Welcome to the new style UKQCS newsletter. If you have any difficulty in reading the newsletter please let us know and we can provide you with a stripped down version which can be read by all email clients. This newsletter is free, so please pass it on to your colleagues, who can sign on for their own copy by visiting our website at www.ukqcs.com and completing the brief details requested. In order to keep the newsletter to a reasonable length, we are now using more hyperlinks to external articles and information. Where the links are extremely long we use Tinyurl to shorten them. Using Tinyurl links is safe; many national newspapers use them. Simply click on these to see them, or copy and paste the link into your browser if your email client switches the automated links off. If you are experiencing problems please let us know so that we can improve and/or fix it 7,000 care homes share £67m cash boost The DoH today announced funding for care homes, allocated through Local Authorities. The Local Authority Circular LAC (2006)16 gives considerable more detail and can be found at (copy and paste into your web browser) http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/LocalAuthorityCirculars/AllLocalAuthority/DH_063685 The quality of life for older people in care homes across England will benefit from a £67m refurbishment fund from the Department of Health, care services Minister Ivan Lewis announced today. Seven thousand care homes will receive money as part of the Government's dignity campaign which aims to place dignity and respect at the heart of caring for older people. Improvements will directly benefit residents, such as: - replacing worn-out carpeting or floor coverings to reduce the risk of falls - upgrading dining rooms - upgrading residents' bedrooms and bathrooms - improving gardens or outside spaces used by residents, to encourage outdoor exercise - alterations that would give the residents greater privacy - providing information technology that benefits older residents, such as access to internet and email. Care services minister Ivan Lewis said: "Throughout the Department of Health's Dignity in Care campaign I have heard how much dignity matters. I know how important it is for people living in care homes to have an environment they are happy in and that they are proud to call home. "By distributing this funding to almost 7,000 care homes throughout England we are able to improve the lives of tens of thousands of people and their families. "This supports the excellent work of health and social care professionals, the voluntary and independent sectors and carers, both family and paid, who work passionately together every day to continually improve the lives of older people." Annie Stevenson, senior policy adviser at Help the Aged, said: "We welcome this initial injection of funding, which shows the Government recognises that dignity in care homes is crucial to maintaining health and well being. "We are glad to see that this money will be spent with due consideration of the views of care home residents and best practice in design. "However, improving the physical environment is only one piece of the jigsaw that delivers dignity and respect for the care of older people. It is just as crucial to recognise that investment in the care home sector workforce is also vital to lift its status and to improve morale and potential to meet future needs. Without this, the dignity agenda in this area will wither on the vine." Notes to Editors 1. Local authorities propose sharing the £67.75m funding between 6,949 care homes in total, thus meeting the DH aim of sharing the capital as widely as possible amongst care home providers. 2. Dignity in Care is the first ever national campaign that aims to put dignity and respect at the heart of the care services we offer to older people. The campaign aims to: - raise awareness of dignity in care and inspire local people to take action - spread best practice and support people and organisations to drive up standards - reward and recognise those who make a difference and go that extra mile. 3. LA allocations, across England, range from £20k on the Isles of Scilly and in the City of London to £1.895m in Kent. 4. A full list of LA allocations (entitled LAC (2006)16: Capital grant for improving the care home environment for older people 2007-2008) can be found online via http://www.dh.gov.uk using the search term 'LAC (2006)16'. 5. More information about the Dignity in Care campaign can be found online via http://www.dh.gov.uk/dignityincare 6. For public enquiries please contact 020 7210 4850.
Unless otherwise stated, © UKQCS Limited
| 
