BISHOP FLEMING CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS VOTED UK'S TOP REGIONAL TEAM
Accountancy firm, Bishop Fleming, has won the national title as the best tax practice in a regional firm.
The tax team at Bishop Fleming, already Britain’s fastest growing Top 50 accountancy firm, was announced the winner of the 2013 LexisNexis Taxation Award at a black-tie event attended by 700 tax professionals at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel.
The firm’s head of tax, Andrew Browne, said: “This is a huge accolade for the tax team in all our offices, and confirms that our tax strategy is working.
HPC has won the Property Consultants of the Year title at the prestigious HealthInvestor Awards. Directors Ian Wilkie and Nigel Newton Taylor collected the trophy from veteran broadcaster and journalist Andrew Neil in front of 1,200 guests at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane.
Chandler & Co are delighted to announce
the appointment of Sean Hurden as a Senior Broker. Sean brings a wealth of knowledge from the banking sector where he has gained over 22 years experience
focusing on all areas of the Healthcare Sector, including Care Homes,
Children’s Day Nurseries, Dentists, Pharmacies and GP Surgeries.
The recent c.£700m Spire Hospital sale & leaseback to Moor Park Capital
Partners and acquisition of Optimum (Avery Healthcare) by Four Seasons Health
Care, where Knight Frank was advisor and agent respectively, has demonstrated
compelling investor demand into UK healthcare. It's too early to call a
definitive change in the market but lenders do appear to be backing quality
businesses and at scale.
Inspectors to study care home finances in bid to prevent sudden closures
Care home inspectors are to be given new powers to
monitor financial records in a bid to prevent increasing numbers of sudden
closures that leave elderly residents with nowhere to live.
The Care Home industry over the last 5 years has seen both
challenging and changing market conditions. With a seemingly reluctance of the
banks to lend, supposedly reduced values being quoted to sellers and the ever
increasing importance for a Home not to have any outstanding requirements, one
would think the outlook was bleak – not the case.
A group of leading
care providers and associations has announced plans for a national care home
open day to be held on Friday, 21st June 2013. The idea behind the day is to
encourage communities to go into their local care homes and connect with the
residents.
A day in the life of... a care home manager - from The Guardian
Tui Shirley, who works at the Oasis Care Home in Plymouth, on meditation, management and a typical Monday morning Tui Shirley is registered manager and provider of the Oasis Care Home in Plymouth.
5.30am: The alarm wakes me. I start my day with a prayer and meditation to assist me as a full-time working mother and manager of 40 care home staff. I wake the children, get them ready for school and give them breakfast, engaging all my skills as a mother to prompt my son to "get a move on". At 7.30am we grab coats and bags and fly out of the door.
Bigger, more expert inspection teams and performance ratings by Chief Inspectors
Care Quality Commission publishes its plans for the next three
years
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has
announced it will be introducing bigger, more expert inspection teams that will
spend longer in hospitals talking to people. These will be led by a Chief
Inspector who will also oversee performance ratings.
In launching its plans for the next
three years, the CQC has emphasised that its role is to be firmly on the side of
patients and people who use services.
It has also promised to publish better
information for the public, helping them to easily find and understand its
reports on care services – this will include ratings of
services.
The Commission will change the way it
inspects to make sure it looks at the things that are most important to people:
are services safe, effective, caring and well led, and do they respond to
people’s needs?
Following consultation with services, the Care
Quality Commission (CQC) has published details of the fees to be paid by
providers, including newly registered NHS primary medical services (GP
practices) from 1 April 2013.
All services registered with the CQC are required
under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to pay fees to cover the cost of
registration and inspection.
The new fee structures have been approved by the
Secretary of State for Health, and reflect government guidance that the CQC must
recover the costs of regulation from providers.
CQC finds Mental Capacity Act not well understood across all sectors and calls for more work by providers and commissioners to improve.
CQC’s report on its monitoring of the
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards reveals that there is still a widespread lack
of understanding of the wider Mental Capacity Act. The Mental Capacity Act is a very important
mechanism for protecting the rights of people who do not have the ability
(mental capacity) to make certain decisions for themselves.
CQC’s evidence shows that in some care
homes and hospitals, people’s freedom to make decisions for themselves is
restricted without proper consideration of their ability to consent or
refuse.
It's time to say out loud - the market is turning - by Ian Wilkie, Director, HPC
This comment from Ian Wilkie appears in the March 2013 issue of Healthcare
Business magazine.
There comes a point in every
recession when the gloominess of the situation is accepted and becomes the
norm. Energy put into resistance and
denial has been spent and the received wisdom is that things ‘are what they are’,
and we just have to accept it.
Ageing population will have huge impact on social
services
A Lords inquiry
has prompted warnings there is no proper plan is in place to cope with the
dramatic increase in over-65s.
Startling details about
Britain's rapidly ageing population and its
potential impact on social services have emerged in evidence to a parliamentary
inquiry, prompting warnings that no proper plan is in place to cope with the
dramatic increase in those aged over 65.
Inspections of care homes by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have more than trebled from 4,391 in 2010-11 to 14,264 in 2011-12, according to commercial law firm EMW.
Inspections of care
homes by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have more than trebled from 4,391 in
2010-11 to 14,264 in 2011-12, according to commercial law firm EMW.
The firm warns that, with the advent of Clinical Commissioning
Groups replacing Primary Care Trusts in April, failing an inspection could see
over cautious CCGs putting a brake on placements The huge rise in inspections
follows the toughening of regulations in the wake of a slew of exposés about
the mistreatment of care home patients by care workers in 2010 and 2011.
Untapped Potential by Liz Woollett, Partner - Chandler & Co
Talking
to us regularly, our clients know they make the most of our market knowledge
and use us a confidential sounding board.
We can help focus on areas which bring the greatest benefits.
Are you making the most of your
assets?
Whether considering an acquisition, adding accommodation or a new
project from scratch, it is crucial to be clear on the amount of funds
available. Taking expert advice may help
you avoid wasting time and money on projects you can’t, or maybe simply
shouldn’t, undertake. Be sure you have impartial advice; your bank manager
might be holding you back to bring your objections in line with theirs.
CQC launches new digital innovations to improve transparency around care services
On
Thursday 29 November the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is launching a raft of
new digital improvements including an email alert service, an information
sharing CQC Widget and improved historical information on care
homes.
Coalition plan for £75,000 cap on elderly care bills
The Telegraph reports that David Cameron and Nick Clegg are close
to agreeing a deal to provide universal state funding for elderly care for the
first time, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
The 2012 update of the Healthcare Development report assesses recent development
trends within the UK Healthcare sector. It reveals that while there remains
strong appetite among several major operators to develop new care homes,
restricted development finance has led to a marked fall in development
completions.
Care home funding – there is a choice of lenders !
Over the
past few years we have seen many changes in funding offers for the Care Sector.
Loan to values have been reduced by up to 10%. Margins significantly increased
as the base rate fell to its historic low of 0.5%. A sector that had
historically seen margins of 1% and even lower in some circumstances saw
typical margins head towards 3%.
We may just
be starting to see things changing. We are seeing lenders reducing the margins
that they are offering – maybe the lenders are becoming more eager to lend!
Sir Michael Parkinson urges people to talk about dementia in new campaign
The Broadcaster is appearing in a campaign to persuade millions of people to face up to having 'difficult conversations' with elderly relatives about the possibility they have dementia.
For what, so far, has been another challenging year in the healthcare industry, Chandler & co have continued to deliver results in arranging finance packages, not only for existing care home operators but also for new entrants to the sector. There have been many changes over the past few years, but what has proved most vital in Chandler & Co’s success is an extensive network of reliable contacts and valued long lasting relationships with many of those involved in what can often be difficult protracted transactions.
Care home chains launch ratings survey as watchdog turns new leaf
Independent survey will
cover 850 homes run by 13 operators, and has backing of new CQC chief David
Behan
Almost 50,000 people living in care homes will next
week be asked to rate their experience, in the first sign of a new approach to
the way health and social care is
monitored after a collapse of confidence in the system based on a single
watchdog.
Edward Symmons - Healthcare Newsflash September 2012
The
Million Dollar Question
One of the most common questions that is posed to care home valuers
once the conversation has moved beyond “your invoice is how much………!!!!!!???”
and “can I have some more please……………!!!!!????” is “how is the care home market
currently performing?”
Men could soon expect to live as long and in some cases outlive women.
Professor Les
Mayhew of Cass Business School, part of City University London, recently
revealed that men could soon expect to live as long as, or in some
cases, outlive women.
Applications for Workforce Development Dementia Fund now open - the closing date for applications is 13th August 2012
The Department of Health has commissioned Skills for Care to
support the delivery of a national learning and development programme for the
adult social care workforce supporting people with dementia.
Bank of England maintains Bank Rate at 0.5% and increases size of Asset Purchase Programme by £50 billion to £375 billion
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee today voted to maintain the official Bank Rate paid on commercial bank reserves at 0.5%. The Committee also voted to increase the size of its asset purchase programme, financed by the issuance of central bank reserves, by £50 billion to a total of £375 billion.
Cabinet Office publish White Paper on quality measures
A group of care providers have come together with Government and agreed six quality measures, and their performance on these, will be published by them and available to the public on their own websites.
CQC publishes first full analysis of performance and risk in health and social care
Today, the Care Quality Commission publishes a comprehensive ‘snapshot’ of the performance of health and social care providers in England , based on unannounced inspections of over 14,000 locations.
Coventry-headquartered ExtraCare Charitable Trust has secured a £120m funding arrangement with Lloyds Bank to support its growth plans in the Midlands the North of England.
Care Home Operators to have proper arrangements for Residents who lack mental capacity
The Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (draft) have been published. Care home operators should note that Regulation 5 will require that service providers put in place suitable arrangements when a resident is not able to give their consent.
A number of care home owners will already have received requests, usually from solicitors, for information about the eligibility of residents in their home for NHS continuing health care.
A DRIVE FOR QUALITY – Funding is available to help you get there!
Any business that can see an increased demand for the services it offers is surely in a fortunate and strong position considering the current economic uncertainty. Unfortunately this is not the case in the care sector as the continued drive for improved quality will eventually create an even wider gap between supply and demand.
At Chandler & Co, as you would expect, my day is filled with conversations with Care Operators sector across the country. It’s a great way to understand what’s really going on in the market; as a trusted ally, I am often involved in early discussions around investment plans, short and long term strategies and group structures.
The Knight Frank Healthcare Investment report provides an updated regional assessment of investment and leasing performance in the Healthcare sector, with a focus on corporately operated care homes.
Traditionally, the Queen’s Speech marks the State Opening of Parliament and the beginning of the Parliamentary session. The Speech outlines the Government’s proposed policies, expected legislation for the coming session, and an overview of what has been accomplished in the past session. While it is the Queen who delivers the speech in the House of Lords, the text is prepared entirely by the Government and approved by the Cabinet.
The first seminar is to be held on Thursday, 31st May in Nottingham and is by invitation only. We are limiting attendees to 20 persons. The morning should provide a deeper understanding of the business sector as a whole and is an opportunity to meet and network with some key professionals.
Charity demands action on broken care exposed by Panorama
Alzheimer’s Society has today (Monday, 23 April 2012) set out five areas that require urgent reform to end abuse in care homes. The call comes ahead of shocking footage to be shown on BBC’s Panorama tonight, which shows serious abuse of a vulnerable person with dementia at a care home previously rated excellent by the CQC.
A CQC spokesman said “CQC carries out an unannounced inspection of every care and nursing home in England every year – more often if we believe people may be at risk. This system of regulation can and does identify poor care which CQC then takes action to tackle.
Thank you for taking time to read the current issue of The Social Care Newsletter.
As always we have tried to make the new version a little different from the last. We are also now getting outside contributions to the newsletter which will widen the views provided to the subscribers.......
CQC publishes 18 more reports from its review of services for people with learning disabilities
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) today publishes a further 18 reports from a targeted programme of 150 unannounced inspections of hospitals and care homes that care for people with learning disabilities.
The programme is looking at whether people experience safe and appropriate care, treatment and support and whether they are protected from abuse. A national report into the findings of the programme will be published later this year.
Some care homes and hospitals are still not meeting their obligations on liberty safeguards, says CQC
Awareness of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in care homes and hospitals grew in 2010-2011 but staff training on how to apply them was still patchy, leading to inconsistent practice, says the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
CQC publishes 19 more reports from its review of services for people with learning disabilities
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) today publishes a further 19 reports from a targeted programme of 150 unannounced inspections of hospitals and care homes that care for people with learning disabilities.
The programme is looking at whether people experience safe and appropriate care, treatment and support and whether they are protected from abuse. A national report into the findings of the programme will be published later this year.
The Care Quality Commission was established four years ago (the fourth regulator of care homes in eight years!) to take over the roles of three previous inspectorates – Commission for Social Care Inspection, Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Commission. As almost all the staff of the three Commissions transferred across, the skills and knowledge were retained.
Four Seasons care homes in talks with new investors
Four Seasons, Britain's biggest care homes operator, is in talks with potential new equity investors to help the business grapple with its crippling debt burden.
Most commentators have picked up on the fact that more new care homes have opened their doors in the last two years than since the early 1990s. Rather than taking a blind date with market trends, well-funded operators have sought to build portfolios of fit for purpose accommodation, meeting the needs of increasingly dependent and discerning service users.
DEMAND FOR CARE HOME BEDS RISES IN RUN UP TO SOCIAL CARE FUNDING REVAMP
As the country awaits word from the government on how it intends to revamp the way in which adult social care is funded, latest research from healthcare intelligence provider Laing & Buisson finds that despite public policy which favours non-residential solutions to support needs of the country’s ageing population, efforts to divert demand away from care homes appear to be running out of steam.
NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE: Care Quality Commission: Regulating the quality and safety of health and social care
A statement from The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts:
We have all been shocked by the recent reports showing that some hospitals are failing to provide the most basic care to elderly and vulnerable patients. The CQC is the body responsible for protecting patients and ensuring that basic standards of care are met, but this report raises serious concerns about whether it is up to scratch.
