tree. Leaving her flat and independence was very hard for Jean, but she was made to feel so very welcome and loved much of her time with you. I will never forget that first day we arrived just before Christmas 2023, with the garland around the front door and such a warm welcome it soon put a rather frightened old lady at ease. SO many staff she had special bonds with, it is difficult to mention all in person. We appreciate that Jean could be a bit tricky at times, but that was all part of her continued struggle with loss of independence, and your patience and sensitivity was much appreciated.” – Resident Family 3

“I would like to thank you all for welcoming Audrey and Peter yesterday. Every member of staff was so friendly, helpful and kind.

The minute Audrey came through the door her face lit up and she was smiling and laughing for the first time in months. She said she loved the room and wished she had moved there years ago.

Audrey has been staying in bed at home for the last couple of months only getting out to go to the toilet. For the last week she has been curled up in bed refusing to eat and drink saying she wanted to die. The doctor visited and said there was nothing physically wrong she was probably just depressed and the carers said she needed to go to a care home immediately. Peter begged us to find somewhere asap as he could not cope another day and would go anywhere. We were so happy to see an immediate change and knew it was the right decision.” – Resident Family 4

Thank you to all the families who have entrusted us with the care of your loved ones. Your feedback means the world to us, and we are honored to continue providing a loving, supportive environment for everyone at Manor Care Home.

In Their Own Words: Read Heartwarming Feedback from People We Support at Manor Community

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:12:49 GMT

Leaving a loved one in someone else’s care can be an incredibly difficult and emotional decision. It's natural to worry about whether their needs will be met with the attention, compassion, and professionalism they deserve. At Manor Community, we understand these concerns, which is why we provide the highest standard of care for every resident.

As we reflect on the last year , we want to take a moment to share some of the heartwarming feedback we’ve received from our residents and their families. These kind words and beautiful pictures inspire us to continue our mission of offering a safe, loving, and supportive environment where families can have peace of mind.

‘ I like it here, it is a nice crowd together we have nice people looking after us. we are lucky to have a nice assortment of food. we are very lucky here. We have nice people here its homely. No one is left out everyone is mixed together and everyone gets on ’ – Resident 1

' I've been here 16month now I'm happy to be a resident of Firgrove I'm still able to enjoy my live as i go out most of the time and it suits my independence greatly. All the staff are hardworking and pleasant to be around A big thankyou to Firgrove for taking me in as i was a mess when i arrived.' - Resident 2.

'Friendliness and the care is great. The food is very nice and plenty of verity and they feed us a lot. The staff are very homely, nothing is too much trouble for them. The managers are good, they make sure everyone is alright all the time.' - Resident 3

' Everyone I have met here is friendly and kind, the food is brilliant I am vegetarian and I get the food i would like , I do not feel left out. I feel safe and I see my family when I would like. I am happy.' - Resident 4

' Firgrove staff have support me in my transition from living independently to needing more help due to my macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease' – Resident 5

At Manor Community, we believe in caring for the whole person – not just their physical health, but their mental and emotional well-being as well. We are deeply grateful for the positive feedback we’ve received and are proud to know that our efforts make a difference. Moving forward, we remain committed to continuing to exceed the expectations of our residents and their families, who place their trust in us every day. We're excited to bring even more wonderful experiences to those who matter most to us.

Lauren’s reflection on her apprenticeship at Manor Community for National Apprenticeship Week 2025

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:48:17 GMT

My name is Lauren and I have been working at Manor Community since 2021! I started here as a Business Administration Apprentice and I am now a General Administrator and Trainee Finance Administrator.

My Journey to an apprenticeship

Once completing my GCSEs, I thought I would be going to college to do my a-levels but as time got closer I knew that being in a school setting again just wasn’t for me. I didn’t know much about apprenticeships so I researched into it and thought it sounded perfect for me as you can learn on the job whilst earning money. When I completed my first apprenticeship, I knew that this was something I wanted to pursue further, so I decided to leave there so I could progress in a different company. This was difficult to do as it was during the pandemic so all interviews were virtual, but I was lucky enough to secure a position at Manor Community.

What benefits did the apprenticeship give me

Working in an office at such a young age has helped me to learn so many new skills which have helped me to get to the position I am in now. Some of the skills I have developed are: using my initiative, IT proficiency, communication and time management. As I progressed through my apprenticeship, I took on more responsibilities and began to see the impact of my work on the organisation. It was incredibly fulfilling to know that my contributions were making a difference. My confidence levels have increased massively at work and in my personal life.

I am grateful for the support and encouragement I received along the way, and I look forward to continuing to grow and progress within Manor Community. All the support I received during my apprenticeship helped me to get a distinction overall which is something I never thought I’d be able to do!

Would I recommend an apprenticeship?

For anyone considering an apprenticeship, I highly recommend it. It's a fantastic way to gain practical experience, develop essential skills, and kickstart your career. My journey at Manor Community has been an incredible learning experience, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Supporting staff

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 15:01:16 GMT

How companies can be supportive when staff are going through tough times

It can be hard to know how to support a colleague who is going through something difficult at home. There are many ways that team members and employers can do this. In this post we share some of the things that we do and some links for further signposting.

A few years ago we invested in an EAP system or Employee Assistance Programme. Not only does this system provide offers from popular shops to staff, but we also opted to provide staff with free counselling sessions. This is an independent service which staff can use for any issue they may have from budgeting to trauma to depression or grief. We have had some great feedback on this, especially during and after the most difficult times during the COVID19 pandemic.

We also encourage our managers to practice active listening and encourage a positive approach to supervision. It is important that managers stay in tune with how their staff are doing at home as well as at work. Flexible working, supporting home working (where possible) and thinking about conversations with HR to find out how you can adjust work to support changing circumstances, are all helpful.

There are also a lot of links that support staff as well:

Marie Curie UK has information on supporting family and friends in palliative care
ACAS has a page about time off work for bereavement
NHS covers how to cope when someone who has a terminal illness

People may also want to be directed to more practical advice such as making a lasting power of attorney and making an advanced care plan .

Whatever support you give, but sure to listen and not judge and support that person in a way that is right for them.

Manor Community Winter Newsletter 2024

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

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Staff Blogs

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 10:26:18 GMT

My Internship Journey at Manor Community

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:23:03 GMT

A Final Year IT Student’s Internship Experience

Hello, my name is Saung Hnin Wai but I mostly go by my name Nicole. I am an IT student at UWE and currently interning at Manor Community for my summer internship 2025 as a Project Support Intern. I am in my final year at UWE and have only been in the UK for a little over 3 months. When I first came, I was overwhelmed by the fact that I had to look for an internship straight away to be ready for my summer internship. The word “Intern” itself was a big deal for us final year students. I did not expect much but still tried my best to apply for internship positions that are related to my major and interests. Outside of my studies and internship, I have a deep passion for cooking and just taking a stroll around my neighborhood to relax my mind and just have some time away from the screen.

I was totally lost on how to spice up my CV, but luckily, UWE offers a Professional and Academic Writing class. As part of the course, we learned how to write the best version of our CVs. I did not waste a second after the lecture ended to apply for internships using our school website (InfoHub). There, “Manor Community” caught my eye. It’s not only the role but the community itself that looked appealing to me. Manor Community is a care company that provides care and support services. I was beyond happy to know that I would be an intern at a place that provides such help to society, and with my interests in management, the role as “Project Support Intern” was a perfect match for me. I would be learning so much here not only for my role’s responsibilities but also to learn more about care homes and the social support system here in the UK. I am gaining insights into the social support sector in the UK (Bristol) and look forward to furthering my understanding while also improving my skills as a Project Support Intern.

Manor Community Summer Newsletter 2024

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:15:53 GMT

Empowering Care Workers: Essential Tips for Caring for Individuals with Dementia

sophie.chester@manorcommunity.co.uk (Sophie Chester) — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 09:34:46 GMT

Today we are going to be sharing our training focus this month, with our Training and Development Lead Jeannette.

As a care worker, caring for individuals living with dementia can be both challenging and rewarding. Understanding the condition and providing the right support are crucial aspects of delivering quality care. In this blog, we will explore some essential training tips that will help you provide the best care possible for those with dementia.

1. Develop Comprehensive Understanding of the Different Dementia Types

Dementia encompasses various conditions, each with its unique challenges. Take the time to understand the most common types of dementia and their associated symptoms:

Alzheimer's Disease: Trouble recognizing people, communication difficulties, and impulsive behaviour.

Frontotemporal Dementia: Excessive emotions, shaky hands, and problems with balance.

Lewy Body Dementia: Inability to concentrate, muscle rigidity, and reduced facial expressions.

Vascular Dementia: Hallucinations or delusions, misplacing items, and poor judgment.

By understanding these conditions, you can better tailor your care approach to meet the individual's specific needs.

2. Top ways to tailor your care approach:

Simplify the Environment!

Creating a safe and easy-to-navigate environment is essential in dementia care. Here are three simple steps to simplify the home:

Remove Potential Hazards: Eliminate objects that can cause confusion or stress, particularly in hallways, to reduce the risk of falls and accidents.

Maintain a Clean and Comfortable Environment: A tidy and clutter-free home can help the individual feel more at ease, enabling them to remain sociable and inviting to friends.

Use Labels and Post-Its: Assist the individual in finding things and remembering appointments by strategically placing labels and post-it notes around the house.

A simplified environment can significantly reduce confusion and enhance the overall well-being of the person you are caring for.

3. Utilising communication skills

Communicating with individuals with dementia requires patience, empathy, and understanding. Follow these communication tips to enhance your communication skills:

Speak Calmly and Reassuringly: A soothing tone can help them feel more at ease during conversations.

Use Clear Language: Keep your language simple and straightforward to avoid confusion.

Utilize Physical Prompts: Incorporate gestures and visual cues to aid communication.

Maintain Eye Contact: Eye contact fosters connection and makes them feel valued.

Remember, effective communication is key to establishing trust and rapport with the individual!

4. Encourage Meaningful Activities

Engaging in activities that align with the person's interests can improve their overall well-being and provide a sense of purpose. Here are some activities that provide visual stimulation:

Painting: Artistic activities can be incredibly therapeutic and enjoyable.

Gardening: Tending to plants can be a calming and rewarding experience.

Completing Jigsaw Puzzles: Puzzles can stimulate the mind and enhance cognitive abilities.

Playing Board Games: Simple board games can encourage social interaction and fun.

Activities play a vital role in the treatment and care of individuals with dementia, so ensure you incorporate them into the daily routine.

Thank you for reading and we look forward to next month!

Gabriella's Monthly Social Care Update

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:39:27 GMT

What is happening in social care this month?

Hello! Welcome to this new monthly update, where I, Gabriella, will be giving you the lowdown on any important updates happening in social care!

Government updates:

It was only last week that the NHS workforce plan was announced. This plan is the governments first ever long-term workforce plan, set to improve recruitment and retention over the next 15 years in the NHS. However, the government has not committed to developing a workforce plan for social care. This has been heavily criticized as a missed opportunity, as both sectors share crucial staff groups, and face the same urgent need for long-term investment to improve staffing recruitment and retention, to be able to provide good quality care. Read more about this here!

A new bill has been announced ‘Social Housing (Regulation) Bill) to improve the quality of social housing, also known as the ‘Awaab’s Law’ after the tragic death of 2-year old Awaab Ishak. Read more here.

Consultation alert: The government are seeking your views on visiting in care and health settings to inform their decisions around making visiting rules mandatory. Read more and submit your response here.

Campaigns you should know about:

‘My Time to Care’ is a campaign that starts local carers in Somerset. Six new videos have been launched to empower carers and showcases the strength, resilience, courage, and selflessness of care workers. Watch the videos here.

A new campaign ‘The Social Care Superpower Campaign’ launched last week, run by the Cygnet Social Care division. The campaign aims to highlight the extraordinary people who work in care, showcasing the incredible skills and work they do. Learn more here.

Age UK are now running a campaign called ‘We can’t wait for care’, putting a call to action for help to end the long wait for care. Learn more about this important campaign here.

Work to be showcased:

Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation have been doing incredible work since the Winterbourne View abuses in 2011, developing multiple guides that help ensure people with a learning disability are supported in getting the right care at the right time. Learn more here.

Events:

The BNSSG Integrated Care Board are running a series of seminars of local researchers of the work being done in Health and Care. It is on Monday the 17th of July 2023, between 1-2pm. Register here.

Links:

Read the NHS workforce plan here.

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Manor Community Spring Newsletter 2021

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 13:13:09 GMT

Health+Care Conference 2019

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 06:24:49 GMT

Health+Care Conference - Day 2 Summary

We're still buzzing from the talks at the second and final day of the Health+Care Conference in London. Expecting a quieter day than the first, our team thought we might get away early, but stayed right until the exhibitors started packing away due to some fantastic panel discussions...

Starting with my summary

I’d initially planned on whizzing around the theatres like yesterday. However, with Matt Hancock’s Special Advisor talking about his work, Cambridge and Peterborough STP discussing parity of esteem, NHSX pre-launch keynote address and CQC’s Ian Trenholm ’s thoughts on the regulatory system, I was firmly planted in the Healthcare’s Keynote Theatre all day.

Reflections from Richard Sloggett – Matt Hancock’s Special Advisor

Richard explained that his job is unsurprisingly fast-paced, with his first experiences involving swatting up on acronyms to translate NHS policies it into public friendly messages. Possibly the most revealing (and random) part of Richard’s revelations was the ‘ red box ’ which, from what I could make out, was Matt Hancock’s in-tray. Anything that goes in it will be on his radar and must be addressed. Richard spent the majority of his day trying to clear the red box. Sensing the audience’s confusion, chairman Professor Paul Corrigan explained that this was part of how the constitution worked – if the Minister doesn’t see something and agree it, it isn’t happening. Makes sense.

Richard revealed that the 3 current priorities are:

Workforce
Technology
Prevention

Presumably anything that has a faint chance of entering the red box has to at least cover one of these areas.

Something to look out for is the prevention green paper due out in July. Amongst other things this aims to cover what the government will provide and what they expect citizens to do in terms of preventing their own health deterioration. For Richard, the real point on prevention was population health management and that Integrated Care Services (ICSs) should be well place to deliver this.

He reminded us that next week on 1st July Primary Care Networks (PCNs) go live. The funding that is being allocated to PCNs should be filtered out to its partners – I think we all have a role in ensuring that this happens, especially since they will be rewarded financially if, for example, their activities reduce A&E admissions. Question is how will this be monitored?

Richard ended his talk with the observation that currently, as represented by the exhibitors at the conference, technology in care is 'explosive'.

Parity of esteem in mental health

The question for this panel was 'Parity of esteem in mental health - is this the time to mke it really happen?' . The panel included Lorna Evans from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Emma Tiffin from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough STP and Sarah Hughs , Chief Executive of Centre for Mental Health. Lorna gave a heartwarming explanation of her own experiences of mental struggles following personal strategies – a strong user voice, maybe because user voices were not well represented at the conference, an improvement for next year maybe? Her insight into how Cambridgeshire promoted its Community Based Crisis Support helpline through 111 option 2, represented a key point of access and clear attempt to create practical parity.

Other important attempts at parity expressed by this panel include:

Focusing on peer support
Equally well

A great point prompted from an audience member's observation of the New Zealand’s model, came from Sarah. She felt that the political leadership in New Zealand was itself progressive and the UK was far behind that. Therefore, without a PM that is as progressive as theirs, we all need to become activists in our area and push for the change we want to see.

Do we need legislative change to make the NHS long term plan happen?

The short answer from Paul Maubach , CEO of Dudley CCO, was yes! His justification was that it would align incentives and practices and integrate providers. He argued that our legislation currently favours competition not collaboration and creates separation between the commissioner and provider. The change should instead privilege collaboration between the two. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 doesn’t, according the Paul, facilitate this. In fact I feel that this video by the Kings Fund from 2013 is still relevant in representing the complex quagmire of services, actors and initiatives that have been created:

Niall Dickson , from NHS Confederating listed his take on the challenge, including:

A need for a ‘bet value test’ that is less subjective
Greater flexibility locally, arguing that the NHS should produce on quality not price
He recognised that there is a fear in the social community sphere of there being an ‘Acute Takeover’ and that they will be subsumed into larger NHS provision

Both Niall and Paul agreed that the 2012 Act should ideally be repealed. However, acknowledge the political unpopularity of this idea.

NHSX pre-lauch keynote by its CEO, Matthew Gould

Large queues formed 15 minutes before this talk, representing a general buzz around NHSX. In fact after the talk I personally wasn’t too much clearer about what it would actually look like, but got the sense that neither did anyone else. The mission, however, was clear and very interesting. For a high-level intro, listen to this 5 min video from Matt Hancock

Matthew’s Gould's keynote address included these key messages:

NHSX is a new single decision-making team bringing everything tech related together to give patients and staff the technology they need.

What’s different? Not imposing top down decision on Trusts and CCG’s but instead letting professionals work together for local solutions. His aim was to ‘keep the centre thin’ and to create platforms from which others can develop on, but keep some things central such as screening and booking systems.

It will have 5 missions which include:

Reduced burdens on staff so they can focus on patients
Giving citizens the tools to access information and services directly
Ensuring clinical information is safe and digitally accessed
Improving patient safety across the NHS and
Increasing productivity across NHS

A great question from the audience was, how would we know they are effective in say 2 years time? Matthew thought for a moment then suggested we judge NHSX against these 5 missions and at the very least on the fact of whether NHSX has made any impact at all. He argued that it really should have by then.

A few people also pointed out the Long Term Plan’s ambition to go paperfree by 2020. From the examples of poor systems in his talk, it was clear that this isn’t going to happen by then, but he was clear that it was still in their plans.

Ian Trenholm - CQC's Chief Executive on the future of inspection

Another key leader in health and care, Ian Treholme, led the penultimate talk of the day. He remarked that CQC is still going on a journey but had a built up a reputation as a regulator with a methodology he felt worked. He showed frustration about the fact that CQC collects a lot of positive stories which are unrepresented by the media. Made me think, maybe this is where as a sector we can pick up on this and start sharing positive stories on platforms such as social media?

Ian mentioned that following the revelations at Wholton Hall by Panorama , the CQC went through and is still going through a process of reflection, asking: how was this able to happen? What could have been done differently to detect that the abuse might have occurred? They are going to investigate internally. I felt this critical reflective type practice was refreshingly honest. He explained that the future may include a digital solution to get poor practice evidence to them quicker from those using services and staff.

Ensuring safe technology by working with NHSX was a key passion.

In terms of personalised care, he was unequivocal that CQC will be inspecting services from the standpoint o effectiveness from a patient perspective. They will be expecting leadership to show how they are working collaboratively to enable this. This will be a key part of ‘Well-led’. I got the impression that without evidence of this collaborative working for better care, the top CQC ratings will start to become out of reach.

He mentioned that CQC are starting to review their regulatory process . They will be moving away from periodic reviews, whereby good or outstanding services are visited less often than others, and moving towards risk-based inspections. When I asked him to clarify this, it appears that the plans are very young and providers will be consulted, so keep an eye out for this consultation and please get involved.

Questions from the audience for Ian

One audience member asked Ian about his views on families putting cameras in people’s bedrooms. Ian pointed out that pre-Wholton Hall he probably would have been more certain on an answer to this. Post-Wholton Hall, the jury was out and he understood the arguments for and against in terms of revealing poor practice which CQC might be unable to detect verses respecting a person's dignity and human rights.

My last question to him and I think to every really, was/is:

considering the push towards social prescribing, pushed through by PCNs, we will most likely see a lot of services traditionally provided by regulated providers, slowly and informally migrating to community groups and organisations. Should social prescribing be regulated in some way?

Understandably, seeing that PCNs are so new, there was no firm answer to this, but maybe a point to consider.

The last session from the Keynote Theatre

The last session was possibly the most lively one, with a full panel including Caroline Abrahams from Age UK , Lord Victor Adebowale from Turning Point, Clare Gerada frm NHS Assembly and Sir Robert Francis QC , Chair of Healthwatch Engand.

The panel was clear on the need to engage and consult with patients on strategic decision-making, but were not as clear on the role of enforcing coproduction (which I’m fan of and asked about). Other points included:

Sir Francis promoting what I would term a dialectical approach with citizens to strategic decision-making
Lord Victor Adebowale was concerned about ‘racist algorithms’ in technology, staff shortages and discrimination. Interestingly, he will be editing the BMJ’s next edition with a focus on discrimination – will be keeping and eye out on this.
A great quote from Lord Adebowale was that ‘culture eats structure for breakfast’ and without a culture change, we can create all the STPs etc but will still operate top down.

Finally, from me ...

Finally, someone from the audience was from Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) and put in a plug to their Making It Real initiative , which they had made every effort to promote, but were still not seeing enough take up. This is a great shame. TLAP have effectively coproduced quality marks for health and social care. We (Manor Community), were early adopters and used Making It Real in a pilot and continue to do so.

Maybe people just do not understand what coproduction is!? The co-opting and misunderstanding of coproduction is a huge bugbear for me. I would urge people to check out and share TLAPs coproduction ladder and ask their leadership which step they operate on on the coproduction ladder?!

The TLAP question mirrors an important issue across the two days – the tools are there, it’s just making sure they get used and known by the right people and embedded into their culture.

Other nuggets from the rest of our team at the conference:

Leicestershire County Council’s ‘housing support coordinator’ link role as part of a centralised program bringing different health and well-being support together to make more holistic preventative care plans to help move people out of hospital
The Richmond Group of charities and their social prescribing collaboration across care, health and VSCE across Somerset.
The King’s Fund’s recently published report on Wigan Council . Wigan Council ran a coproduced collaborative community development scheme that has been specifically linked to health benefits and mental health
Clare from Care Forum Tech Transformation pointed out that we shouldn’t use tech for its own sake but keep in focus what difference does it makes for helping enhance relationships and that the person is at the centre of change.

That’s it from us! Hope it’s helpful, feel free to share if it is.

Sophie and the team @manorcommunity

Health+Care 2019 - Day 1 Summary

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 06:27:23 GMT

Our summary of a packed Day 1 - in case you missed it

It’s the last week in June, so of course we’re back at the Excel in London for the Health+Care annual conference where professionals from local authorities, NHS, providers and government come together to present ideas, thought leadership and share local initiatives on improving the health and care sector.

Here is my assessment of the first day:

The main themes were technology, social prescribing and more technology. Both of which were being touted as enabling collaborative working and effective care, with the main challenge being changing embedded cultures and habits.

A note from the Minister of State for Health

The day started off with a keynote address from Caroline Dinenage , Minister of State for Health, who used a great term to point out that health and social care are ‘ umbilically linked ’ and emphasised the need to ‘blur the boundaries’ between statutory, community and informal care through integration. A big fan of promoting local examples she explained the benefits of the community-based support group ‘Men Shed project ’ – a voluntary group of men coming together to support each other through joint interests and DIY, with the knock-on effect of creating friendships and decreasing isolation. Her excitement over Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and technology, was countered by, what appeared to be an honest frustration at the delayed Green Paper on social care. Some key messages from her included:

A report by Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on their vision for technology and examples of using HIVE or Centrica technology and smartphones to help monitor and interact with people in their own homes.

A £5m carers innovation fund , officially announced this month, with the aim of providing 'support for the supporters' to enable carers to stay healthier and happier for longer themselves

Psychological Safety

Later in the morning Bruce Daisley , twitter’s European Vice President turned on the charm with some hilarious cat humour from the twittersphire, but also made an important point about how a person’s mood has a direct effect on how they work. He pointed out that psychological safety, which I feel should and will have an increasing role to play in improving care services, is key to the duty of candour and dealing with errors in care. If anyone needs evidence, he pointed out that research by Amy Edmonson carried out in hospitals, revealed how safeguarding incidents were more likely to be reported by a psychologically safe team. You can read an article on it here

Lessons from integration - ICSs

At the Integrated Care Services Hub, Henry Ireland from Imperial College Health Partners gave what he called ‘boring innovation points’ which were in fact not boring at all. He emphasised the need for transparency from all professionals within ICSs in order for them to work successfully. His points included:

relationship building
allowing entrepreneurialism within the team
shadowing other professionals and
spending time together

It got me wondering whether the material structures that have been deconstructed in an aim to save costs, such as losing joint working spaces in favour of home-working, have in fact contributed to making ICS operability more difficult?

Also part of this talk was Alan Davies , Director of Digital Health at NW Coast AHSN. It's worth checking out their website as Alan had some interesting reflections into how ICSs change staff behaviours and how, as pointed out by Dido Harding from NHSE, social care is critically poor at dealing with its customers in comparison to other sectors such as retail.

The Green Paper, Social Prescribing and the Social Value Calculator

Just before lunch, the Residential Care Theatre became packed with care providers eager to get find out the future of social care. The panel consisted of Damian green , Michael Voges and Paul Burstow . Like Caroline Dinenage, Damian Green expressed frustration at the delayed Green Paper but argued that it required quality public debate which couldn’t happen in the current political climate and should include a cross-party solution. Interestingly, he claimed to favour a model of care funding based on a pension system model.

Even more interesting, Paul Burstow seemed to agree by suggesting a similar solution of an insurance model. Housing with care for Burstow was key, as well as self-directed care. He ended with the question of whether we actually need a Green Paper? In his view the sector has been extremely successful in solving the problems it faces by itself. He pointed out that the Care Act 2014 was a strong piece of legislation that simply needed more funding.

The afternoon started with an important message from Nicky Parker from Manchester City Council on new care models . She pointed out that representing social value was a growing trend for social care commissioning. So if you are tendering for contracts you need to have your organisation's social values policy locked down ! In fact 20% of the overall weighting in marking tender submissions is now dedicated to provider's ability to demonstrate their social value impact. The social value calculator is becoming an increasingly popular tool for local authorities and worth getting to grips with. Local authorities are starting to require new providers to register and actively engage with this new product. This video gives a short synopsis from one company operating a social value calculator.

James Sanderson , Director of Personalised Care at NHS England (NHSE), gave an enlightening representation of transformation in action. Giving people using care services choice and control was key. He advocated the Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care . This included an operating model which comprised of

Promoting shared decision-making between medic and patient (of which I’m a big fan)
Giving people choice – he explained a process which seemed very similar to informed decision-making per Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board case
Holistic care planning

Continuing the social prescribing message, James was a great supporter, especially where it mirrored what was actually happening in the community. His 5 year plan included self-managed support (peer support, health coaching and PAM – Patient Activation Measurement ) and being bold in relation to cultural change

Other highlights included:

David Hambleton explaining how New Zealand's Canterbury model of ‘care alliancing’ means focusing on what is right for the patient rather than the system.
Raina Summerson , CEO of Agincare, making the great point that private providers (arguably the cornerstone of current social care provision) are currently not invited to strategic discussions around the local development of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and ICS developments. Something that fundamentally needs to change. A huge elephant in the room.

With a lot of hype around PCNs, my (rather lengthy) last question of the day was to Simon Chapman , Deputy Director for Personalised Care, NHSE. I asked:

‘when pushing for social prescribing, what happens when the community and VCS organisations are oversubscribed? Where does adequate funding come from to support them and how do we ensure that people do not fall through the net? Will the PCN's newly created Social Prescribing Link Workers have enough capacity?!’

His answer was ultimately - to be honest we don’t know . However, he did make the point that social care needs to look outside of its immediate periphery for funding support. Sport England for example are looking to fund projects that help people engage with physical activities, Matt Hancock is looking at creating a social prescribing academy and I later discovered that you can apply for the Evidence Generation Fund to support digital products.

A great first day, but still so many questions on the other, even larger elephant in the room, also known as funding. Hopefully insights to be had on day 2. Three of us from @manorcommunity attended the conference this year. All three will contribute to an updated post for day two, so keep an eye on our blog page.

ps. don t forget to look out for the launch of the ‘ CARE BADGE ’!!! ….

The second part of this blog is now available here - listing more information and links from day 2.