Rytebridge Healthcare

When you’re recruiting, you want to hire your people. These are individuals who understand your care culture and share the same enthusiasm about care. To do that, you need to switch to value-based recruitment. How to make value-based recruitment work: 1) Talk about what matters In interviews, talk about more than just their care experience. Discuss what motivates your candidate, what they value in their work, and how they handle various situations. 2) Look for the ‘spark’ Keep an eye out for those lightbulb moments in an interview—when a candidate’s eyes light up talking about a particular experience or a challenge they overcame. It will tell you a lot about what drives them. 3) Keep it real Give candidates a real taste of day-to-day work life. Sometimes, that means having them meet with potential teammates or even shadow part of the job. Make sure it’s a fit from both sides. Value-based recruitment is about finding people who have the right skills and whose personal values align with your work culture. These types of hires fit right in–and they stick around.

Since global travel and work restrictions eased up, now is the time to reach out across borders to find skilled care professionals who can tackle staffing challenges. But why should you consider international recruits? - People from abroad bring fresh perspectives - You can recruit to match the cultural and language needs of residents - Helps keep you meet adult social care demands And if you’re worried about the bureaucracy and red tape, you can partner with adult social care agencies like us who can help you access pre-screened international talent. Interested? Contact: https://lnkd.in/ePpjweE2

The latest ‘state of health care and adult social care’ report from the Care Quality Commission provides a comprehensive overview of the health care and social care sectors in England for the year 2023/24. Key adult social care findings include: 1) Demand vs supply The demand for social care is rising, particularly for individuals being discharged from hospitals, but the supply of services hasn't kept up. This mismatch has led to an increase in the number of unmet requests for care. Specifically, the number of new requests for local authority adult social care support that did not result in any service provision jumped by 27% from 2017/18 to 2022/23. 2) Discharge delays In April 2024, nearly 45% of the delays in discharging patients from acute hospitals were due to waiting for care home beds or home-based care, affecting nearly 4,000 individuals daily. Regions like the North East and Yorkshire experienced the highest proportions of these delays. 3) Staffing issues Despite a decrease in staff vacancies to 5.4%—the lowest in three years—there has been a significant drop in international recruitment, with an 81% decrease in health and care worker visa applications from April to July 2024 compared to the previous year. 4) Modern Slavery concerns There were 106 referrals to partner agencies regarding concerns about modern slavery and labour exploitation in the social care sector in 2023/24, nearly triple the number from the previous year. 5) Regional disparities The North East region had the fewest homecare services per capita, while London saw the most delays in hospital discharges due to a lack of care home beds. Despite these challenges, the report highlights that high-performing adult social care providers continue to prioritise person-centered care, making a positive impact on the lives of those they serve. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/e3FrBGaC

Two million older adults in the England are living with at least one need unmet by the social care system. Why? Because the system is not ready to support an ageing population. Even if the current cohort of social care workers up and down the country do their best (and they are), the data shows there is simply not enough support to care for all older people adequately. The solution lies in: - More funding - Preventative care If immediate cash injections are not possible, the report suggests putting in early intervention measures that promote preventative care and eliminate emergency hospital admissions. This could be through exercise. Programmes like ‘We are Undefeatable’ promote a safe level of physical activity for older people and those with physical health conditions. But ultimately, real change will come from a comprehensive social care reform plan and its implementation within 18 months. See Age UK’s recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/eGTn_YyJ

By 2040, we will need over 500,000 new adult social care posts to manage the increasingly growing population of older adults. To deal with 2040 demand, work needs to be put in now. Here’s what’s being done: The Employment Rights Bill (if passed) proposes the creation of an Adult Social Care Negotiating Body tasked with setting standardised pay, terms, and conditions for social care workers in England. Key aspects of the bill include: The formation of a negotiating body consisting of unions and employers that will establish binding agreements on employment standards. The elimination of "exploitative" zero-hour contracts, introducing requirements for reasonable shift notice and compensation for shift cancellations. Making statutory sick pay available from the first day of absence. But there are challenges to implementing the Bill: Funding question marks remain. Can state-funded social care organisations cover the cost of the improvements proposed by the bill? Zero contract and sick pay changes will require careful planning and resources to be effectively implemented. Care providers may face difficulties adjusting to these new requirements quickly, especially those already under financial pressure. The overall vision of the Employment Rights Bill is to enhance employment conditions for social care workers in England, with a view to retaining existing staff and attracting new staff to the profession by offering job security promises, better pay and working conditions. https://lnkd.in/eCE2m83d

On average it takes the care sector 1,824 hours to make a hire. This is because: - There’s not enough resources to take on recruitment projects - It’s a manual and labour-intensive process Then there’s the issue of: - Poor quality of applicants - Interview no-shows Can high-quality care wait over 1,000 hours? This is where specialised adult social care agencies can fill the gap. Call us and we can discuss how we can help with your requirements: 0203 8873 812

Should success at a care home be determined by how little they rely on agencies? It’s not realistic. Here’s why: Adult social care UK faces a 29% staff turnover rate. That’s double the average across all industries. There are many factors driving this: 1. Staff pay in care sector is not attractive 2. A sizeable portion of the new joiners see care sector as a stop-gap option and not a long term 3. The values attached to looking after our elderly population is slowly being eroded Nearly every UK care home will be pinched by the above issues making adult social care agencies an integral part of the care sector. We can: 1. Fill staffing demands quickly. 2. Take away the weekly headache of looking for staff, check availabilities, manage gaps/bookings, follow ups, reminders, manage last minute cancellations due to emergencies etc. Our involvement allows care professionals to focus on care delivery instead of trying to be staffing/recruiting experts. 3. Provide pre-screened and competent care staff. 4. Ensure compliance including DBS, references, right-to-work, training are all in place. We manage these compliance requirements on a continuous basis thus allowing the care home teams to focus on care delivery. 5. Incentivise staff who cover gaps such that we build consistency & regularity. 6. Cover permanent vacancies 7. Provide cover for temp one to ones 8. Pivot to fluctuating demands. Contrary to popular opinion, agencies can be a great source of help when the need is to fill short-term gaps. We do it quickly and efficiently, proactively preventing care homes from suffering the dreaded dips in the quality of care.

Active listening is essential for care managers—it strengthens relationships with both staff and residents. Active listening is where you retain what’s being said while having the ability to put yourself in the speakers shoes and show empathy. Active listening matters because, if done properly, it results in increased levels of trust. When people know you’re listening, they’ll feel appreciated and will trust and rely on your expertise. It boosts staff morale and the faith of the residents in your care. By listening to people and understanding their needs carefully, you’re in a better position to solve problems and provide personalised care. So, how do you actively listen? Here are seven tips: 1. Give the speaker your full attention by turning away from distractions and facing them. 2. Use gentle affirmations to show you’re listening like slight nods and verbal cues like “I see.” 3. Never interrupt even if you think you know what they’re going to say. Let them finish their thoughts. 4. Repeat back what’s been said to ensure understanding, using phrases like, "Just to make sure I understand, you’re saying..." 5. Encourage more details with open-ended questions like, “Can you tell me more about that?” 6. Sum up the key points at the end of the conversation to confirm what was discussed. 7. Follow through on actionable points from the conversation to demonstrate their input is valued. Improving your active listening skills will cultivate a more productive care environment and lead to better health outcomes.

80% of adult social care complaints were upheld in 2023/24. 16% were related to assessment and care planning. Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO of Care England, responded to the findings: “This report underscores the systemic issues affecting adult social care, with both local authorities and care providers facing significant pressures.” Local authorities play a key role in making sure assessments are conducted in a timely manner and that individuals are actively involved in decisions about their care. To correct the trend, we need: - Greater collaboration between local authorities and care providers. - Improved transparency and accountability across the sector. - Sustained and long-term funding that can create reform. If these challenges remain unaddressed, both the care workforce and those they serve will continue to bear the brunt of a failing system. https://lnkd.in/evESDE9c

Care home managers are leaders. There’s no two ways about it. Unfortunately, leadership is most commonly associated with the corporate world. But look at what happens when a care manager is given leadership training: Well Led is a leadership programme developed by Stoctkon-on-Tees to support managers in exploring effective leadership styles. The programme runs annually. It consists of four monthly sessions for 20 delegates. The results have been fantastic. Since its launch, many care home managers have improved their CQC rating. Now, 84% are rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding.’ A key component of Well Led is its peer support network, which encourages collaboration among care home managers. They share best practice and go back to their respective care homes and apply it to enhance overall service quality. Managers learn from each other’s experiences. They discuss challenges and solutions together. Every (would-be) care home manager is a leader and, as such, should be given leadership training. https://lnkd.in/ePD5DTiU