Grapevine - INFECTIOUS - Outlook Care
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outlookcare.org.uk
march 2021
news &
views
grapevine
Smiling Is Another Great Year of Goodbye
INFECTIOUS AWARDS SHELDUCK HOUSE
grapevine MARCH 2021
Contributions
If you’d like to contribute to the
next edition of Grapevine, please
contact Bonnie Longfoot.
hello
Outlook Care - Foxburrow Grange,
Ypres Road, Colchester Essex
C02 7NL
Dear Colleagues,
T 01277 633163
E info@outlookcare.org.uk
W outlookcare.org.uk As we go to press for this ensure the risks presented
W foxburrowgrange.org.uk latest edition of grapevine, to our vulnerable
we do so at what appears to customers, their families
be the end of the third wave and our staff are safely
Contents of the pandemic. mitigated wherever
possible.
04 In this edition we showcase
Smiling Is Infectious the very best of Outlook No organisation can
Care. The past year has been perform well through
06
dominated by the tragedy of difficult times without
Technology - Ready To Go
the Covid 19 pandemic. strong leadership and
committed staff.
09
However, despite this, I am
Kim in the Spotlight
extremely am proud to I thank each and every one
report that, once again, we of you for your commitment
12
have met the challenges over the past 12 months and
Goodbye Shelduck House
presented to us. I look forward to the next 12
13 months working alongside
We continue to achieve; you.
One Year In - Kathy Davis
100% ‘good’ rating
14 across all of our Care Our skilled, talented,
Hands, Face, Space! Quality Commission dedicated staff continue to
regulated services. move Outlook Care forward
Accreditation ISO in difficult times by actively
16
9001:2015 listening to all stakeholders
Foxburrow Grange -
Investors in People and focussing on customer
Managing the Pandemic Standard certification satisfaction at every level.
Certificate in Health and
18 Safety (CHAS) They are all responsible for
Welcome Lola our achievements and I
We have adapted to the ‘new would like to thank you
normal’ living with Covid 19. personally for the incredible
We have reviewed all of our work you do.
operating procedures to
Piotr Rejek
Chief Executive
2
grapevine MARCH 2021
Covid-19
It's Been a Tough Year Special
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest international crises
of our generation, which has had consequences on the world's
population for both economies and for health and wellbeing.
It's been a very difficult 12 months for all of us Piotr, together with other EMT members, Sian,
and care providers in particular have found it Director of Finance and Kathy, Director of Care
challenging to say the least. and Support, made themselves accessible to
all, and Piotr personally wrote to the families
Luckily, Outlook Care was in a strong position of every customer and member of staff to
to react to the pandemic and from the moment thank them for their support at a time of great
Covid-19 hit the UK, we immediately put stress.
processes in place to support customers and
staff. Since lockdown, EMT have held weekly Teams
briefings with all managers, providing
Our Chief Executive, Piotr, set up a task force, guidance, advice and feedback regarding
allocating key roles to specific staff members. issues like testing for Covid-19 and supplies of
He provided each with the budget to find and PPE. The mental health of staff and customers
buy resources, such as vital personal has been a key focus and we have been
protective equipment (PPE), and materials for proactive in encouraging those who needed
meaningful indoor activities for all 59 services. additional support to access it.
Our Executive Management Team (EMT) made This edition of Grapevine highlights the good
sure all services had Microsoft Teams software things that have happened during the most
so they could stay connected to each other and challenging time in our organisation's history
participate in activities. and how we have kept smiling in the face of
adversity.
After all Smiling Is Infectious.....
3
grapevine MARCH 2021
Smiling is Infectious
When the pandemic hit the UK and restrictions were placed on visits
to services, Sara Costa, Quality and Customer Relations manager,
was asked to take on a new role. She didn’t know it at the time, but
she was about to reinvent herself as a Butlins Redcoat!
Sara was asked to create a strategy that would Sara was continually developing new ways of
bring all 59 services together and ensure helping everyone have fun. Here’s a small
customers and staff felt informed, entertained, example:
involved and connected.
Weekly Zumba and Disco sessions
Once she’d developed the strategy, Sara had to Daily ‘Smiling is infectious’ emails
implement it, which she did, single-handedly, Costa Coffee Mornings
every day. Our Smiling is Infectious campaign Quizzes on Wednesdays
had begun!
Clap for Carers
Wellness Wednesdays
Once all services had access to Microsoft
Talent nights, in full fancy dress
Teams, Sara created a diverse programme of
virtual events that were enjoyable and Organising competitions, including: Great
rewarding to participate in. Outlook Care Bake Off, Make a Corona
Scarecrow, Most Amazing Pet Show,
A useful distraction to world events which Staycation postcard design…
were quite frightening to some. Multicoloured Swap Shop, where Services
could exchange items
Fun stuff. WhatsApp groups for sharing
photos of customers having fun.
Lizzie, playing giant Kerplunk Lisa, displaying her rainbow
drawing in support of the NHS
4
grapevine MARCH 2021
Covid-19
Special
Armed with determination and a very strong In addition to our Smiling is Infectious
sense of loyalty, Sara showered all with as campaign, we have made sure that people keep
much positivity as humanly possible. in touch with their loved ones with more video
and telephone calls than normal whilst physical
One successful event or competition would restrictions have been in place.
lead to another and the feedback confirmed
that what she was doing was not only It’s important for continued wellbeing that our
appreciated, but loved too. customers and their families and friends see
and talk to each other more than usual in these
Staff and customers would often participate in unsettling times.
events together and individual services began
‘talking’ to each other more regularly. Whilst these have been very challenging times
for everyone, life in lockdown has definitely
The overriding impact has been the strong had some ‘ups’!
sense of family and the enthusiasm for the
future that’s been created.
As a result, the programme which began on
6th April last year, is still running today, and
Sara has been joined by Finance Officer, Helen;
Corporate Services Administrators, Vicky and
Jan, and Greenwich Services Administrator,
Shona to keep up the great work.
David, singing into the Service's
Gareth, with the scarecrow he helped
new Karaoke machine
make for the Best Scarecrow competition
5
grapevine MARCH 2021
Technology - Ready to Go
Our Technology Strategy proved to be invaluable when the pandemic came to the UK. The
actions we had put into place over the previous 12 months in upgrading our technology had
put us into a great position to deal with the challenges of lockdown.
Technology Strategy 2019 -2022
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Outlook Care has continued to progress the Technology
Strategy achieving key milestones in 2020 with more exciting developments planned for 2021.
Key Technology Milestones achieved during 2020
Office 365 Emails
Provided all Outlook Care workers with their own email address improving communication
across the organisation.
Office 365 Teams
Enabled Outlook Care to maintain virtual communication during COVID pandemic providing
ongoing support to services during these difficult times.
Office 365 Documents
Outlook Care documents stored in secure cloud location and not reliant on Citrix server to
access data. All workers provided with their own logon details and removed shared logons at
services.
Screening
Pre employment screening of successful candidates has been cut by 50% moving from an
average 10-week turnaround to 5-week turnaround whilst improving visibility of processes.
People upgrade from Select HR
Provided a new modern look and feel with easy access buttons and visual menus for improved
navigation for staff. Behind the scenes, additional GDPR compliance, reporting and greater
security which is cloud based and not reliant on centralised servers to access.
·
Access Workspace
Provides single sign-on to Office 365 / all Access systems which removes inefficiencies and
barriers for staff who are no longer required to remember multiple User IDs and passwords for
different systems.·
6
grapevine MARCH 2021
Technology
Strategy
Approve
Electronic paperless invoice approval system reducing administration inefficiencies in Services
and Corporate Services and providing approvers visibility of all invoices they’ve approved.
COLLINS
Electronic online room / resource booking system for Services to enable safe booking of visits
for customers during COVID pandemic.
Exciting developments planned for 2021
People Planner
Implementation of People Planner rota system at Foxburrow Grange to replace BM3 with
target to rollout to rest of organisation within 12 months.
Recruit
Replace current recruitment system which operates standalone from HR solutions to an
integrated solution to further improve recruitment administration and visibility for recruiting
managers.
7
grapevine MARCH 2021
Finalists Aplenty!
Continuing our trend of the last few years, many Outlook Care staff were shortlisted as
finalists for external awards in 2020. We were shortlisted for 10 awards including, for the
first time, one of our customers!
This is a wonderful achievement and the whole Havering Supported Living Team, Learning
organisation is delighted for the finalists. Disability Service – Putting People First /
Personalisation Category and also Care Team
The lockdown restrictions meant that the Category – Great British Care Awards
judging and awards ceremonies (that have
already taken place) have been virtual, but a
benefit has been that colleagues and family
have been able to share in these uplifting and
joyous occasions through video links.
The awarding bodies who shortlist people from
the large number of nominations they receive, Margaret Brodie, Activity Coordinator at
recognise and celebrate the expertise and Foxburrow Grange Nursing Home – The Care
excellence in the social care sector. This has Home Activity Organiser Award – Great British
been a very difficult year for our staff and the Care Awards
care sector as a whole, so these awards seem
even more poignant.
Here are this year’s finalists and their
categories:
Sara Costa, Quality Manager – Leadership
Award and also Compassion Award – Markel 3rd
Sector Care Awards and also Social Care Covid Piotr Rejek, Chief Executive – Making a
Hero Award and the Care Innovator Award in Difference Award – Markel 3rd Sector Care
the Great British Care Awards. Awards and also Care Employer Award in the
Great British Care Awards
8
grapevine MARCH 2021
Awards
Kim in the Spotlight
Kim is a bright and bubbly 51-year old woman with learning disabilities.
She has been living at one of our Supported Living services in Barking,
Essex, since 2015.
Kim was nominated for the Care Champion
award, one of the categories for the 2020
National Care Awards, by Outlook Care staff
and we were delighted that she was shortlisted
as a finalist!
Kim is naturally a very caring person. She
always remembers people’s birthdays and, if
they’ve been unwell, takes the time to ask how Kim’s attitude, which was always 100%
they are – which she can now do during a video interactive, positive and inclusive, was
call. infectious. In fact, Vicky looked forward to the
online sessions as she knew that Kim would
Her learning disabilities are mild; she always brighten up everyone’s day across the services.
pays attention to the news and was aware of
the coronavirus crisis. Once lockdown was Kim loves to engage with staff, and is always
announced, her level of caring went thanking them for all they have done, whether
stratospheric. She became totally committed to it’s cooking for her, sending out replacement
bringing everyone together and making life fun. laptops so the staff at her home can still work
and keep in touch or just for being on an online
Kim seemed to have a sixth sense about the session.
effect the pandemic could have on mental
health, so while she participated in every single You could say that Kim incites people to
online session or event that was organised, she happiness. By empowering others to get
never stopped smiling and encouraging involved she’s been making a difference to so
everyone around her. many people’s lives. If you were only lucky
enough to be in Kim’s company only for a
Vicky Martin, one of our Administrators, said moment, we guarantee you’d never forget her
that Kim has kept her spirits up, during what smile, her tenderness or her innate goodness.
has been a very difficult time and helped her
fight against the anxiety she was feeling during Congratulations, Kim, on being a finalist. It's a
this pandemic. fantastic achievement and very much deserved.
9
grapevine MARCH 2021
Infection Control Funding (ICF)
During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government announced it was giving care providers
funding to reduce the transmission of the disease. The funding was to make buildings and
internal environments Covid-19 safe. The monies were also to fund other staff related costs
and limit movement of staff between Services, to help stop the spread of the virus.
In our care homes and specialist supported living environments, we used the funds to put in place
a number of property related extra measures to keep customers and staff safe. Some of these
works and purchases include reviewing our Infection Prevention and Control Policy to ensure
that our existing infection control measures met new external guidance.
To help us with this, we purchased:
automatic wall mounted touchless sanitizer dispensers for every Service
individual refillable sanitiser bottles with belt clip for staff
non-contact temperature gun thermometers
state of the art tablet type thermal fever screening devices (pictured
right) for our larger care homes and nursing home (Foxburrow Grange)
staff lockers
At Foxburrow Grange, we:
replaced four Wing kitchenettes with easy care wipeable worktops
replaced some communal floors with washable vinyl flooring
installed sliding bi folding doors to separate the large hub area into smaller rooms
installed partition doors to close off an open communal area
purchased wipeable sofas and chairs
purchased staff uniforms for clinical staff
We introduced enhanced cleaning regimes to help staff maintain high
levels of cleaning, by purchasing:
steam cleaners
disinfectant fogger machines (pictured right)
and for our nursing home we purchased industrial floor
scrubber/polishers and deep carpet cleaning machines
10grapevine MARCH 2021
Infection
Control
Fund
Keeping in Touch
To enable customers to continue to talk and see loved ones, we purchased additional tablet
devices to enable online communication via various applications. We also bought 43 new laptops
across Outlook Care to enable access to the internet to support customers and staff with work
related tasks, enable communication and contact with relatives, GP’s and other healthcare
agencies, to shop, socialise and play.
Garden Visits
Where safe garden visits could take place in designated visitor areas, we purchased new wipeable
garden furniture including easy pop-up gazebos to allow customers to meet with loved ones when
maybe the sun was not shining and more recently, we were able to fund 13 permanent visiting
structures. We purchased and installed wooden gazebos that will allow ventilation and protection
from all weathers year round. Those staff teams have been busy decorating the gazebos to make
them look welcoming.
Thank You
Outlook Care welcomed, and thank local authorities and Commissioners we work with for, these
funds that have helped towards making our care homes and supported living environments
Covid-19 safe for our customers, staff and families.
11grapevine MARCH 2021 Goodbye Shelduck House Long before remote working became the norm for many people in the UK due to Coronavirus, Outlook Care had decided to promote remote working for all office based staff and had put plans in place a few years earlier. Little did we know how much an impact this decision would make when life changed dramatically for all of us in 2020. We made the strategic decision to move to a remote model of working which would mean decommissioning our head office, Shelduck House in Billericay. This decision was taken to reduce overhead costs to support the pay levels of our front line care and support workers. We started on this path back in 2019, and when Covid-19 hit we were able to mobilise to a fully remote model easily as we had been preparing in advance through changes in technology and ways of working. Hello Foxburrow Grange Our new registered office has changed premises from Shelduck House to Foxburrow Grange, our Nursing and Dementia Care Home in Colchester, pictured below. The full address is: Foxburrow Grange, Ypres Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 7NL. 12
grapevine MARCH 2021
One Year In - Kathy Davies
We were delighted to welcome Kathy Davies as our new
Director of Care and Support in February 2020.
Joining just as the pandemic was about to hit the UK
meant Kathy's induction was quicker and more intense
than usual, but Kathy hit the ground running and has
been instrumental in managing and supporting our care
services during Covid-19.
Kathy is a registered general nurse who has
worked within social care for just over thirty
years. She has held senior operational
positions in both Elderly care and Specialist
services within learning disability and mental Piotr Rejek, Outlook Care’s Chief Executive
health. said, ‘Kathy was the stand-out candidate
during a tough selection process where in
Kathy has a proven track record within the excess of 90 candidates applied.
care industry. She has sought to support
teams to have an efficient operational base Kathy has brought with her a passion and
from which to provide high quality care to drive in delivering quality services for our
customers, whilst building teams of like- customers; she has a proven record of
minded people who will deliver the quality accomplishment in her previous roles. Kathy
service expected from Outlook Care. shares the values of Outlook Care and I
couldn’t be happier with her performance to
Originally from Northern Ireland, Kathy also date.'
lived in Cardiff for a number of years, where
she met her husband and has two beautiful Kathy said, ‘It was such a privilege to be
daughters who were born in Cardiff, before selected for such an important role within
settling in East Anglia since 2001. Kathy Outlook Care. I have been impressed with the
enjoys frequent trips to both Northern Ireland positive approach to care and support within
and Wales and is also passionate about the organisation and I have been especially
running and has declared her positive proud of the way our staff have worked during
addiction for exercise! the pandemic.’
13grapevine MARCH 2021
Competition
Winner
Hands, Face, Space!
Towards the end of last year, some of our Services entered L&Q Living’s ‘Hands, Face,
Space!’ competition, where housing provider L&Q Living challenged different health and social
care providers to showcase how they are embedding UK Government guidance in the
properties managed on their behalf, particularly in how providers have managed hand
washing, face coverings and social distancing!
Ann Nunn, manager of four of our Learning Disability Services in Greenwich and Lewisham,
London, was keen to enter the competition to show how her Services had the most creative and
robust approach to ensuring the guidance was adhered to and submitted her entry.
Ann’s Services won the competition!
L&Q Living were impressed with Ann’s entry, which demonstrated how the team have been very
thorough in managing the environment to make it covid secure – from QR Track and Trace codes,
contactless gel dispensers and contactless thermometers on entering and leaving the building, to
polite reminders at reception on how to keep each other safe.
Ann’s entry showed how Ann and her team have been disinfecting areas with their fogger and
deep clean machines. Ann has provided a room for staff to change and store clothes before
starting their shift, so that the supported living environment becomes a dedicated ‘clean area’.
14grapevine MARCH 2021
Ann explained how wearing face masks throughout the working day is the new normal for staff,
along with gloves, aprons and goggles as needed, always being mindful of how this can affect the
people they support, so this is done in a respectful and safe way.
However, what stood out the most to the judges was Ann’s innovative ‘Remember My Face’ book,
where the team outlined how they were concerned how the experience of care and support for
their customers has changed considerably and how they have not seen staff members’ full faces
since March 2020.
The ‘Remember My Face’ book shows two photos of the individual staff members – one without a
mask and one with a mask so that customers can see both and identify that they are the same
person. This is especially important for customers with complex communication needs.
The book is not only to support customers to remember the person behind the mask and identify
them as the same person but to give customers the opportunity to see facial expressive emotion
that means so much and has been missing so long – the simple smile.
Customers at the service really enjoy looking at this book which, as well as informative, also
creates another interaction opportunity.
The judges at L&Q Living thought this was an amazing idea and thanked Ann for sharing the
exceptional work she and her staff are doing in ensuring customers and staff are kept safe at this
time.
"Congratulations to Outlook Care who have won the L&Q Living agency managed Hands Face
Space competition. We introduced the competition to celebrate the amazing work that is
happening at agency managed L&Q Living schemes.
We wanted to showcase the brilliant work that agencies are doing to prevent the spread of
Coronavirus and the submission that we received from Outlook demonstrates the fantastic work
that the team are doing." - Charlie Culshaw, Director L&Q Living
Well done to Ann and her team!
15grapevine MARCH 2021
Managing the Pandemic
This year has been difficult for everyone, particularly residents in care homes and Foxburrow
Grange, our nursing and dementia care home in Colchester, has been no different. Older
people are particularly vulnerable to the Coronavirus and we have been vigilant throughout
the pandemic in adhering to government guidelines and ensuring our residents are safe and
well cared for during this very difficult time.
Keeping people we support, their families, our Testing
staff and all stakeholders safe is our priority We continue to regularly test all residents
and shapes everything we do. and staff for Covid-19, enabling us to take
quick and decisive action as required
All working practices and our business model under Infection Protection Control
have been reviewed to ensure that wherever regulations.
feasible the risks of Covid-19 are recognised
and managed as safely as possible. Covid-Safe
We have been investing in Foxburrow
Vaccinations Grange to ensure that it is as Covid-safe
All residents have been offered a Covid-19 as possible.
vaccination and those who wished to receive a
vaccination have been given their first one. We have introduced
‘no-touch’ antibacterial
hand sanitisers
throughout the home;
temperature readers on
entry and bi-fold doors in
the hub to create smaller,
more secluded areas.
Visiting
We are looking forward to welcoming visitors
inside our home again following the We are also redecorating
announcement from the Government about each wing; all bedrooms
the new single named visitor scheme for care and communal areas;
homes which goes live on 8 March. This forms updating the kitchenettes
part of the roadmap to easing lockdown and installing new
restrictions in England, recently announced by flooring and doors.
the Prime Minister.
16grapevine MARCH 2021
Foxburrow
Grange
Activities and Keeping in Touch
Life at Foxburrow Grange has been We had Laughter Week,
continuing as normally as possible for our where staff dressed up in silly
residents during lockdown. With external costumes and we tried to
entertainers and visitors temporarily make everyone in the home
suspended, we increased our internal laugh as much as possible!
activities to make sure that residents were
not only well cared for but entertained!
Disney Day was great
Here’s a selection of what we've been up to:
fun. We decorated
the home with Disney
Catching up with Edinburgh Zoo via the live
props, staff dressed in
webcam; Arts and Crafts; flower arranging;
Disney outfits and we
resident parties to celebrate different national
had a party in the hub!
awareness days; music themed weeks; sending
letters home to keep in touch; rock decorating;
making paper poppies for Remembrance Day...
the list goes on!
We had a fantastic
fireworks display in
November which
residents loved.
Christmas included a
Panto, our Light Up
Foxburrow display and a
visit from staff on
Christmas Day.
17grapevine MARCH 2021
Foxburrow
Grange
Welcome Lola
Home Manager
Outlook Care was delighted to welcome Lola Richards as
Foxburrow Grange’s new home manager in August 2020.
To join a new organisation in the middle of a
pandemic and be the manager of a nursing
home where residents were extremely
vulnerable to the coronavirus was not an easy
feat, but Lola has taken the home from
strength to strength over the last few months.
Lola’s career in healthcare began in 2001 when In August 2020 she joined Outlook Care as
she took her first role as a support worker in interim Home Manager at Foxburrow Grange
domiciliary care. Lola didn’t expect to enjoy it where she said ‘we have lots of exciting things
as much as she did or to find it as fulfilling; it to look forward to’.
gave her a real sense of helping people.
Originally from West Sussex, where she met
Lola continued to work in the sector, taking on and married her husband (a soldier), Lola
many roles within care, from support worker, followed him with their twin sons on various
senior support worker and then Deputy postings including Germany and Northern
Manager. At this time she then moved into the Ireland before settling in Colchester in 2001.
training of the staff and covered a large region
of the country. Lola is known as the mad Schnauzer lady as
she has two very spoilt miniature schnauzers
In 2010, Lola became a Home Manager and who regularly come in to see the residents at
then progressed to Operations Manager. Foxburrow Grange.
CQC 2021 Report - GOOD
Foxburrow Grange has received its rating from the latest CQC report and we are proud to
announce that the home has achieved a GOOD rating. Please find the link below to our latest
report in full. https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-745165111. Well done to all!
18grapevine MARCH 2021
Thank You!
Thank You To Our Staff!
This has been a very challenging year for everyone, particularly for our staff who have
worked tirelessly to support those people we care for and we couldn't be prouder.
From our care assistants, support workers 'I'd just like to say although I have only joined
and nurses who have been at the frontline, to Outlook Care in January, it's nice to be
our team leaders and managers who have appreciated already. Thank you so much for the
been leading and motivating staff and to our gifts. They are lovely and will be enjoyed'
Corporate Services staff who have been
supporting our operational colleagues to
'I was so excited when I received the package
make sure they have everything they need to
from our team leader. She took the picture of me
do their jobs safely and effectively, we want to
and the package. I posted a video of my gift on
say a huge thank you for your hard work,
my Facebook page. That's how happy I was.'
dedication and commitment over the last 12
months.
'I want to say thank you for the present, it’s much
As a mark of the Board of Trustees and the
appreciated and our team leader made it more
Executive Management Team's gratitude, all
special by personalising our names on the bag.'
staff have been asked to choose a thank you
gift that will put a smile on their faces and/or
improve their wellbeing. 'It's nice to know that I am appreciated as a
member of staff at Outlook care.'
Some staff have already been in touch to let
us know their choices and how they feel about
receiving their gifts:
'Outlook Care demonstrate their show of
appreciation during this covid 19 pandemic by
preparing all staff with a thank you package,
which means a lot to me and it makes me want to
put in my best at work knowing full well that all my
work/ efforts are being appreciated by the
management.'
'We kindly received a small bottle of wine, a box
of lindor, chocolates and a scented candle'
Here's Selimot with her gift
19grapevine MARCH 2021 Outlook Care A life where every person is valued, included and empowered Registered Office Foxburrow Grange Care Home Ypres Road Colchester Essex CO2 7NL (sat nav postcode CO2 7UW) Our main office switchboard is open Monday - Friday 10.00am - 3.00pm Switchboard Tel: 01277 633163 outlookcare.org.uk @outlookcare Foxburrow Grange Tel: 01206 586900 foxburrowgrange.org.uk @foxburrowgrange
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