Last Updated on April 26, 2017
A new report has been published evaluating the impact of the Teaching Care Home pilot.
The Teaching Care Home, above all else, aimed to champion, empower and inspire the sector and create a legacy of learning for future care homes and nursing in the sector.
The pilot is a Department of Health funded programme of work, led by Care England. It was conceived after the Care Sector Nursing Taskforce called for a programme of work to respond to some of the most prescient challenges facing the sector. Namely, to empower and embolden the workforce in care home nursing, with a desire to harness and promote care, knowledge and skills development.
The pilot set out to change and challenge prevailing perceptions: recognising that the key to sustainability in the sector is through workforce training and development and through this delivering improved health and care outcomes for residents. It aimed to ensure that people who are training to be the next generation of health and social care professionals, could learn from the experience of the care home sector, and would be better equipped to manage the health complexities and social care needs of an ageing population.
Care England has welcomed the launch of the Teaching Care Home Impact Report, published by the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK). This suite of reports sums up the Teaching Care Home Programme; ground-breaking, nurse-led pilots to improve the learning environment for staff working in homes, undergraduate nurse apprenticeships and all learning placements in care homes.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England said, 'These pilots demonstrate that the care sector is a crucial part of the health and social care landscape. Both nurses and carers have a vital part to play in the professional nursing agenda. This initiative has fostered strong partnerships and goes some way to developing a sustainable workforce that takes pride in providing high quality, joined-up care.'
'Care England has enjoyed working in partnership with ILC UK, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Foundation of Nursing Studies. The year-long project has demonstrated that care homes are an essential part of an integrated health and social care system and they have an important role to play in training and developing an integrated workforce. We are delighted that the participants have agreed to continue to share their knowledge and we are in the midst of seeking additional funding to further this objective.'
The pilot projects have explored a range of areas including the untapped resources and expertise of the registered nursing workforce, the residents’ experience of mealtimes and developing practice within care homes. The pilots have brought home how care homes are an interesting place to work as well as the need to retain the rich and diverse workforce in order to rise to the challenges of delivering social care fit for the 21st Century.
Professor Deborah Sturdy, Director Health and Wellbeing, Royal Hospital Chelsea said, 'Care home nursing is a much-misunderstood part of the nursing family that requires a plethora of skills often not recognised by NHS colleagues. Without expert nurses in care homes many older people, or those with learning disabilities, do not receive the care that they need and deserve.'
The pilot sites are:
- Millbrook Lodge, Orders of St John Care Trust in Gloucestershire.
- Rose Court, HC-One in Bury.
- Berwick Grange, MHA in Harrogate.
- Lady Sarah Cohen House, Jewish Care in Barnet.
- Chester Court, Barchester in Bedlington.