Why Choose Nourish Safety? Take total control of every incident and accident with Nourish Safety. Our platform makes it quick and straightforward to report incidents as they occur in your service. With comprehensive workflows that ensure the most effective response in the moment, and going forward. Find out how Nourish Safety can help you take control of your incidents and build preventative workflows, book a personalised demo with us on 023 8000 2288 or email hello@nourishcare.com “Simplify and Share” “Nourish Safety simplifies our workflows and makes it easier for us to share best practice.” Lyndsay Atkinson-Swales, Director of Operations, St Anne’s Community Services nourishcare.com NHS ASSURED SOLUTION NHS Transformation Directorate18 Cover story 18 How Nourish Care’s approach to AI is changing governance in multi-site care homes Tackling retention 24 Jenny Pattinson, CEO of Nightingale Hammerson, on preventing high turnover CEO insight 30 David Dominy, CEO of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, on attracting a winning team In this issue MARCH 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 3 March 2026 carehomeprofessional.com • Issue 125 Specials 2444 “They may just be seeing the world differently” Treating dementia with care and compassion Page 36 30 “Good care should be shared and recognised” Celebrating the impact of extraordinary staff Page 50 Regulars Headlines 8 Care homes news roundup Special report 14 Fresh insight on improving data collection in care homes Longevity lessons 28 Claire Richardson, director of Coxbench Hall, on the organisation’s 42-year legacy Expert analysis 35 Care England’s Professor Martin Green OBE says the sector is ‘running on goodwill’ Policy 44 Dr Luke Evans MP, Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Social Care Movers and shakers 48 Morrison Community Care Group and CCG Scotland’s latest project 48 In this issue 4 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / MARCH 2026 28Partner content Whatever your needs, whether you run a small or large fleet, or whatever type of wheelchair accessible minibus fits your requirements, FMS are the market leaders in high quality, VAT exempt vehicle supply and management. A key part of high quality later life living is about helping those you support to enjoy community engagement outside of the home, as good as the experience you provide in your homes. Trips out to the seaside or places of interest, or visits to the garden centre, a café, or a local pub, are all part of the vital social engagement you offer. You’ll want a partner to depend upon that helps you deliver that. FMS Minibus can supply wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) of all sizes, from smaller vehicles to large minibuses, and everything in between, including medium sized WAVs that don’t need a special licence for your colleagues to drive. Dealing only with the best conversions from the likes of Stanford and Allied, they can even provide you with leading financing options to spread the cost. Free reviews of your existing fleet can also be provided, to see how older vehicles can be turned into cash to invest in your fleet refresh. FMS can also get your vehicles expertly sign written to give that extra touch of brand promotion. Adrian Doyle, Director at Avery Healthcare has been very pleased with the service from FMS over time. FMS Minibus: The WAV experts Driving down costs whilst driving your residents on trips is achievable. You just need an expert driving partner “FMS have successfully served the countrywide wheelchair accessible minibus needs for Avery care homes for many years now,” he explains, “and their customer service and attention to detail has always been exemplary. They have ensured that our vehicles our road legal, Loler compliant, MOT’d and serviced, and always safe for our colleagues and people that we support. They’ll even arrange vehicles for us if we have a breakdown. By matching the right vehicles to the individual needs of each home they have saved us costs, and have often been able to supply us with VAT exempt minibuses. “They’ve even helped us source small vans for our mobile technicians and decorators. It’s fabulous customer service from a genuine family-run concern that makes the difference in how we support life outside of the home for our residents.” At FMS Minibus – we care for your vehicles, so you can care for the people that you support. For more information on how FMS can transform how you provide quality transport for the people that you support, contact Alan on 01604 385485, or e-mail him at info@wheelchairaccessminibus. co.uk. Search ‘FMS WAV’ online. t h c 2026 / BUYERS’ GUIDE / 29 MARCH 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 5Foreword ITP Media (UK) LTD 140 Old Street, London, EC1V 9BJ Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4228 Editorial Editorial Director Andrew Seymour andrew.seymour@itp.com Editor Stephen Hall stephen.hall@itp.com Tel: +44 (0)20 31765457 Commercial Publisher Michael Murray michael.murray @itp.com Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4235 Design Senior Designer Ogo Ikeogu ogo.ikeogu@itp.com Production & Distribution Senior Production & Distribution Manager Balasubramanian P balasubramanian.p@itp.com Digital Outsourcing Manager Sonika Mattoo sonika.mattoo@itp.com Database Management Vinod Alath vinod.alath@itp.com ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Managing Directors Lee Cashman, Martin Chambers, Marne Schwartz, Ahmad Bashour Deputy Managing Director Holly Sands Circulation & Subscription Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4228 subscriptions@itp.com Web www.carehomeprofessional.com www.itp.com The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exception is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. The biggest social care news of the year so far has sent shockwaves through the sector. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating acquisitions by Welltower for more than 600 care homes. The S&P 500 real estate investment company’s whopping £5.2 billion deal for Barchester, announced last October, included a portfolio comprised of 111 communities, 152 triple-net leased communities, and 21 ongoing developments. The sale is considered the largest ever care home deal globally. On the same day, we reported that the US-based company announced it had purchased 100% of the equity ownership in the UK portfolio operated by HC-One for £1.2 billion. Then, in December, Welltower-owned Care UK stepped in to acquire Danforth and Aria Care. It was a deal I had been anticipating, having heard it mentioned through the grapevine in leadership circles at various points throughout the year. Now, the CMA has highlighted 46 transactions across these four deals, and the investigation includes a further number of care homes for which planning permission has already been granted. It’s a move that could even implicate senior figures in the upper echelons of the government. In October, Welltower commented that its massive UK deals were aided by working closely with the Office for Investment. The department said at the time the significant investment in the care sector would create fresh capacity and new jobs, with the vast majority anticipated to be created outside of London. It even drew Lord Stockwood, the UK Minister for Investment, to say he was heartened to see a long-term and highly respected investor like Welltower continuing to bring its expertise, commitment and technology to the UK. As American investors continue to hover over the UK’s prized care home assets, the question now is what it means for the rest of the market. With over 80% of providers falling under the SME category, do independents become acquisition targets or casualties? And, on a broader level, will scale uplift the quality culture for the sector at large? As soon as the CMA has finished its latest case work, we are likely to get answers sooner rather than later. From the editor Monopoly money Stephen Hall Editor 6 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / MARCH 2026 Published by and copyright 2026 ITP Media (UK) Ltd, incorporated and registered in the United Kingdom under company number 10982417.Responding to Skills for Care’s latest adult social care sector pay report, Rachael Dodgson, chief executive of Dimensions, which supports 3,000 adults with learning disabilities and autistic people across England and Wales, said: “Skills for Care’s latest pay report clearly shows social care finances under extreme strain. The government’s increase in Employers’ National Insurance alone has cost Dimensions around £6 million this financial year – a sum that would have funded round-the-clock support for 28 people in that same time frame.” “Government must act. Social care needs a fully funded Fair Pay Agreement – far more generous than government has put forward – and a workforce plan which prioritises career progression for adult social care.” “Care and support providers cannot be expected to deliver nationally agreed pay standards without sustainable invest- ment from government. This pay must be channelled through local authorities at rates that reflect the true cost of care.” “We at Dimensions will continue working with UNISON and others to press government for the long-term funding reform social care urgently needs. If we are serious about valuing skilled frontline professionals, funding must match this ambition.” Elsewhere, the latest workforce data from Skills for Care shows the median hourly rate for care workers is £12.60 in December 2025, just 39p above the National Living Wage, and a growing proportion of staff are sitting on or just above the minimum wage. Care England has said the figures expose the growing strain within the workforce. £6m black hole Social care finances under extreme strain: National support provider Dimensions responds to Skills for Care’s pay report MARCH 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 7 Provider viewpointIn the headlines Essential news for care home professionals Council issues update on care home closures Reform-led Lancashire County Council has said it will take extra time to ‘carefully consider the next steps’ in its strategic review of in-house adult social care services. An eight-week consultation, which closed in December, sought views on how the council can continue to deliver care in a way that is ‘sustainable and effective for the future’. As part of the review, feedback was invited on a set of guidelines for evaluating services, as well as the potential reprovision of ten sites – five residential care homes and five day centres – which the council identified for detailed scrutiny due to ‘concerns about their condition, safety and long-term viability’. This week, Councillor Stephen Atkinson, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “We want to reassure all those affected by our review into the future of adult social care services in Lancashire that the council has no intention to close any of the five care homes included in this review. While the results of the consultation are still being analysed, an update was given to the cabinet this week to ensure the information has been made clear to the public. Sir Mike Richards steps down Professor Sir Mike Richards has announced that he has stepped down as chair of the Care Quality Commission. His departure follows a difficult period for the regulator, during which he oversaw the independent review of the Single Assessment Framework and began work to address long-standing concerns raised by providers across adult social care. Care England has responded to the announcement. Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: “Sir Mike took on this role at a very difficult time for the CQC. Confidence in the regulator, especially from adult social care providers, was already fragile, and the system was clearly not working as it should. "What mattered about his independent review of the Single Assessment Framework was that it reflected what providers had been experiencing on the ground for some time; delays that made no sense, a loss of sector expertise, and a framework that felt disconnected from the reality of delivering care. "He was prepared to say that out loud, and that was important. Many of the problems facing the CQC have not gone away, and there is still a long way to go. But his work helped to open the door to a more honest conversation about what regulation needs to look like if it is to support good care rather than get in the way of it. "As the CQC moves into its next phase, the priority must be stability and follow-through. Providers need clarity, consistency and a regulator that understands the pressures they are under. We are ready to work with the new leadership to make sure the lessons of past years are not lost, and that regulation starts to work properly for the people who rely on and deliver care every day.” 8 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / MARCH 2026NewsNews Paying privately is now the norm Paying privately for a care home is now the norm, not the exception for families across the UK, with new data suggesting many people are not eligible for public funding, unaware of it, or they are forced to self-fund while waiting for assessments or decisions. New analysis from the leading website for finding a care home, carehome.co.uk shows that 62% of people enquiring about care expect to pay for it themselves, despite the availability of NHS and local authority funding. The data also reveals a clear regional divide, with nearly three-quarters (73%) of care seekers in South East and South West England self-funding their care, compared with 46% in Scotland, 50% in North East England and 55% in Wales. The data highlights stark regional inequalities in access to NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC) – the only form of care funding that is not means tested and fully covers social care costs for adults with complex health needs. People in the North are significantly more likely to rely on NHS funding. The findings reinforce long-standing concerns that NHS CHC operates as a postcode lottery, with wide variation in eligibility and outcomes depending on location. Care home bosses jailed for fraud A married couple have been jailed for three years each for their involvement in the execution of a fraudulent £175,000 will for a pensioner in their care. Graham and Lyn Walker, the owners of Amberley Care Home in Brierley Hill, have also been ordered to pay £60,000 to Dudley Council towards the costs of bringing the case to court. The couple, along with former care home manager Jamiel Slaney-Summers, attempted to benefit from a fake will for resident Rita Barnsley which named the trio as significant beneficiaries. Graham Walker, 74, and Lyn Walker, 71, both of Ribbesford Close, Halesowen, had pleaded not guilty to fraud but were found guilty by a jury following a trial in October. They both appeared at Birmingham Crown Court to be sentenced. Slaney-Summers, 65, of Raven Hays Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to five- and-a-half years in prison for her part in the fraud in December. Ms Barnsley moved into the Stourbridge Road care home after becoming unwell in May 2020. The 85-year-old’s last will and testament was a “sham” with different handwriting and coloured pens used throughout. It named Slaney-Summers and Lyn Walker as executors, with the duo to get 50 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. They stood to benefit to the tune of around £175,000 from the plans laid out in the will, prosecutors told the court. An investigation was launched by Dudley Council’s trading standards team after Ms Barnsley’s only surviving relative, her cousin Verna, made a complaint. Councillor Phil Atkins, cabinet member for development and regulation, said: “I welcome the decision of the judge today. It brings to an end a long and painstaking investigation by our superb trading standards team to bring these three people to justice. Their intentions were clear – to fleece this poor, vulnerable woman of all the money she had worked her whole life to earn. “It was an horrific abuse of trust by three people who she was relying on to look after her best interests. Instead they financially abused her and would have taken everything she had but for the dogged determination of her cousin and our trading standards team. This case is a warning that as a council we will not tolerate elder abuse.” MARCH 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 9 Subscribe to our daily news alerts onlineNext >