Care Workers Charity chief executive to step down
Alex Ramamurthy is stepping down from his role as The Care Workers Charity (CWC) chief executive on 30 November, having led the organisation through a two-year transformation period. He will join the board as a trustee and support the charity through a six-month transition period…
Tax rises can rescue struggling social care, LGA says
National tax rises must be considered as one of the solutions to help rescue struggling social care services, council leaders have said. Increases should include either income tax and, or, rises to national insurance, according to the Local Government Association (LGA), which has published the…
Live music can benefit care homes, say researchers
Hearing live music can have ‘significant’ benefits for older people and should form a key part of activities in care homes, a report has said. A three-year study, led by Live Music Now in partnership with the University of Winchester, looked into how care home residents…
Subdued market impacts McCarthy & Stone profits
Pre-tax profit has fallen 37% to £58m (2017: £92m) at McCarthy & Stone as build cost increases and subdued market conditions impacted the retirement housebuilder. Its full year results showed that revenue in the year ended 31 August 2018 rose by 2% to £672m (2017: £661m),…
Friends of the Elderly subsidiary exits council contracts
Friends of the Elderly subsidiary Triangle Community Services chose to withdraw from ‘all significant public authority contracts’ during the last financial year as it found it increasingly difficult to agree fees with commissioners. Triangle, which operates homecare services argued that it was unable to invest…
CQC closes Manchester care home
A Manchester care home that was putting its residents at risk of serious harm has been forced to close after failing to turn its Inadequate status around. Inspectors made a third and final visit to Viewpark Care Home in Moston in January, which was first…
Children’s special needs costing stretched councils
A cash crisis in children’s special education needs is pushing councils to breaking point and forcing parents into long legal battles, the Observer has reported. Council overspend on children’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has trebled in just three years, leaving local authorities raiding…
Maisons de Famille takes controlling stake of Dorea
French group Maisons de Famille (MdF) has become a majority shareholder of care home operator Dorea, taking over from private equity fund Quadriga Capital. MdF manages 84 care facilities in France, Italy and Spain with a total of 10,950 beds, while Dorea has 58 nursing…
LGA warns children’s services at ‘tipping point’
Children’s services are being pushed to a tipping point as social workers start new cases for more than 1,000 children each day, Local Government Association (LGA) figures have shown. In 2017/18, 382,180 children in England were referred and assessed as in need of the support…
Whistleblowing protection and individual liability
Employment lawyer at Simmons and Simmons LLP Audrey Williams examines the possible need to revisit the UK’s whistleblowing model to comply with new EU requirements – subject to the impact of Brexit The Court of Appeal has recently given judgement in an important whistleblowing case…...
