August/September 2013

August 2013The Home Care Specialists

Dementia Specialist Jayne Vale shares her top tips

• Mrs. Smith’s Old Thyme Recipes • Carers of the Month • Plus much more...

Bernard Bugalski and his son Robert. Share their story

What makes the ideal Carer?Hello and welcome to the re-launch of our employee newsletter – “ We Care ”. It is important that we have the ability to communicate with you to keep you up to date with any changes, to let you know what is happening around the regions and to share our success stories with you.

We would welcome contributions from you and if there are any topics or features you would like to see included in future issues, then please do let us know.

In this issue we are launching a new category for our Carer of the Month Awards – our Dementia Carer of the Month. Each month nominations are invited for employees who help their customer to “Live Well with Dementia “. This enables us to recognise their dedication and also to share with you their ideas for supporting their customer.

Over 50% of our customers aged 65 or over are living with some form of Dementia and it is important that we all improve our understanding of the condition and how to support someone living with it.

With the recent introduction of our dedicated Dementia Helpline – 07964 464654- Jayne Vale, who is the current Dementia personality of the year awarded at the recent National Dementia Care awards, is helping both Carers, customers and their families to better understand and support those living with Dementia. Recent feedback has shown

that this is a much welcomed and appreciated addition to the support we offer.

Jayne has recently supported one customer’s daughter in our North region who was becoming very concerned about her mother’s condition and was thinking of moving her into a home. Jayne spent a couple of hours talking with the daughter on the telephone and agreed to work closely with the Carer and the family to do everything we could to keep her at home. The customer is still at home now and if the daughter or Carer have any concerns they call Jayne for advice.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your hard work and dedication and for the contribution each of you has made in making Helping Hands the successful business it is. We frequently receive compliments and feedback from our customers and their relatives on the positive impact Helping Hands Carers have on their lives. This is the result of great teamwork, dedication to our customers and each of us living our Values: Focus on People, Excellence Every Time, Listening and Understanding and Building on our Success.

I hope you enjoy reading your newsletter, please let us know if there is anything you would like us to include in future issues.

Message from Ben Lee, Chief Operating Officer

Dear Jayne

Dear Jayne,My customer Ruth was a very talented artist and has performed on stage. She loves to go and see musicals but does tend to start to lose concentration after an hour or so if there is no interlude. I have also brought paints and paper for Ruth to try and encourage her to paint however she refuses as she said that she couldn’t do them as well as she used to. I tried to get Ruth to try and teach me how to paint but she said this would take too long. She was also a seamstress and again she said it would take too long. I play cards often with Ruth but wondered Jayne if you had any other suggestions to get Ruth back into the things that she really loves? Any advice would be great.”

Advice:What I suggest is that you ask Ruth if it would be ok if you could paint and set it up. Don’t include her to begin with but ask her to sit with you. This way you are not putting any pressure on her to remember her painting days and you may find that when you start to paint she may get involved. If not, then she will enjoy watching you and will also walk away when she has had enough. Also buy a magazine about sewing and tell her that you are learning and perhaps make something small even if it is square for a bed. She will not feel under any pressure to assist but again - do this in front of her and this may encourage her to help or advise. Sometimes they will not be able to complete a long task and this shows from her not being able to sit for long in the Theatre.

With the theatre why not call the ticket office before booking and check out the length of any performance they plan to see and check the duration times and interlude timings or why don’t you make a special thing of it at home - get some DVDs with plays on them, prepare a drink and some biscuits. If she gets bored you can stop the DVD and go back to it later. Playing cards or doing a Jigsaw is great and these can be bought from any charity shop. You are doing really well and it is excellent that you are going that extra mile.

Jayne’s monthly advice and support for those caring for someone living with Dementia

Dementia Helpline - 07964 464654

Dear Jayne,“I have been caring for Jean for around 2 months now and in that time her symptoms have worsened quite drastically since the death of her best friend who passed away just one month ago. As you can imagine, this really upset Jean. I also believe she has been suffering from a U.T.I these last few weeks; I discussed this with her doctor and nurse and explained her worsening of symptoms. Although I could not get a urine sample they agreed it sounded like she may have a U.T.I so the doctor put her on antibiotics to hopefully alleviate the symptoms. The 3 day course of medication finished 2 days ago, some of her symptoms have improved slightly but she is still much worse than before the death of her best friend. This leads me to believe that the grief and sudden change in her circumstances has led to her Dementia symptoms worsening - her daughter and I are hoping this is short term whilst she deals with the loss, however her daughter mentioned to me that in the past when circumstances have changed suddenly or become stressful this has caused her mother to worsen and she has not then recovered.

Short term or not, I would really appreciate your advice on how to best help Jean, because of this sudden decline there are areas where I am struggling to understand and communicate effectively with her, I feel she is losing out on enjoying what could possibly be the last summer in her home and the chance to get out and enjoy life, which she used to love doing.”

Advice:Well this is great, I am so happy that you have a better understanding of Dementia and that it is the Dementia not Jean. Yes you are right the death of her best friend would have affected her greatly and it really is a matter of time. I understand what her daughter is saying but we have to realise that grief is the same for people with and without Dementia. So patience and understanding is the key to helping her. Just sit and listen to her if she wants to talk. Don’t worry about talking about him and the good times they have had together.

People tend not to talk about the people that someone has lost because they think that it will bring more pain. But sometimes it is good to remember the good times. Do you have a photo of the best friend in the house? If so put the photo by Jean as she can look at it and remember him. You may have tears, so be there to comfort her and also clarify her feelings by saying I can see that you are upset. Don’t be frightened of giving a hug at times as this will help. You will know she would like a hug - if not a hand on her knee to show her that you understand.

Dear Jayne,My placement is going well and Sylvia and I have a good relationship. No problems so far, although she does like to doze a lot and it’s difficult to engage her in anything for long. She tells me she is content and has done everything she wanted to do in life. She says she is happy to eat and sleep and chat. We do crosswords and look at photos, talk about family and the garden, watch TV and she does appear content. I just wonder sometimes if it’s enough. I have invited her for a walk out but she’s not interested. Any advice Jayne?

Advice:This is great to hear and I am so glad that you are getting on well with your customer. I would say if she is telling you that she is content, then well done - you must be doing a great job and please don’t worry. About going out - does she have a garden as this would be the first step to getting her out and about- but don’t worry about it too much as she seems very happy.

What you could do in this lovely weather is suggesting that you both sit in the garden for a few minutes and gradually increase the time outside.

Dear Jayne,“Jean is becoming fixated on certain things, for example - the flowers needing water in the heat is a worry for Jean. The flowers would have plenty of water and I have shown her this but still she is convinced they need more and that this will stop them from dying, or she thinks if we water the dead ones they will come back to life - she has got quite upset over this.

One night she got out of bed to go around watering them, the reason for this was because of the heat wave. They were dying and she was blaming me for not listening to her and watering them. We went around the house and I watered all the plants even though they did not need doing, she eventually went back to bed, but the whole situation caused her much distress, and she was very upset with me the next day when I threw out the dead flowers. Any advice on how to handle this situation better in the future would be appreciated.

Another worry is that Jean hates wearing her knickers and has become convinced the seams and any little detail on them is causing her great amounts of pain. She will actually scream out in pain and throw them off. I thought perhaps this could be due to her having a U.T.I as she has had no pain for the last few days since taking the medication. However she has gone a week with no pain before and then it came back so I am keeping a close eye on this and updating the nurse and doctor when appropriate. The pain is on her right hip where she had a hip replacement, the doctor has examined her and says her hip is fine. Some days it is very hard to convince her to wear any knickers and her pads, she is very incontinent so she really does need to wear them. I have tried so many different types of knickers but nothing seems to work, soon I am going to try incontinence knickers with built in pads, I am hoping this will work as her incontinence is a problem at the moment. If she refuses to wear these then I am not sure what to try next.”

Advice:With this weather it does not surprise me that we are experiencing lots of different behaviours. With all fixations we have to look at the cause. So with the flowers she was obviously a keen gardener and so she is concerned about her flowers. Why not put the watering into her routine and water them in the morning and then in the later evening. If she wants to water them throughout the day and night, then say to her that we will have to wait until this time. You could even do a calendar or an alarm on a phone or clock so that when it goes off it is time to water the plants. Whenever she wants to water the plants - refer to the calendar or alarm. When throwing the flowers out, try and do this when she is not around as this will distress her. If she sees you doing this then tell her that we have to let the others grow. Find some gardening books and distract her away from the dead flowers.

With the knickers this is a hard one as she may be as you say experiencing some pain down below and this is making her not want anything around there. I would not necessary say that it is her hip - it may be the water infection, such as thrush. Is she itching herself or does she say it hurts when she goes for a wee? When she wants to take them off - ask her where the pain is coming from and if she says from her hip. Then prompt her by saying you had the hip replaced ( she may be remembering the pain before the hip was fixed. So prompting her to remember the hip has been done may take her mind of this). Also you will need to use a lot of distraction techniques . While she is sitting down in her chair you could get some Inco sheets to put on the chair so it doesn’t matter if she wets the sheet as you can change these. They can be bought from any pharmacy.

Also she may be hot down there, we can prompt more washing of herself perhaps a cold flannel beside her and a towel.

I can see that you are already thinking different ways to help her and just keep doing what you are doing as this will help her. Don’t get upset with her - just praise her a lot when she does things well and clean up if she makes a mess. Don’t tell her off as this will only make matters worse. But I can see that you would not do this.

Dear Jayne,“My customer has Dementia with Parkinson’s and she gets aggressive in the morning after 8 am. She has started taking her pants off while lying in bed. Whilst she lets me assist her in the bathroom she then suddenly calls me hurtful names. She sits on the toilet very nicely then she gets aggressive, punching me for no reason - even though I haven’t said anything to her. I leave her alone because I can watch her safely but today she closed the bathroom door and never let me in. I peeped it to see if she is fine and saw that she was standing by the sink but covered with faeces. I told her that I am cleaning the carpet and then she let me wash her which took from 8:15am till 10:45 am. Afterwards she is a very calm and nice lady. The other day she let me take off her nightie. She started sorting her clothes which I let her to do. However after one and half hours she told me that she is ready to get dressed and then the morning starts.. It’s happening only in the mornings.”

Advice:I can see that this is focused around personal care and also toileting and this is common. I would say to you to make sure she does as much for herself as possible. I would help her to the bathroom and then put some water in the bowl and leave her alone for about 5 mins and then do what you have done - go back in every couple of mins and see if she needs any help. I think we have to understand that this is a personal task and none of us would like it to happen to us. So try and see if she can do most of it or at least some of the care herself. As she will be a lot more respectful for your help if she realizes that she is unable to help herself.

Following are some quotes from Carers who are caring for customers with Dementia:

Respect“My customer who has Dementia, is a very sweet, polite gentleman. He never forgets to say thank you and sometimes he tells me off when I leave the doors of his wardrobe open. He says, ‘Can you please close that door’.” Margaret Luma

A gentle moment:“A few days ago she asked me, can I really stay with her? Every day she wants to hug me. I must admit, it was really nice and I was touched.” Anna Caring

Going that extra mile: “She tells me she is content and has done everything she wanted to do in life. She says she is happy to eat, sleep and chat .We do crosswords and look at photos, talk about family and the garden, watch TV and she does appear content. I just wonder sometimes if it’s enough. Can I do more?” Jane Smith

“We are using the Zimmer frame in the apartment and she likes the encouragements I say to her. Last night I tried - as Jayne advised, using the word ‘companion’ and she liked it. Also I sat with her but I just had a coffee. Last night in the restaurant she wanted my company as I read her the news about the Royal baby. Back home at night after her phone calls I disconnected the phone in her room around 11pm. I think Jayne is right - we need more time. I already talked with the daughter that I will stay with her in the restaurant as she called it yesterday. Also that I will eat at the apartment before we go out.” Andrea

Congratulations to the following Carers that have completed the online Dementia course in the month of July:

Dorota Kubanek, Donna Taylor, Zofia Dunajska, Monika Carter, Alexiou Thalia, Shirley Ann Wallis, Richard Morgan, Magdalena Dzikowska, Veronika Hanzlova, Elisabeth Tamasne Somogyi, Harjeet Sian, Dorota Kubanek,Donna Taylor, Zofia Dunajska, Monika Carter, Alexiou Thalia, Shirley Ann Wallis, Richard Morgan, Magdalena Dzikowska, Veronika Hanzlova, Elisabeth Tamasne Somogyi, Harjeet Sian

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ELLIE HARRISONDementia Specialist nomination

My Carer of the Month Is Ellie Harrison for remembering that George her customer is a person and his Dementia is his illness. See her quote below: “Yes, I am here with George! He can be very challenging at times and very nasty to me, but of course it’s the condition, not the real George. When the real George is here, he is a lovely man. Only yesterday, I had some really sad news of a death in my family and was very upset. George was so kind to me all day and didn’t get verbally abusive at all. I think it gave him something to focus on and made him feel he was really helping and being supportive, so am going to try and adapt these feeling to both mine and his advantage.”

Nominated by Jayne Vale, Dementia Specialist

CONGRATULATIONS TO...IZOLDA BOGNAREast Anglia

“If I have to pick one person- It will be Izolda, and the feedback I have had for both Carers for this customer was brilliant. The customer just could not speak higher of Izolda and Pitor. Izolda, has been terrific support at a very upsetting time. Her customer has a big personality and very charismatic man, with a great sense of humour. Izolda became part of his life to the point he accepted her and was calm when she around. His wife has been very clear to me how much she thinks of both these Carers and was very keen they both be mentioned and praised for they brilliant work.”

Nominated by Clare Turner

Our Dementia Carers of the Month….Every month each Local Care Service Manager nominates their own Dementia Carer of the month. The winners each receive a certificate together with a £20 voucher to spend! The winners for this month are:

CONGRATULATIONS TO...CAROL CONNOLLYEast Midlands

“I would like to nominate the fantastic Carol Connolly for her enthusiasm and her dedication to her customer. Carol has taken a lot of time to learn about her customer and to find ways of engaging with her so that the relationship that has developed between them is heart warming.Carol has, with the agreement of the family started to compile a photo album/scrap book so that her customer and her family will have something to look back on. Each time they go out together Carol takes photos of her sitting enjoying the sunshine with her sunglasses on, or eating an ice cream and the smile on her face speaks volumes - they also put other little keepsakes in here to remind her customer of what they did. Carol takes her out daily to keep her interactive within the community and they chat to neighbours and local shop keepers, Carol also takes her to Coffee morning held at a local residential home as well as Dementia cafes. Carol is a true inspiration.”

Nominated by Alison Taylor

CONGRATULATIONS TO...FIONA JENKINSONCheshire

Here is the feedback from Jayne Vale (no higher praise) for Fiona Jenkinson. “A fantastic new Carer who has taken forward our company values to her first customer and she is making great progress. She has told me that she is getting on really well with her customer and they are so well suited as they have both lived on a farm and so have a great understanding of the out doors. She has told me that she is doing puzzles and colouring books with her customer who really enjoys this. They have also started to do some sewing together. Her customer is turning up a piece of material and then Frances is pinning it. Frances is going to see if she can pin up the hem as she was a bit concerned with her having pins so I suggested that she give her one pin at a time and see what she does with it and not to leave her alone with the pins. She also asked me if she was in this placement permanently as she so wanted to care for a lovely lady like her customer - it is her dream job.”

Nominated by Fiona Small

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ADEOLA MORRISSomerset & Wiltshire

“Adeola Morris: for her exceptional understanding of capacity and how to support her customer to make her own decisions, then communicating with other agencies that support her. Adeola uses evidence to support the way she works with her customer, supporting the customers best interests”

Nominated by Suzannah Cook

CONGRATULATIONS TO...SYLVIA OFIAELIWest Midlands

“Sylvia has worked for HH since January 2011. At her most recent placement she was highly praised by the family who are very hands on with the care for their relative. They were particularly impressed with how gentle Sylvia was when delivering personal care and hygienic. Of the 9 carers that this gentleman has had ‘she is the best’.”

Nominated by Roz Ness

CONGRATULATIONS TO...VANESSA SALESWorcestershire

“Vanessa has been with Helping Hands since March 2012. She is currently the permanent carer for a couple, both of whom have Dementia. She has been caring for them since April 2012 and has coped admirably with a couple whose health is deteriorating, in particular the lady whose mobility has steadily worsened. She has been instrumental in getting an OT assessment and a stand aid hoist is now in place to move and handle her. She has had to cope with the gentleman’s bouts of insomnia and has done so with the utmost care and consideration and the determination to keep the couple together in their own home.”

Nominated by Marie McKinley

CONGRATULATIONS TO...MIROSLAWA BIRYCKANorth London and Essex

“I would like to nominate Mira Birycka please. Her customer has quite a challenging form of Dementia (verbally and occasionally physically) and in the words of her Son…”

“Mira has brought a calm to the situation and has a very quiet but effective way of working with my Mother that means I have complete confidence and peace of mind when she is there.”

Nominated by Linda Desborough

CONGRATULATIONS TO...IWANA JUSTYNA BRYSZEWSKANorth East

“I would like to nominate Justyna Bryszewska for Dementia Carer of the month. Justyna is fantastic and always ensures she puts the needs of her customer first. Justyna just has a very caring nature, something that cannot be taught, she is extremely calm and understanding and her current and last customer are both living with Dementia and she has managed both these positions by supporting the ever changing needs of her customers. Justyna takes each day in her stride and is carrying out her role as a carer by ensuring that her customer is able to make choices, even leaving the house and sitting in the back garden or going out for a walk round the block, something that was not happening when Justyna first started working with her. Her customers life seems much more fulfilled by having Justyna there.”

Nominated by Amanda Campbell

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ANNA LISHertfordshire

“Anna has been in placement with two consecutive customers who have different forms of Dementia. Anna has been extremely patient with each of these customers.Anna found coping mechanisms including distraction techniques, when the customer was confused or aggressive. Anna advised the customer of any changes well in advance and repeated instructions etc. Anna is a kind and caring person who listens to the customer and delivers excellent care. A case worker has said since Anna has been in placement ‘I have not received phone calls from the neighbours’. The neighbours used to have our customer knocking on their door any time of the day and night in a distressed state about the security of her home, which caused concern to all involved. Anna has ensured her customer is involved with the day to day running of her house. They cook and do the laundry together. Everyday they go for a walk which the customer has said she really enjoys and has said Anna is very good and I will miss her when she has her leave.”

Nominated by Angela Laurence

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ESTHER OMINIYIHampshire & Dorset

“I would like to nominate Esther Ominiyi. She has worked with a lady with high level Dementia for a considerable length of time. There is minimal verbal communication from this lady, who is active, pacing most of the day.Esther is always bright and positive, she organises GP visits and the like, without any prompting, using her initiative and experience with the customer, knowing her needs and recognising changes.

Esther works closely with other members of the MDT and always has her customers best interests at the forefront of everything she does.”

Nominated by Jo Bruen

CONGRATULATIONS TO...JAYNE WILLARDWarwickshire

“I would like to nominate Jayne Willard. Jayne has been caring for a customer with Dementia for sometime now and she is absolutely marvellous. The customer presents Jayne with daily challenges which Jayne takes in her stride and always finds new ways of dealing with. We have had many relief carers who have found the situation so demanding and difficult that they have asked to be removed from placement. The customers family are all very happy with Jayne they trust her implicitly and Jayne has become a huge part of the family. I cannot praise Jayne highly enough for her due care and diligence every time I go to visit she has made me feel very welcome and is a very positive and reassuring carer that I am not at all surprised why the customer loves her so much.”

Nominated by Tanya Davis on behalf of Monica Whitehurst

Our Carers of the Month….Every month each Local Care Service Manager nominates their own Carer of the month. The winners each receive a certificate together with a £20 voucher to spend! The winners for this month are:

CONGRATULATIONS TO...RACHEL NEILL Warwickshire

“We would like to nominate Rachel Neill. She has done extremely well in a very difficult placement and has dealt very well with some very sensitive issues. Considering this was her very first placement she has given both Monica and I a wonderful first impression. Well done Rachel!”

Nominated by Tanya Davis on behalf of Monica Whitehurst

Helping Hands Star Awards

CONGRATULATIONS TO...DONNA HUMPHREYSWest Midlands

“I would like to nominate Donna Humphreys. Donna is a temporary Carer and she has kindly helped out with a couple of placements for me in my area. I have found Donna to be an incredibly versatile Carer with a very professional attitude. Nothing is too much trouble for Donna and her priority is offering her customer the support that their needs dictate whilst ensuring their independence is maintained as much as possible. Donna has found herself in some challenging situations with my customers but always strives to overcome any difficulties with positivity and tenacity and never allows herself to be defeated when things get tough. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Donna for her ongoing dedication to her role. Even though she is not a permanent Carer, she commits fully to every single placement she takes on. Well done Donna! You embody all of the attributes and values that we require our Carers to have.”

Nominated by Roz Ness

CONGRATULATIONS TO...OLUTOYIN AROGUNDADEWorcestershire

Toyin Arogundade has been nominate based on the lovely compliment below:

“I just wanted to let you know how excellent Toyin’s care of my mother is. Last week she alerted me to some confusion my mother was experiencing and as a result, I was able to get quick help from the GP for a bladder infection and now my mother is already a lot better. Toyin is always extremely tactful and sensitive with my mother and we are all so grateful for her help. My mother, who can be quick to complain, has nothing but praise for Toyin and her valuable assistance. She looks after my mother so well and keeps the house and kitchen spotless. I would like to commend her to Helping Hands and hope you can put something up on your website.”

I think this demonstrates beautifully ‘excellence every time’, ‘listening and understanding’ and ‘focusing on people’. The family Toyin are placed with value her highly, she is without a doubt an example of another great ambassador! Well done Toyin!

Nominated by Marie McKinley

CONGRATULATIONS TO...KELSIE MACINTOSHSomerset & Wiltshire

“I would like to nominate Kelsie Mackintosh. Kelsie is a classic example that reminds us not to judge someone before you can see what they are capable of. Kelsie was new to working with Helping Hands. She is young and has no professional experience of care. The placement where she supported was demanding with an experienced care team and Kelsie was only originally supposed to be working as a holiday Carer, Kelsie then became the principle Carer supporting other Carers to learn the support routine. I am so impressed with Kelsie’s professional and mature attitude to care, her sense of responsibility and that whatever was thrown at her she coped with and showed amazing resilience. I couldn’t say it better than the daughter of the man Kelsie supported:”

“I am very pleased you are nominating Kelsie as Carer of the Month. She was bright, enthusiastic and optimistic, and had a wonderful rapport with Dad who responded to her natural warmth and kindness. She is a natural Carer.”

Nominated by Suzannah Cook

CONGRATULATIONS TO...KIRSTY SIMPSONEast Anglia

“I would like to nominate Kirsty Simpson. I have not had a customer that has not raved about her. Other LCSM’s are also very impressed. We spoke to one customer who was ecstatic about Kirsty, she could not speak higher of Kirsty. She said she felt relaxed and didn’t need to check in on her husband while she was on her hen do as Kirsty just provided an excellent service. He had a great time with Kirsty and she managed to have an excellent time with no worries. She is going away in October and would like Kirsty Simpson again. She would be happy to plan her weekend around Kirsty Simpson as it’s important that she has Kirsty back. This is the first time she has left her husband and now feels confident to do it again – this is just one of the comments I have had. Kirsty, you are proactive, solve problems and are confident in your work. Thank you for all you have done to support these customers. Well done Kirsty!”

Nominated by Clare Turner

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ANNA LISHertfordshire

“Anna Lis is a reasonably new Carer who has thrown herself in to a challenging placement for a lady with Dementia. Anna has shown immense respect and patience when dealing with the customer’s Dementia. Anna takes the time to explain details and to reassure her as many times as it takes to get a positive result and happy customer. Anna has introduced stimulating games and chats with the customer about everyday events and has kept to the customer’s routine to reduce confusion. She prepares the customer for change by talking to her and showing her pictures repeatedly so the change is as calm and smooth as possible. Anna is a credit to helping hands. Well done Anna!”

Nominated by Angela Laurence

CONGRATULATIONS TO...KATLIN CSAJKAOxfordshire

“I would like to Nominate Katlin Csajka , Katlin has been involved in a safe guarding we raised and she has supported her customer in the most wonderful way, Katlin has also attended meetings and has shown external health professionals how committed and caring Helping Hands Carers are. Katlin cares for a lady that is 103 years old and in the customers words she has a whole new lease of life since Katlin came to her as her first Carer.”

Nominated by Bridie Williamson

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ROISIN CHIGUVARENorth London and Essex

Quote from the Family:

“As a family, we would like to express how wonderful Roisin has been. She is extremely calm and always seems to be in control of the situation at hand. She has worked very hard in getting Dad to be responsible for certain things like for instance what he would like to eat. She shows a great sense of empathy towards him and certainly can recognize when he needs company etc. We have been very fortunate in the choice that you made as an agency reference Tasha’s replacement. Thank you once again in choosing so well.”

Nominated by Linda Desborough

CONGRATULATIONS TO...MARIANNA KISSCheshire

“I would like nominate Marianna Kiss as our Carer of the Month. She was with one customer with me for quite a while and when it ended she immediately reacted to a new placement. Since then I have had nothing but praise from the customer and his family. They are so pleased with the professional way she works with the secondary agency and her attention to detail ensuring all needs are met but going that little further and making them feel completely at ease. They commented “she is the most professional carer we have ever had” Well done Marianna!”

Nominated by Fiona Small

CONGRATULATIONS TO...JANICE O’DONNELLEast Midlands

“My nomination for Carer of the Month is Janice. ‘Jan is a relatively new Carer having only started with Helping Hands in June. She has been a shining star from day one having gone straight into a placement with a new customer and doing such a tremendous job at promoting the Helping Hands values. The customer’s daughter commented: ‘You couldn’t have found a better Carer for my Mum, she has been fantastic’. Sadly Jan’s first customer passed away but she has now moved onto another placement for me and turned it around completely despite the fact that we were at risk of losing the customer due to the daughter’s dissatisfaction with the service. I told the daughter that if she were not happy with Jan I didn’t think that she would be with any of our Carers but, true to form, Jan did me proud and proved to the daughter that she was every bit as good as I had promised. I am very grateful to Jan for her professional, calm and confident approach that puts customers and their families at ease and for ‘Living our values’. Well done Jan!”

Nominated by Alison Taylor

CONGRATULATIONS TO...POLONA GRADManchester

“I would like to Nominate Carer Polona Grad she has been outstanding in her Placement. Her customer has been in and out of hospital over the last two weeks. Polona has been by her side at all times and has been at the hospital until midnight on some occasions. Her son John said “Polona has been a god send I don’t know what we would have done without her she has been amazing”

Nominated by Jo McGuffie Jordan

CONGRATULATIONS TO...TIBOR LAZARNorth East

“Tibor has been in a cover placement for just two weeks. Our customer finds it extremely difficult to accept new people in his home to the point where even as a Manager I cannot visit as regularly as I would like as he becomes very agitated. Tibor has taken all of this in his stride and after a couple of very difficult days at the start Tibor has subsequently managed to convince him to accept assistance with personal care and has taken massive steps to gain his confidence. After meeting with Tibor I found him to be extremely respectful and understanding to the needs of our customer. A family member has also commented that she is extremely happy with the care being provided for her father by Tibor and would be happy for him to return if ever needed in future. This is a massive step forward as the family usually insist on covering the permanent Carer breaks as they do not want their Father upset by different people being in the home. I would personally like to thank Tibor for his time and patience and would not hesitate to welcome him back to the North in future.”

Nominated by Amanda Campbell

CONGRATULATIONS TO...JOYCELYN JAMESSussex

“I would like to nominate Joycelyn James who cares for a lady with M.S.A (Multiple System Atrophy). She has built up a wonderful relationship with her customer, who sings her praises, and talking of singing, Joycelyn and her customer enjoy singing together, and Joycelyn will even dance around for fun, and they have such a good laugh together. What I witnessed was genuine care and affection between the two of them, it hasn’t always been easy, as Joycelyn’s customer is a very anxious, worried lady, but Joycelyn has coped calmly and professionally. Joycelyn reports to the office if there are issues she cannot resolve alone, and does not get confrontational, she always ensures that she is not upsetting her customer in any way, and treads carefully to ensure she does not add to her customer’s anxieties or worries.

I would say that Joycelyn has all four Helping Hands values, especially the Focus on People as that is definitely what she is doing with her customer”

Nominated by Angela Atkinson

CONGRATULATIONS TO...REGINA NYAMUNGAHampshire & Dorset

“I would like to nominate Regina Nyamunga for carer of the month; she has been supporting a lady with high level Dementia. She has put her customer first at all times, being flexible in approach, using her initiative with trying to find solutions that meet the customers needs and desires whilst maintaining her safety. Regina has worked closely with the family, supporting them in accepting the changes of behaviour that can at times make their mother unrecognisable as to the person they grew up with. She has kept her sense of humour throughout a very difficult time, communicating with other members of the multidisciplinary team - she has been a star throughout!”

Nominated by Jo Bruen

“

CONGRATULATIONS TO...ANNETTE GASANAResource team nomination

“I would like to nominate Annette Gasana. She is always happy to help and reacts quickly when needed.”

Nominated by Amber Read

I’m sure you will all join us in offering your Congratulations to this month’s worthy winners... In our eyes you are all stars!Keep up the Great Work!

BEWARE....THE FLU! Flu season is upon us follow these simple steps and stay germ free.

In response to our growing need for more Carers nationally we are proud to announce that during 2013 we will be holding regular recruitment events in our regional offices. The new recruitment events will provide ways for us to recruit and allow the Regional Managers and Local Care Managers to become involved in recruiting carers for their specific regions and customers. Watch this space and we will keep you updated on how our recruitment events are going.

For those of you who have friends or colleagues that might be interested in working for Helping Hands as a Carer please contact Kim Kennedy, Off site Recruitment Manager on 07805 626091 or email:recruitment@helpinghands.co.uk

RECRUITMENT EVENTS

Getting to k

now

the resource team

What do you do?South East Regional Resourcer

Describe yourself in three words... Friendly, Caring , Bubbly

Favourite band? All types of music , RnB, Slow Jam, Vinyl Silk, Hip-hop, Reggae, 60’s+

Favourite food? Chinese, Balti, Mc Donald’s, Cheese and Potatoe Pie

Favourite Film? Dirty Dancing, Ghost

Name of your first pet... Fluffy

What did you want to be when you were little? Air Hostess

What are you scared of? All creepy crawlies

Three desert island essentials... Pepsi, Phone, Chocolate

MEET A MEMBER OF THE RESOURCE TEAM – AMBER READ

What do the Resource Team do?

How can they help you?• We are responsible for

placing all carers, existing and New Recruits

• Booking Paid / Unpaid leave

• Offering Carer to New Business

• Covering existing Carers holidays

• Meeting New Recruitments• Keeping in regular contact

with our Carers• Keeping the main database

live (useful for HH staff) • Dealing with emergencies if

a carer is poorly.

RESOURCE

Getting to k

now

the resource team

What is your full name?

What do you do? Central Resourcer

Describe yourself in three words... happy, sociable, compassionate

Favourite band? Haven’t got a favourite band, I like all music

Favourite food? Chinese

Favourite Film? I haven’t got one

Name of your first pet... Megan

What did you want to be when you were little? A drummer in a band

What are you scared of? Lightning

Three desert island essentials... My partner I wouldn’t need anything else

MEET A MEMBER OF THE RESOURCE TEAM – LOUISE ALLPORT

Getting to k

now

the resource team

What do you do? North Regional Resourcer

Describe yourself in three words... Friendly, Outgoing and Loyal

Favourite band? Rihanna

Favourite food? Chinese Take away

Favourite Film? Con Air

Name of your first pet... Snowy

What did you want to be when you were little? A Vet

What are you scared of? Spiders and Thunderstorms

Three desert island essentials... Iphone, Hair straighteners, Kit Kat Chunky

MEET A MEMBER OF THE RESOURCE TEAM – HANNAH SMITH

RESOURCE

About meI was born and bred in Staffordshire, after many years of travelling around and living in different towns and cities, I eventually went back to my roots. I have been working in Health and Social Care for the past 15 years across various sectors, including the NHS, prison service, supported living, hostels, mother and baby units and most recently care in the community.

Experience

I have been on the operations side of the Healthcare sector for 15 years at a senior management level. I started off as a Care Coordinator in the hourly department, for Apex Health and Social Care and worked my way up to Operations Director for the South covering 4 branches. I have worked

on several short term contracts in the past few months on a consultancy basis, before joining Helping Hands as the Regional Manager for Central. I have 15 years experience of providing domiciliary care services in the community and temporary staffing solutions into the NHS, Prison Services, private nursing homes, hospices, hostels and 24 hours supported living to customers with learning disabilities and mental health issues

Qualifications• NVQ Level 4 Care Management

• RMA Registered Managers award

• TDLB D32 & D33 Assessor

training award

• TDLB D34 Internal verifiers award

Why I chose Helping HandsI chose Helping hands because of its values and ethos in regards to empowering our customers to live the life they wish to live, by having the choice and control over the service they receive in their own homes.

Why I chose care I have always worked in a customer focused environment, and during my first year as a bookings consultant with my previous employer, I discovered that booking nurses into temporary placements although quite challenging at times was not the side of care that I wanted to be in. I very quickly became involved in the quality of the service that we were supplying and how this impacted on the customer and their families. I am passionate about providing quality support and care to enable people to remain in their own homes and pursue their chosen lifestyle, regardless of age, disability and geographical area.

Meet Heather Fenton, Your Central Regional Manager

NEW STAFF INTERVIEW

What Salary do we pay? Our Live In Carers are paid between £400 - £500 per week with some variance above and below due to the complexity of needs of the particular customer.

What areas do we cover for Live-in Care?Our Live-in Care service covers the whole of England, Wales and the Channel Islands.

How long do you have to work for at one time?We provide both temporary and permanent placements. In a temporary placement the Carer will not be assigned an ongoing customer and the length of the placement may vary dependant on the customer’s needs. In a permanent placement the carer is assigned an on going customer and is required to be available for a minimum of 6 weeks at a time.

What sort of people do we care for?We care for anyone over the age of 18 with various different levels of care needs.

Are our Carers self employed?

Carers are employed by the company on a zero hours contract.

How long will it take to start work after completing the training?We endeavour to get our Carers placed with a customer as soon after training as possible but this is dependant on how long it takes for the Carers to be made compliant with satisfactory references and a clear DBS. Placement will also depend on the customer requirements at the time. It is important for us to match Carers with customers so the carer can build up a rapport with them and this is one of the reasons that may delay placement of a Carer.

How long does a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) take and how much does it cost?DBS varies depending on the particular candidate and their background. DBS can take anything from 2 days to 3 months and cannot be guaranteed in terms of time as each request is handled individually. The cost of the DBS is £50.

Do you pay for travel costs? Travel costs will be reimbursed for journeys to a placement and when leaving a placement on the production of the relevant tickets or receipts. Travel cost are not reimbursed when a carer takes leave.

What qualifications can I gain? Carers can complete their QCF level 2 in Health and Social Care. Helping Hands employees complete different levels of QCF depending on their job role, with level 2 being relevant for the role of a care worker.

Recruitment FAQs

Sausage and MashIngredient:• Sausages of choice• Potatoes 2-3 per person

Equipment:• Peeler• Knife• Chopping board• Saucepan • Grill pan

Method:• Peel potatoes and cut into pieces

• Place in saucepan and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch

• Add enough cold water to cover potatoes and place on the hob to boil

• Lower the heat once potatoes are boiling

• Boiling potatoes will take approximately 30 minutes depending on their size

• Test with a knife to ensure soft

• Pre heat grill

• While potatoes are boiling, place sausages onto the grill pan

• Prick sausages with a knife to allow excess fats to escape and prevent the sausage bursting while cooking

• Place the sausages under the hot grill, not to close to the heat source

• Sausages cook very quickly under a grill; rotate the sausages to ensure even cooking on all sides

• To add colour to the meal add additional vegetables

• Frozen peas are very healthy and easy to cook

• Use a microwavable container with a small amount of water to cook peas for around 6 minutes – depending on microwave power

Mrs Smiths Old Thyme Recipes

• To add colour to the meal add additional vegetables

• Frozen peas are very healthy and easy to cook

• Use a microwavable container with a small amount of

water to cook peas for around 6 minutes – depending on microwave power.

• Placing the peas in a saucepan and cover with boiling water

is a quick method for cooking peas on the hob

• Once potatoes are soft, drain the water from the saucepan

and mash potatoes to a light fluffy texture

• Adding a dash of milk and a knob of butter to mashed potatoes will give a lighter, creamy consistency

• Strain peas and serve with the sausage and mash

• Your customer may like seasoning to add further taste.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

The end result...

The most powerful message we can tell you about Helping Hands comes directly from our customers.

Helping Hands first met Bernard Bugalski and his son Robert in April 2012 , Robert was passionate about bringing his father out of residential care and back to his home in Peterborough. 16 months on the Bugalski family were keen to celebrate how live in care has helped improve their lives, living with dementia. This is what Robert had to say:

How did you hear about Helping Hands?

I was out having coffee with friends and I heard about Helping Hands by chance. Helping Hands was recommended highly through one of my friends.

Why did you choose Live in care?

We originally used agency Carers but it was not providing the support my dad needed. By choosing Live-in Care it gave the best possible support for my dad. It has improved his quality of life and given me that peace of mind that I didn’t have before.

What do you think of Helping Hands?

Helping Hands in one word is fantastic! Not only do Helping Hands have great Carers but there is also managerial support if any queries or concerns arise. This is 24 hour support which has made a real difference.

What does your dad think of his Carer?

Dad really enjoys spending time with his Carer. Dad likes having someone around all the time. He seems much happier and settled and no longer feels vulnerable and lonely.

What would you say to anybody looking at their care options?

Other alternatives did not work for us ; Care homes really were not suitable for my dad. I would 100% recommend Helping Hands.

What difference has it made to you?

Not only has my fathers quality of life improved but so has mine. All the stress I felt with agency Carers went when I changed to using Helping Hands for my Dads care. All my worries have gone and I can now sleep at night. Helping Hands has had a huge positive impact on my dad’s life and mine. It has enabled us to have a proper father/son relationship as it’s allowed me to have quality time with my Dad again.

Anything else you would like to share?

Helping Hands has provided comfort, compassion and care for me and my Dad. I am content knowing my dad is safe and happy. The care that he is currently receiving cannot in my opinion be met, found or provided in a care home establishment.

Bernard and Robert work closely with the local support team led by Clare Turner.

“Every time I visit Bernard I get a rendition of ‘you are my only sunshine’, he is always in a good mood”.

Clare Turner, Local Care Service Manager for East Anglia

Our customers speak for themselves...

Helping Hands has had a huge positive impact on my dad’s life and mine. It has enabled us to have a proper father/son relationship as it’s allowed me to have quality time with my Dad again.

“

“Our customers speak for themselves...

Istvan Nyitrai Carer of Bernard Bugalski

Where are you from?I’m from Hungary

What did you do prior to working at Helping Hands?Before Helping Hands, I was a Carer assistant in a care home for a year here in the UK.

How did you find about the job at Helping Hands?I saw an advert on the internet and I thought I will give it a try.

What made you choose Care as a job?First of all, for me this is not a Job and it never will be! This is a service for people who need help. The smiles of the customers are priceless when you see it.

What were your perceptions of Care before you became a Carer? The same thought, to help people is not a job, and those people who work as a Carer

MEET...ISTAN NYITRAI

WHY I CHOSE TO CAREthey want to make difference.

What do your friends and Family think of you as a Carer? They think I never go anywhere :)

What is the best thing(s) you like about your job?The smile I get is a reward, and of course the high organisation from Helping Hands team.

What would you say to other people considering care work? If you can make difference, if you really respect people and you are strong minded, than join to us.

SuggestionsAt Helping Hands we aim to continuously improve your daily experience at work. In order to do this effectively we need your thoughts. We welcome all suggestions big and small. Tell us how you think we can improve our work processes, where we work or your ideas on the next social event; anything that you feel would improve the quality of your day.

As a thank you for suggestions, we will pay a reward of up to £100 for those ideas we decide to implement. If you have any suggestions, please email them to:suggestions@helpinghands.co.uk

Mel Dawson Senior Registered Nurse Specialist

top tips

Medication RecordsAdministration and documentation regarding medications are an important and serious part of a Carers job. Carers need to be vigilant. All information regarding the medication is in your support plan. All relevant documentation should be completed, if you are unable to complete any part of the documentation for any reason ensure that you use the correct code, which are shown at the bottom of the form. Also make sure that you put down why, this needs to be stated in the Carer notes section. The completion of medication should be noted in your log book. This is also applicable for any creams used. Make sure you are signing the MAR sheets for creams and if you haven’t used the cream on that visit it still needs to be signed to say why it hasn’t been applied. Make sure you use BLACK INK when filling out any of your documentation.

Personal CareShavingIn your training you may have been told that in no case must you shave your customer. But if it is stated in the support plan you can. This means it has been risk assessed by our team and is acceptable to do so. Make sure you wear gloves, use a good quality razor and a shaving product.

Nail cuttingSome of our customers require Carers to provide some simple nail-care to them, this may be because they are not eligible for free chiropody service or may have difficulty in accessing the service.

If your customer requires this assistance from carers then it will be discussed at point of assessment and a decision will be made regarding the level of risk in performing this task on their behalf and information put into place in the support plan – in training like the shaving we tell you that this task should only be completed if it is included in the support plan – we never say “NO” we always say “let’s find a way”.

If you are able to provide nail-care to your customer you should use nail clippers and have soaked the hands or feet in warm water to soften the nail before attempting to trim them – taking care not to go too short and using a nail file/emery board to file off any rough edges.

– Mel Dawson, Senior Registered Nurse Specialist

OUR VALUES

EXCELLENCE EVERY TIME FOCUS ON PEOPLE

LISTENING & UNDERSTANDING

BUILDING ON OUR SUCCESS

Human Resource Department

A message from the HR Department:

As laws and legislation often change, we have a legal obligation to ensure that those changes are made within the company and that all of our employees are aware of these changes. In October 2012 we launched the new Disciplinary Policy and Procedure, this has now been amended. The changes made to this policy are very minor however you need to be made aware.

The formal procedure now consists of 2 stages rather than 3 stages, these stages are:

Stage 1 – Written Warning – This will stay on file for 6 months

Stage 2 – Final Written Warning – This will stay on file for 12 months

We would also like to remind you that if the authorities are involved we may be requested to hand over the case to them and therefore we will not be able to communicate full details to you.

These changes take affect immediately. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

In health and safety lingo, the terms “accident” and “incident” may appear to be interchangeable – but they’re not.

An incident is any situation that unexpectedly arises in the workplace which has the potential to cause injury, damage or harm. An accident is actually an incident that resulted in someone being injured or damage being done to property.

As an example, if someone leaves a ladder leaning in an unsafe position and it falls over without harming anyone or causing damage to the premises or to any items on the premises, that is an incident.

If the ladder lands on someone when it falls over, causing injury to the person, that is an accident.

All work-related accidents and incidents must be reported, no matter how small or insignificant you think they may be at the time.

We have introduced two new email addresses to make this as easy as possible for you. If you are a carer - please report any accidents or incidents to CarerAccidents&Incidents@helpinghands.co.uk or directly to your Line Manager.

If the accident or incident involves your customer then this should be reported to CustomerAccidents&Incidents@helpinghands.co.uk or directly to your Line Manager.

Although the word “accident” may imply something that is outside of our control, in fact most accidents are preventable, if people follow the health and safety guidelines and policies that we have put into place. Stay Safe.

FAMOUS ENGLISH EXPRESSION AND IT’S MEANINGWHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING.”“Meaning:Strong people don’t give up when they come across challenges. They just work harder.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTETOO OFTEN WE UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A TOUCH, A SMILE, A KIND WORD, A LISTENING EAR, AN HONEST COMPLIMENT, OR THE SMALLEST ACT OF CARING, ALL OF WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO TURN A LIFE AROUND.”

Leo Buscaglia (was a professor in the Department of Special Education)

“

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS

Louise’s skydive raises £362 for the Charity for Young Carers

“I would like to thank all of you who sponsored me for my Skydive and supporting the charity for Young Carers. I raised a total of £362.00 for the charity and also had a tremendous amount of fun doing the sky dive. If any of you ever want to complete a sky dive I recommend it and please invite me as I will be more than happy to do it again.”

Thanks again for all the support and sponsors. Louise Fitter

HappyBirthday!

The Home Care SpecialistsThe Home Care Specialists

Dementia Helpline call 0808 161 1626

Helping Hands Home Care, Eastern Region, First Floor, Calverton House, Harpenden Road, St Albans, Herts, AL3 5AB

Telephone: 01727 224 170 Email: enquiries@helpinghands.co.uk Website: www.helpinghands.co.ukCare Provider to Social Services. A division of Midshires Care Ltd. Registered office: Arrow House, 8-9 Church Street, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5AJ. Registered in England and Wales No. 3959933. Helping Hands is registered and therefore licenced to provide services, by the Care Quality Commission (Provider ID: 1-101671690). For more information visit www.cqc.org.uk

TWITTERNick Clegg: We can’t turn our backs on #dementia or those who need our care & support. That’s why I joined @alzheimerssoc #DementiaFriends

Multi-million pound investment for ‘ground-breaking’ research into dementia1 Read more ow.ly/nMEPd Via @carehome_co_uk

NewsIt’s the East Team’s 1st Birthday! The East Team would like to thank all of you for your continued support over the past year.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Central Region

Heather Fenton Regional Manager01789 767160 heather.fenton@helpinghands.co.uk

Roz Ness Local Care Services Manager - West Midlands 01789 767998 rosalind.ness@helpinghands.co.uk

Marie McKinley/Liza Harrison Local Care Service Manager – Worcestershire01789 767960 marie.mckinley@helpinghands.co.uk/liza.harrison@helpinghands.co.uk

Monica Whitehurst Local Care Service Manager - Warwickshire 01789 767989 monica.whitehurst@helpinghands.co.uk

Julie-Ann Rose Local Care Services Manager – Devon and Cornwall 01579 550562julie-ann.rose@helpinghands.co.uk

Suzannah Cook Local Care Services Manager – Somerset and Wiltshire01225 433503suzannah.cook@helpinghands.co.uk

Sarah Peskett Assistant Care Manager 01789 767999 Weds & Thurs sarah.peskett@helpinghands.co.uk

Tanya Davis Assistant Care Manager 01789 767965tanya.davis@helpinghands.co.uk

Liz Badjie Assistant Care Manager01789 767173liz.badjie@helpinghands.co.uk

Claire Casson Regional Support Assistant01789 767956claire.casson@helpinghands.co.uk

North Region

Julie Perry Regional Manager and Registered Manager 0113 3229151 julie.perry@helpinghands.co.uk

Fiona Small Local Care Services Manager - Cheshire01270 444108 fiona.small@helpinghands.co.uk

Alison Taylor Local Care Services Manager - East Midlands 0115 896 7889 alison.taylor@helpinghands.co.uk

Amanda Campbell Local Care Services Manager - North East 0113 887 8981 amanda.campbell@helpinghands.co.uk

Jo McGuffie-Jordan Local Care Services Manager – Manchester 01204 325145 jo.mcguffie-jordan@helpinghands.co.uk

Tina Waite Assistant Care Manager0113 3229153 tina.waite@helpinghands.co.uk

Jackie Dunbar Assistant Care Manager0113 3229154Jacqueline.dunbar@helpinghands.co.uk

Rachel Gibson Regional Support Assistant0113 3229150 Part Timerachel.gibson@helpinghands.co.uk

Chelsea Allen Regional Support Assistant0113 3229150 Part Timechelsea.allen@helpinghands.co.uk

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR CARE MANAGER AND THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE, THEN PLEASE SPEAK TO ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CARE MANAGERS.

East Region

Karen Jackson Regional Manager01727 224171 karen.jackson@helpinghands.co.uk

Clare Turner Local Care Services Manager - East Anglia 01440 840465 clare.turner@helpinghands.co.uk

Linda Desborough Local Care Services Manager - North London & Essex 020 8150 7119 linda.desborough@helpinghands.co.uk

Angela Laurence Local Care Service Manager – Herefordshire 01727 229921 angela.laurence@helpinghands.co.uk

Bridie Williamson Local Care Services Manager - Oxfordshire Number TBC bridie.williamson@helpinghands.co.uk

Ian Clayfield Assistant Care Manager 01727 224173 ian.clayfield@helpinghands.co.uk

Kirsty Prendiville Assistant Care Manager 01727 224172kirsty.prendiville@helpinghands.co.uk

Dawn Mujuru Regional Support Administrator 01727 224174 dawn.mujuru@helpinghands.co.uk

South East Region

Julie Gillam Regional and Registered Manager 01372 231351julie.gillam@helpinghands.co.uk

Georgie Early Local Care Services Manager - Kent 01634 560757 georgie.early@helpinghands.co.uk

Sally McLennan Local Care Services Manager - Surrey Number TBC sally.mclennan@helpinghands.co.uk.

Angela Atkinson Local Care Services Manager - Sussex 01903 800038 angela.atkinson@helpinghands.co.uk

Jo Bruen Local Care Services – Hampshire and Dorset 023 8001 9660jo.bruen@helpinghands.co.uk

Melissa McSorley Assistant Care Manager 01372 231353melissa.mcsorley@helpinghands.co.uk

Jenna Coakes On Secondment - Assistant Care Manager/LCSM 01372 231354jenna.coakes@helpinghands.co.uk

Sam Kellali Temporary Regional Support Administrator01372 231355sam.kellali@helpinghands.co.uk

Amy O’Neill Live in Administrator01789 767168amy.oneill@helpinghands.co.uk