Partners in innovation

Evidencing improved care

WCS Care and Coventry University are working together on a number of PhD studies which will investigate the impact of a range of factors on the health and wellbeing of residents. This first-of-a-kind research could help us, and other care providers, develop their approaches to care ensuring residents enjoy life to its fullest - after all, just because someone lives in a care home doesn't mean every day can't be well lived.

Studies will cover a range of topics including sleep, nutrition, the benefits of time outside, self-management and responsive care, and the use of robotics and digital technologies.

As part of one of the programmes we are working together on, WCS created the opportunity for a student to live (rent-free) in our Kenilworth home, Castle Brook, where they could conduct their research in return for volunteering their time by contributing to activities for the residents. Yordanka Karayaneva applied for the position and moved into Castle Brook to conduct her research into the use of robots (physical or sensors) in care. It was an experience that changed her life, and she's shared with us some of her experiences and the lessons she learned while she lived with us. Read Yordanka's blog here. 

Electronic care planning - making more time for care

At WCS Care, we use Person Centred Software's electronic care planning to record our care. Using handheld devices, carers capture the care they deliver in the moment quickly and effectively, building a detailed picture of each resident's care. And for managers we've a suite of reports that give them instant access to everything they need to know about their residents' health and care. 

We're also using Person Centred Software's Relatives' Gateway - giving relatives remote access to care notes 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

Acoustic monitoring - a better night's sleep

WCS Care is the first care home provider in England to install CLB's acoustic monitoring system. Using discrete monitoring, the system, which comes on at night, detects sounds in residents' rooms and sends an alert when the sound level in a room exceeds individually set thresholds. Because the alerts are constantly monitored, we've no need to do hourly door checks and can leave people to sleep if they don't need us.

The system has other benefits too - from providing staff with back-up when they're lone working in a room to talking residents to sleep, we're supporting team members and residents in ways we simply couldn't before. We've even seen a reduction in falls in one home - could this be because people are having a better night's sleep?

Stimulating appetites by cooking food in the household

At WCS Care we're trying a new dining experience for residents. In our latest home, we've done away with the central catering kitchen and are, instead, cooking food in the ovens on each household. Using Apetito's range of meals and preparing food in this way means we're able to enhance residents' dining experience in a number of ways - not least of which is the fact that people can smell food being cooked, stimulating their appetite and preparing them to eat. We can also offer a wider choice of hot meals at each sitting and be more flexible about when residents have their main hot meal of the day. 

Thinking ahead so residents have the right bed

Whilst we need to ensure our beds provide all of the safety and health benefits that our residents may need, from rails to a range of positions, we don't agree that beds need to look institutional. At our latest home, Castle Brook, we've matched the colour of the beds to the other furniture, giving residents more control and choice over the look of their room. And we're also putting the latest Opera bed to the test for residents who might need a bed which can lower right down to the floor, or at least go lower than other standard profiling beds.

Making bathing an experience

With ensuite rooms now the norm in our new homes (and being fit where possible in older homes) and people showering to get clean, we've realised that baths are used for a more relaxing, pampering experience. With this in mind, we've introduced luxury spa baths in our new builds and have a programme of replacing our assisted baths with spa baths across the group as they come up for renewal. These new baths provide a more immersive experience, tipping gently back so residents can relax under warm, bubbling water. Combine this with the lights, aromatherapy scents and music, and bathing becomes a truly pampering experience.

Engaging training

At WCS Care, we use Altura Learning's training materials to support our in-house training provision, but as with most things, we like to bring our own twist to the way we use their content - in particular bringing our value of 'play' into the training environment to make every session memorable through fun, interactive moments. 

Promoting quality care in the not-for-profit sector

WCS Care is a member of the National Care Forum (NCF) which offers us the opportunity to connect with other not-for-profit providers in the care sector, as well as those from the wider health and care sector. WCS Care believes that sharing best practice offers us and other care providers the opportunity to learn and improve the care we provide to residents. The Innovation Hub is just one of the tools we use to share our experience, learning and innovative approaches to care with members of the NCF and the wider health and care sector.

Interactive portable technology

We were looking for a multi-functional tool that brings the benefit of the internet and apps to residents in a format that's easy for people to use, regardless of their ability or personal care circumstances - and the Tiny Tablet helps us achieve that. Working with the CLH Group, we've introduced the portable table-turned-tablet at one of our homes, benefitting from easy-to-use technology that's fun and engaging without ongoing software licensing costs.