Redcroft’s registered manager and team created an entire cookery book in Braille, as featured here on our blog. Working with an individual for whom cookery is a loved pastime, all of her favourite recipes are now fully accessible to her in her own Braille cook books!

The Daily Echo said of the awards, “Now in their third year, The Daily Echo Proud to Care Awards are an amazing opportunity for our readers to tell us about all those locally that are doing a fantastic job in care, both paid and unpaid. The judges were very moved by the stories they read in the hundreds of nominations received and found it very difficult to choose who to shortlist and the final winners.”

Sharron Eyears, registered manager at Redcroft, told us “I collected the Proud To Care Award For Innovation on behalf of Redcroft.” She added, “I am so proud to be the leader of such an outstanding, dedicated and caring staff team who go the extra mile without thinking about it.”

Also a finalist in the awards for the ‘Carer Award’ was Dawn Salmon of Apple House care home. Dawn’s nominees, family members of people she supports, submitted wonderful commendations about Dawn including: “Dawn gives 200% to the service her colleagues and the people she supports and is so deserving of this wonderful recognition as an award finalist.”

Last Friday, at the prestigious National Learning Disability and Autism Awards at the ICC in Birmingham, Apple House’s managing director, Jane Montrose, won the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Social Care’ award for England and Scotland. 

The National Learning Disabilities & Autism Awards celebrate excellence in the support for people with learning disabilities and aim to pay tribute to those individuals or organisations who excel in providing quality care.

Judges said: “Jane is impressive both on paper and in person. What shone through was her compassion and passion for her business and supporting the vulnerable people in her homes. She has the perfect blend of qualities that we look for in a provider: Behaviour, strategy, experience and commercial acumen. A clear winner.”

Jane said of her win, ‘I am so honoured to have won this award and pay tribute to my incredible team, fellow directors, Romaine and Guy, and office manager, Sarah-Jane, and Jayne, without whom I could never have achieved my dream to create Apple House. I am proud of everyone who works and lives in an Apple House care home. Congratulations to all winners and finalists of the awards announced on Friday!’

“It’s been a great experience being part of the whole process for the Venus Awards. Not only did I meet such inspiring women during the the months leading up to the final who were also nominated, I was introduced to our fabulous sponsors and judges. If you know of someone that you would wish to nominate then I would highly recommend that you keep updated with the Venus website and put them forward when there are the nominations in your area.

To win was such an honour and a surprise considering the amazing women I was in the final with. I would like to say that I couldn’t carry out the work that I do without the tremendous support of my fellow director Jane Montrose, who is herself a former winner of a converted Venus Award of ‘Inspirational Woman of the year.’ Also key to keeping our head office running is Sarah-Jane who’s organisational planning there keeps Jane and I pointing in the right direction!

I am delighted in becoming the Director of the Year 2017 for my area and am looking forward to the National Finals in the summer of 2018!”

–Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations, Apple House care homes.

Mr. Anthony Marshall of Marshall Financial Solutions had the very difficult task of judging this category and narrowing the nominations down to just three finalists.  We are thrilled that he chose Romaine to win the prestigious award of Director of The Year.  The photo above shows Romaine collecting her award from Anthony at the Bournemouth International Centre last Thursday.

The Venus Awards were founded by Tara Howard, to celebrate the achievements of women in business. Venus have now grown to cover much of the country including London. 

Marshall Financial Solutions are an experienced insurance and mortgage broker, driven by excellent customer service.

Romaine’s fabulous glass trophy will now take pride of place in our HQ offices!

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“Paying for sleep-ins at an hourly rate means that the sector is faced with a real and potentially overwhelming funding crisis.” — Mencap, July 2017

Apple House, as a responsible employer, has been paying its sleep duty staff the NLW since its introduction.  This had a huge impact on our staffing budget.  We, like most providers, see scant if any increases in fees in spite of the introduction of compulsory pension schemes and a further hike in the NLW this April.  So, while employment costs spiral, fee increases are not forthcoming from local authority funders while inflation soared and led to, in real terms, a reduction in fees in comparison to escalating costs.  Surely a recipe for disaster…an economic ticking bomb?

Local authorities are struggling too! Their pot of money is finite and already allocated to meeting the essential needs under a duty of care.  

A report by The Independent this month stated, ‘Uk on brink of social care crisis, Government warned.’ Although the article focuses on care of the elderly, its stark warning has been echoed across all corners of social care including learning disability care provision.

Whilst this blog post isn’t a political rant, I think we all see that funding for social care in the UK has to be increased, ring fenced, targeted to the front line if a real crisis is to be averted and the most vulnerable in our society are to be respected, supported, protected, empowered.

So, what’s the real situation with funding sleep duty, with rightfully paying staff the NLW?

Good question!  At a providers’ forum I attended some months ago, approximately 60-70% of care providers stated they were not paying the NLW hourly rate for sleep duty.  They continued to use the old model of paying a fixed wage to night staff for the sleep element of their shift.  Ah ha! some exclaimed, Be careful! It’s only a matter of time before you’re hauled before a tribunal and forced to back-pay those sleep staff. Humph! replied some.  We’re not paying people by the hour to sleep!  I listened and felt rather relieved that we had taken it upon ourselves to bite the bullet, to pay by the hour right from the get-go.  Yes, it was painful, but to us it seemed logical and fair and right.

Now, those tribunals have started.  Care providers are facing an HMRC crack-down, are being told to pay up to six years back pay.  Mencap are calling for HMRC to hold a stay of execution, for a definitive answer on the whole issue of sleep-in pay.  Meanwhile, what of agencies, of care homes and domiciliary care? What of Grandpa’s sleep-in support worker, your neighbour’s sleep-in support worker, of the workers who sleep-in to keep people safe and cared for, to assist their independence and aid wellbeing…at night in care homes, nursing homes, our parents’ homes? 

What happens to that tier of critical support if the cost of sleep duty increases exponentially while there is no additional funding available to pay for it?  What becomes of the rights of the disabled who are seemingly adrift amidst this brewing storm that everyone is warning is inevitable?

“Already chronically-underfunded care providers and local authorities have to find additional money that simply isn’t there currently.” — Mencap, July 2017

What can we do?

Share share share on social media.  Raise awareness of the impending crisis and please do support Mencap’s initiative to have a stay of execution for social care providers who haven’t been paying the NLW for sleep duty, who face crippling back-pay costs which could lead to home closures.  Lobby your MP so that there is an inquiry that will lead to a definitive decision on sleep duty pay and additional funding for social care.

And, to end on a positive note, let’s not forget all the wonderful and dedicated support workers who work the sleep duty: Thank you!  

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director

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With warmest regards,

Jane, Romaine, and the management team at Apple House care homes.

We are getting our festive groove on! This photograph showcases the Christmas creativity of J and M alongside Jayne, registered manager at our cosy Bournemouth home, Apple House.

“Redcroft is a wonderful building.  Its history is as colourful as the paintings that adorn its walls.  It’s been a family home, a doctor’s surgery.  Dating back to the start of the last century, it retains a charm that is inherent in buildings of its age.  We were determined, when we bought the house many years ago, to keep all of the features that made it so unique.  There are servants bells scattered around the house.  I have tried to ring for a cup of tea, to no avail

“There is something magical about the grand staircase and original bannister at Redcroft.  It’s easy to imagine the lady of the house sweeping down, dressed for dinner.  But, it’s like painting the Eiffel Tower – as soon as you finish, it needs doing again!  Maintenance is always ongoing and in keeping with the character of the house as far as practicably possible.  This week sees the replacement of two windows with new.  It really pains me to see the old ripped out but bees made an annual pilgrimage through gaps in the old.  Doubtless tons of honey will stay locked in the rafters for years to come.  There is more work to do but we are so proud of this wonderful home that we will do it carefully, sympathetically and always with a sense of fun.” –– Jane Montrose, Managing Director.