The Carer, 3, Carlton Mount, 2 Cranborne Road, Bournemouth (2026)

13/04/2026

Ripon Care Home Celebrates Anniversary of Veteran Friendly Status With Special Unveiling

A Ripon care home has celebrated the first anniversary of achieving Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status with a special party for residents, staff, and guests.

Sycamore Hall Care Home, on Kearsley Road, Ripon, marked the milestone with the official unveiling of a “Veteran Friendly Care Home” plaque outside the main entrance.

The plaque was unveiled by the Mayor of Ripon, Cllr Barbara Brodigan, in front of residents, staff and members of the local veteran community.

Guests included Paul Graham, secretary of the Royal British Legion in Ripon, Royal Engineers veteran Mike O’Reilley, and Jules Walker, VFF support project officer for Royal Star & Garter.

The celebration was also attended by Sycamore Hall’s own elderly veterans and veteran champions, including residents Peter Holdsworth, aged 76, and Ian Newby, aged 88.

Paul Graham said: “It’s great to have more veteran friendly homes which have a full understanding of the needs that veterans can have, especially those who have seen combat.

“Trust is incredibly important to veterans and the trust that those caring for them have understanding of their experiences goes a long way.”

Mike O’Reilley added: “Ripon has always been a military town at heart. Many people came for service and stayed here because of the community spirit. It’s great to see Sycamore Hall embracing and building on that spirit with their veteran work.”

Ewelina Sosnowska, home manager of Sycamore Hall Care Home, said: “It is great to have the support of the veteran community. The VFF has taken a lot of work from our fantastic team, especially Kay, Jill and those who supported the project. It means a lot to the residents, especially those who are veterans.

“We were delighted to see such a great turnout for the celebration and we look forward to welcoming more veterans to Sycamore Hall, assured that we can give them the understanding and support they deserve.”

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A Ripon care home has celebrated the first anniversary of achieving Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status with a special party for residents, staff, and

13/04/2026

New International Standard Launched For Social Care

A new international standard aimed at transforming how care quality for older people is defined and measured, has been launched.

Published by the International Organization for Standardization on 31 March 2026, ISO 25557:2026, Ageing societies: Care quality for older persons at home and in care facilities, sets out a globally agreed framework for assessing care quality across both residential services and care delivered in people’s own homes.

The standard is intended to provide a clearer, more measurable basis for assessing quality, covering areas including person-centred care, safety and safeguarding, effectiveness, workforce capability, governance, continuous improvement and the use of data. It is designed for use across the sector by care providers, inspection and assurance bodies, commissioners, regulators and other stakeholders.

Its publication marks an important moment for adult social care, providing an internationally agreed benchmark at a time when providers and wider stakeholders are under growing pressure to demonstrate quality in a more consistent, evidence-based and defensible way.

The development of ISO 25557:2026 was led by Dr Kevin Groombridge, chief executive of Care Inspections UK, who served as project leader and worked with experts from around the world to help shape the final standard. The drafting process also drew on significant UK expertise in regulation, inspection, clinical governance and service delivery.

Dr Kevin Groombridge, said: “The publication of ISO 25557:2026 is an important step for the care sector because it brings much greater clarity to what quality actually looks like in practice.

“For too long, too much has depended on regulatory inspection alone. Regulation has an essential role, but it is primarily there to check whether minimum requirements are being met. That is not the same as a rigorous inspection model built around evidence, improvement and the delivery of the best possible outcomes for older people.

“This standard helps create a clearer and more consistent framework for assessing care quality across both care homes and care delivered at home. It gives providers, assurance bodies and wider stakeholders a benchmark that is measurable, evidence-based and internationally recognised.

“For organisations such as Care Inspections UK, first accredited by UKAS in 2016, it strengthens the case for inspection and assurance that goes beyond periodic check-ups and focuses instead on continuous improvement, accountability and better care.

“This should help move the sector towards a more consistent and more mature approach to quality, one rooted in evidence, structured assessment and a clearer understanding of what good care should deliver for older people and their families.”

Care Inspections UK will use the standard to help further strengthen its accredited inspection methodology, supporting providers, commissioners and other stakeholders with clearer, more reliable evidence of quality in practice.

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A new international standard aimed at transforming how care quality for older people is defined and measured, has been launched.

13/04/2026

Care Home Workers Run For Charity

Staff at Bayleaf Care Home in Huntingdon have taken part in a sponsored fun run to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.

The Huntingdon 5k Inflatable Run took place at Huntingdon Racecourse on Saturday 11th April and after weeks of preparation and training, the team from Bayleaf, lead by General Manager, Katie Wilkinson passed the challenge with flying colours.

Katie Wilkinson, General Manager at Bayleaf Care Home, said: “Taking part in this challenge has been a huge amount of fun and everyone at the home has been behind us all the way. It’s for such an important cause. I’m very glad to be able to do my bit to raise further awareness and money for the charity.”

The Bayleaf Care Home team raised a grand total of £195 by completing the challenge, which will be donated to Parkinson’s UK.

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Staff at Bayleaf Care Home in Huntingdon have taken part in a sponsored fun run to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.

13/04/2026

NHS Experts Deployed To Tackle Corridor Care

NHS leaders in trusts with the highest levels of corridor care are getting specialised and tailored support as part of plans to eradicate corridor care by the end of this Parliament.
Expert teams are being deployed to the most affected hospitals, providing bespoke clinical support to leadership staff, as early data shows the majority of corridor care is concentrated in a small number of NHS trusts.

The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) team are supporting leaders in the most affected hospitals to learn from those NHS trusts which have already made significant inroads into reducing corridor care this year – all at a time when significant progress is being made across urgent and emergency care, including the shortest A&E waiting times in four years and ambulance response times the fastest for half a decade despite record demand.

The specialist GIRFT teams provide tailored support to each hospital – including identifying how to improve discharge and flow, helping trusts to better understand their own data so they can improve predicting when surges in demand may appear and supporting clinical leaders in improved decision making.

Alongside introducing a new, measurable definition of corridor care, the targeted support is the latest in a series of steps the government is taking to drive urgent improvements and show it is serious about delivering for patients.

To further tackle pressures in busy hospital departments, the government can now confirm the locations for 40 new and expanded urgent care sites across England.

The programme, backed by £215.5 million, includes 10 new urgent treatment centres (UTCs), four expanded UTCs, five new same day emergency care (SDEC) services and 21 expanded SDECs, providing a significant increase in frontline capacity.

This will help ease pressure on A&E departments by ensuring more patients are treated in the right setting. Reducing waiting times and improving patient flow through hospitals to tackle corridor care.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: For too long, the normalisation of corridor care has been baked into our NHS – it’s unacceptable, undignified and exactly why this government is shifting the dial for patients and staff.

“We’re sending in specialist teams of experts to identify the causes in some of the worst offending trusts and swiftly rectify the problems they find.

“That, plus new and expanded urgent care centres will mean patients are treated more quickly and in the right place, while easing pressure on busy A&Es to care for the most serious cases.

“We are cutting waiting times and moving away from unacceptable corridor care, building an NHS that treats patients with dignity.

After the NHS performed significantly better this winter, we are going further to strengthen services and build a system fit for the future, backed by record investment.

Despite corridor care continuing to affect a number of NHS hospitals, there are already green shoots of recovery. For example, at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, where corridors are now clear of patients that were full during the peak of winter, as a result of improving flow and stronger working between Urgent and Primary Care Services.

A new initial assessment process was introduced, reducing the waiting times by 37 minutes and increasing access to a senior decision makers to ensure patients are being seen in the right place. The frailty Same Day Emergency Care Centre is also helping reduce the number of older patients being cared for in corridors, with multi-disciplinary teams focused on offering rapid, comprehensive assessment and intensive support so patients leave hospital as quickly and safely as possible.

NHS England published clear a definition of corridor care for the first time last month to allow trusts to begin collecting data, which will be published from May.

It has also outlined its ‘model emergency department’ – a blueprint for how services should operate from this year. This will involve more assessments and triage by senior clinicians earlier, allowing patients to be cared for away from busy A&Es where appropriate.

Alongside this, to tackle discharge delays, we are joining up NHS and social care through Neighbourhood Health Teams - so more people can get the care they need at home - and backing adult social care with a £4.6 billion funding boost.

Chris McCann, Acting Chief Executive of Healthwatch England said: “We welcome the support that’s being given by specialist teams to trusts facing acute corridor care pressures.
We hope this will address the evidence we shared, along with nursing leaders, of distressing patient and staff experiences earlier this year.

“Even one case of corridor care is one too many. It is vital that every NHS trust in England commits to preventing or ending corridor care, and that the public can see where progress is being made. The new, regular data due to be published from next month about th…

NHS leaders in trusts with the highest levels of corridor care are getting specialised and tailored support as part of plans to eradicate corridor care by the

10/04/2026

Hospitable Automation

Hospitable Automation are providing robots to the everyday business. With over 25 years in IT and support, robotics is our next stage. Robotics is not about replacing people, cobotics is the new term where the units are used to assist staff with their daily tasks. Freeing up their time to focus on other jobs. Our floor cleaning robots can cover up to 2,500m2 in one hour. This frees up staff to concentrate on high traffic areas, touch points to be disinfected, bathrooms, tabletops. Utilising robotics increases staff efficiency, increases hygiene levels.

We are not sales company, we build a partnership. From delivery of the robot, installation, staff training, creating the automated tasks, providing go-live support. Then we carry out the support, engineer site visits, yearly on-site service and warranty. From £75 per week + VAT

Our range includes heavy load robots that can carry up to 300Kg to multiple points. Our floor cleaning robots can sweep, mop, scrub and vacuum. They can also dock automatically, to empty the dirty water and refill with fresh water.

Please contact us today for additional information, a free on site demo of the correct units.

Paul Morrey - Director
info@hospitableautomation.co.uk
0333 311 1900

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Hospitable Automation are providing robots to the everyday business. With over 25 years in IT and support, robotics is our next stage. Robotics is not about

10/04/2026

Regional Service User Ambassadors at Exemplar Health Care Recognised with Leadership Award

Exemplar Health Care has recognised two of its Regional Service User Ambassadors with a new award, celebrating their outstanding contribution to shaping service user engagement across the provider’s 60 homes.

Adam, who lives at Greenside Court in Rotherham, and Alex, who lives at Maypole Grove in Birmingham, received the award in recognition of the leadership role they have played through Exemplar Health Care’s Service User Council, helping to ensure residents’ voices are heard at every level of the organisation.

As Exemplar Health Care’s first Regional Service User Ambassadors, Adam and Alex have helped create, define, and develop the role since its inception. Acting as an important, trusted link between residents and senior leaders, they help to share impactful feedback, insights, and ideas from across all homes.

Adam is one of Exemplar Health Care’s longest-serving Service User Ambassadors, with eight years’ experience supporting the council’s work. Alex is also a long-standing Ambassador and worked alongside Adam and Sophia Feurtado-Jackson, Exemplar Health Care’s Service User Engagement Manager, to co-create the Regional Ambassador role.

Reflecting on their achievement, Adam, Regional Service User Ambassador, said:

“Being Regional Service User Ambassadors has given us a real opportunity to make sure residents’ voices are properly heard at every level. It means a lot to be recognised alongside Alex for this award, and I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved together through the Service User Council.”

Both Ambassadors have also represented Exemplar Health Care externally, presenting at sector events including Nursing Live, as well as playing a key role in regular ‘Audience with the Exec’ meetings. These sessions, developed through the Service User Council, provide a platform for residents to share feedback directly with Exemplar Health Care’s senior leadership team.

Last week, Adam and Alex were involved in Sheffield Hallam University’s ‘Simulation Day’ for first year students on their Nursing (Learning Disability) and Social Work course, alongside several Exemplar Health Care nursing colleagues.

They supported a number of activities throughout the day, including a role play activity where students had to support an admission into a care home, gathering information from the individual to inform their care. They also shared their life stories and experiences of living in a care home, and supported a Q&A session about social care nursing.

Sophia, Service User Engagement Manager at Exemplar Health Care, said: “This award recognises our first Regional Service User Ambassadors, who have truly led the way in strengthening and shaping our service user engagement strategy. They have represented Ambassadors from across all regions with integrity and passion, acting as a clear and trusted voice by summarising insights and providing meaningful feedback to our senior leadership team.

“Their influence is widely felt. They are admired by peers, have made a real impact on colleagues and residents alike, and exemplify what leadership through collaboration looks like. I am incredibly proud to celebrate their achievements.”

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Exemplar Health Care has recognised two of its Regional Service User Ambassadors with a new award, celebrating their outstanding contribution to shaping

10/04/2026

CQC Outlines Updated Assessment Approach for Local Authorities

Following government approval, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published details of its updated approach to assessing how local authorities in England meet their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014.

The revised framework is designed to support local authorities in understanding how their performance in delivering adult social care will continue to be evaluated. The update reflects learning gathered during the CQC’s baselining programme, alongside feedback from partners and stakeholders across the sector.

The CQC has confirmed it will continue to assess local authorities against nine quality statements, grouped across four key themes. These statements are now supported by clearer “rating characteristics”, outlining what effective care, support, leadership and governance should look like at each judgement level within the framework.

A notable development in the updated approach is a stronger emphasis on the experiences and needs of unpaid carers. The CQC has stated that issues affecting unpaid carers will now carry greater weight in assessment activity, judgements and reporting.

The regulator is introducing a more flexible and responsive model of assessment. This will include both comprehensive and focused assessments, depending on local circumstances. In addition, the CQC will use its independent voice to highlight trends, emerging issues, examples of good practice, and the lived experiences of people receiving care.

As part of this shift, the CQC will introduce regular Local Authority Assurance Meetings. These are intended to provide deeper insight into how councils are delivering their adult social care responsibilities and the impact on outcomes for individuals and unpaid carers.

The updated approach also includes a number of operational improvements. The information return issued at the start of a comprehensive assessment has been revised, while enhancements have been made to case tracking processes. The CQC is also introducing case sampling, following a successful pilot during the baselining phase.

Further developments are underway in collaboration with sector partners. These include improvements to communication during and after site visits, strengthened quality assurance and factual accuracy checks, and updates to reporting templates. The CQC has indicated that additional details on these enhancements will be published in due course.

The regulator has confirmed that it will begin issuing the first notifications and information returns to local authorities later this spring, marking the start of the next phase of its assurance programme.

The updated approach signals the CQC’s continued focus on transparency, consistency and the inclusion of stakeholder feedback, with particular attention to improving outcomes for people receiving care and those who support them.

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Following government approval, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published details of its updated approach to assessing how local authorities in England

10/04/2026

Derbyshire Care Home Showcases Spring Activity Programme With Themed Events And Community Celebrations

A Derbyshire Care Home has showcased its diverse spring activity programme through a series of themed events and community-focused celebrations.

The schedule at Coxbench Hall Residential Care Home is designed to provide a variety of social and nutritional experiences for residents. The recent series of events began with British Pie Week, during which the home’s catering team adjusted the menus to feature a different handcrafted pie each week, including Pork Pie and Banoffee Pie, celebrating traditional British cuisine.

The seasonal programme continued with a Mother’s Day brunch held on March 15. The event featured a continental spread with a platter of pastries and families were invited to join residents at individual tables for the morning.

Following this, the home observed Nutrition and Hydration Week from March 16 to 22 with a series of interactive health-focused activities. These included smoothie-making sessions, the preparation of mocktails to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, and a sensory game where residents identified different fruits and vegetables.

The home hosted an Oscars-themed dinner, which saw the home decorated in the style of a Hollywood awards ceremony. Staff and residents were encouraged to dress in formal attire for the evening and every resident was presented with a mini Oscar award at their place setting as a personal memento. The event concluded with an afternoon of live entertainment provided by vocalist Sarah Bright.

In addition to these themed events, the home maintained its tradition of celebrating personal milestones with a monthly birthday party. The residents honoured recently were Elizabeth Clarke, Marion Lightbrown and Jo Lees.

On March 31st, a Baby and Toddler Day, an initiative aimed at bringing different generations together within the home environment.
April's calendar is packed with spring events, including a performance from Foot Fusion School of Dance, a Disney-themed dinner for residents and a visit from the mobile petting zoo.

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A Derbyshire Care Home has showcased its diverse spring activity programme through a series of themed events and community-focused celebrations.

10/04/2026

Constantia Healthcare Group Appoints Kathryn Dee as Acting Chief Operating Officer

Constantia Healthcare Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathryn Dee as Acting Chief Operating Officer, marking an exciting step forward for the organisation as it continues to strengthen its leadership team and operational excellence across its services.

Kathryn brings a wealth of experience in healthcare leadership, with a proven track record of driving quality, improving service delivery, and supporting teams to achieve outstanding outcomes. Her appointment reflects Constantia’s commitment to maintaining high standards of care while continuing to grow and evolve within the sector.

In her new role, Kathryn will oversee day-to-day operations across the group, working closely with senior leaders and frontline teams to ensure consistency, compliance, and innovation remain at the heart of service delivery. She will also play a key role in supporting ongoing strategic initiatives and enhancing organisational performance.

Speaking on the appointment, Emily Whitehurst, CEO at Constantia Healthcare Group, said: “I am pleased to welcome Kathryn into this role. As a Registered Nurse, she brings both strong clinical expertise and proven leadership, which will be instrumental in strengthening the quality, safety, and consistency of care across our services.

Kathryn’s appointment reflects our continued investment in experienced, values-led leadership, ensuring we have the right capability in place to support our homes and teams to deliver consistently exceptional care. It also marks a natural progression in our leadership structure, enabling clear focus at both operational and strategic levels.

I am committed to supporting Kathryn’s ongoing development within the organisation and am confident she will make a meaningful and lasting impact as we continue to build on our strong foundations.”

Kathryn Dee added: “I’m truly honoured to step into the role of Chief Operating Officer at Constantia Healthcare Group. I am very passionate about building a positive working environment for our teams. As a Registered Nurse, my purpose has always been to deliver outstanding clinical care, however, this new opportunity allows me to extend that impact even further, helping to shape an environment where compassion guides every decision, our teams feel empowered and supported, and every person in our care experiences not just care, but genuine kindness, dignity, and respect.”

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Constantia Healthcare Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathryn Dee as Acting Chief Operating Officer, marking an exciting step forward for the

10/04/2026

Sixteen Global Innovators Selected To Tackle Real Health And Care Challenges In The Isle Of Man

Health and social care systems worldwide are undergoing rapid transformation as they contend with rising demand, persistent workforce shortages and increasingly complex care needs. The Isle of Man is no exception. Like many jurisdictions, it is seeking practical, scalable solutions that can deliver meaningful improvements for patients, residents and the wider community.

In response, the Island has positioned itself as a testbed for innovation, offering a uniquely agile environment in which new ideas can be trialled and implemented in real-world settings.

This approach underpins its annual Innovation Challenge, now in its fourth year, which has attracted a record level of global interest. Sixteen finalists have been selected from 125 submissions across 25 countries—drawn from 467 initial registrations—with entries rigorously assessed by frontline health and care professionals for their potential to meet genuine system needs.

The Challenge is led by Digital Isle of Man and the Department for Enterprise, and delivered in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, Manx Care and Public Health Isle of Man.

The finalists are developing solutions spanning AI-powered clinical tools, digital platforms, preventative health technologies and community-based care models, reflecting both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity to deliver meaningful impact.

The high calibre and diversity of this year’s cohort reflects the strength of innovation emerging globally to support the future of health and care.

Over the next ten weeks, finalists will take part in an intensive contextualisation programme, working in collaboration with healthcare stakeholders to refine and adapt their solutions through workshops, expert input and real-world Island insight.

They will receive tailored one-to-one mentoring from clinicians and care providers, alongside support from the Island’s tech and business community, with opportunities to connect with local organisations as they develop their solutions ahead of the Finale Day in June.

The programme will culminate in a live Finale Day on 25 June 2026, where finalists will present their solutions to a panel of expert judges, industry leaders and healthcare professionals.

Awards will be presented across three core themes: Working Smarter, Wellness and Home First, alongside a dedicated Biosphere Award.

Claire Christian MHK, Minister for Health and Social Care, said: ‘The calibre of this year’s finalists is exceptionally high and underlines the Isle of Man’s growing position as a centre for health innovation.

‘Through the Innovation Challenge, we are taking a proactive and practical leadership role in bringing together government, clinicians and global innovators to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our health and social care system.

‘By testing these solutions in a real-world environment, we are ensuring that innovation is translated into meaningful impact, both for our Island and beyond.
‘I look forward to seeing the breadth of ideas and talent showcased by this year’s cohort at the Finale Day and the impact they will go on to deliver.’

Lyle Wraxall, Chief Executive of Digital Isle of Man, said: ‘This year’s response has been exceptional, not just in volume, but in the quality and ambition of ideas coming forward.

‘We’re seeing a global recognition that health and social care systems need to evolve rapidly, and that innovation must be grounded in real-world application.
‘The Innovation Challenge provides a unique platform to do exactly that, bringing together innovators and system leaders to co-create solutions that can genuinely improve lives.’

Read More:

Health and social care systems worldwide are undergoing rapid transformation as they contend with rising demand, persistent workforce shortages and

09/04/2026

Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection

Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem.

As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology.

Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%.

For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags.

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.

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Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace

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