The STOMP pledge (Stopping the Over-Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both) has been introduced in a drive to stop the over-reliance on antipsychotic and antidepressant medications to treat ‘problem’ behaviours. Care homes are being urged to sign the pledge and move to positive behavioural approaches, as an alternative to medication, ensuring …
An employment tribunal has ruled that care workers who sleep in at a service user’s home are now entitled to be paid the national minimum wage (NMW) for all hours worked, including the hours spent asleep. This decision will heavily impact on the social care sector, with wage costs likely to increase for many providers, …
The consultancy firm, FRP Advisory, have been reviewing numbers released at the end of April by the Government’s Insolvency Service. Analysts have found that the number of care home insolvencies have been steadily rising each year, with no less than 75 care home business failing last year and 421 having gone bust since 2010. Care …
Government figures show record rise in number of care homes going insolvent Read More »
Due to cuts from local authorities in their contributions for residents and costs, particularly staff overheads, on the rise, care homes are under immense pressure and a record number of businesses failed last year as a result. New government figures show that 75 care home businesses were declared insolvent in 2016, up from 74 in …
Financial pressure on social care in Britain takes its toll Read More »
Last October London Fire Brigade changed their view on smoking in care homes after no less than 120 care homes caught fire accidentally in London in 2016. They now recommend that smoking should not take place at all in care homes, whilst previously they advised smoking took place on premises ‘as safely as possible’. The …
Questions over whether residents of care homes should be allowed to smoke Read More »
MPs from the Health Select Committee have said morale among health and care workers from the EU has been hit by the uncertainty of Brexit. In response to this warning, nurses and care workers have been speaking to carehome.co.uk about their feelings of “anger and betrayal”. Theresa May has refused to guarantee the rights of …
Nurses and care workers speak of ‘anger and betrayal’ after MPs find moral hit by Brexit Read More »
Research by Macmillan Cancer Support shows although 1% of cancer patients say they would prefer to die in hospital, only 38% do. This equates to 62,000 people a year across the UK. Reasons for this are due to a lack of health services outside hospitals, such as district nurses, to support people in their homes …
Research shows thousands of cancer patients denied wish to die at home Read More »
With the forthcoming elections approaching, public bodies, such as the CQC, are having to respect a ‘pre-election period’, which places certain short-term restrictions on what they’re allowed to publish and announce in the period before an election. CQC will not be publishing any new national reports during the pre-election period (13 April 2017 – 4 …
Impact of forthcoming elections on CQC and their duties Read More »
In the past month, CQC has published over 100 reports on the quality of care provided by GP practices that have been inspected by specialist teams of inspectors. All of England’s GP practices are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, under CQC’s new programme of inspections. …
Care home residents and their friends and families have rated care homes across the UK, giving their top 20 for each region. The reviews were based on the overall standard of a care home, ratings on nutrition, staff, whether they are treated with dignity, value for money and the facilities. Carehome.co.uk collated the reviews and …
Care home residents pick their top UK care homes Read More »
Ridouts is a team of specialist health and social care lawyers, providing dedicated legal advice for care homes, GP practices, children’s homes, dental practices, domiciliary and home care agencies, supported and independent living services and both private and NHS hospitals.
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