Press Release

Nuneaton-headquartered Almond Care has cautioned against the use of non-Ofsted registered residential homes for vulnerable young people, following a high-profile case heard before the Liverpool Family Court.

The Court heard that some unregistered homes, despite being paid up to £20,000 by local authorities, left children at serious risk.

One child has now had to be placed under a Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) Order in another unregistered home as a result of a lack of security and support as their previous placement.

Almond Care has flagged the challenges posed to local authorities and young people under their care by unregistered and unregulated children’s homes, particularly for those with additional health or behavioural needs.

Julia Senah, Clinical Director at Almond Care, said: “We know that this is a serious problem faced by too many young people, that they’re not receiving the care and support they need from residential placements.  

“As a result, we’re seeing children put at increased risk because they’re not receiving the correct early intervention from specialist residential care providers. As we’ve seen from these cases heard in Liverpool, it’s putting young people in the way of physical and emotional harm, including becoming involved in criminal activity.”

A major contributing factor, said the care provider, is the lack of registration with Ofsted.

The body, responsible for assessing and rating schools and children’s services providers, helps to ensure that children’s residential care facilities are properly equipped, that staff have the correct training and knowledge, and that the home is able to provide a safe and inclusive environment.

Julia finished: “Children’s care homes have such an incredible responsibility towards the young people in their care – making regulatory bodies like Ofsted of utmost importance.

“While a lack of registration doesn’t necessarily indicate a poor service, it can mean a lack of accountability and benchmarks for success and improvement.

“What we have ultimately seen in the last few weeks is that there is little reason to avoid registration with Ofsted, and plenty of reason to do it.

“All our Almond Care Children’s Services homes are Ofsted-registered and rated Good. This is really important for us, because it helps us deliver support for our clients in line with the latest guidelines and maintain an excellent standard of care.”

By Julia Senah, Clinical Director, Almond Care

As a complex care provider, I’m no stranger to the ‘finding a cure’ approach to progressive and disabling medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia more widely – of which Alzheimer’s disease causes around 70 per cent of all cases.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most challenging conditions facing the UK’s ageing population. 982,000 people are currently living with some form of dementia in the UK, predicted by the Alzheimer’s Society to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

I work with individuals and loved ones dealing with conditions and injuries which have, for many years, been the subject of curative research, so the question of whether the Government is prioritising one for Alzheimer’s disease is a natural one.

However, I’ve also seen the incredible value of the right complex care for individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions – which begs the question whether the Government is opting for this route instead.

Is dementia a priority for the Government?

Successive Governments have asserted the dangers of dementia to public health and wellbeing for patients, but what is being done about it?

In the Labour Party’s 2024 Election manifesto, the Government pledged to put “Britain at the forefront of transforming treatment for dementia”.

It is not yet fully clear how it will achieve this – we may see funding announced in the forthcoming Autumn Budget – but this key area of research is likely to figure into the Government’s pledge to “drive innovation” in pharmaceuticals and medicine and support faster approvals for new technologies and medicines.

In the realm of care, the Government had a lot more to say in its manifesto – citing the need to address the challenges facing public healthcare with regard to patient demand, an ageing population and ongoing staff shortages.

It pledged to ensure that “everyone lives an independent, prosperous life” in its social care reform manifesto, efforts which will eventually create the National Care Service for a “home-first” approach to care.

It seems likely, then, that the Government’s priority is transforming care for those with progressive dementia, rather than solely finding a cure.

What can care do?

Whether the Government is aiming for an Alzheimer’s cure or not, it will doubtless be a long process that is occasionally stalled by funding or force majeure.

In short, it doesn’t address the complex and shifting needs of those with dementia in the here and now.

Care, including complex care for more advanced cases of dementia (Alzheimer’s-related or otherwise), is looking like the order of the day for living a full and independent life with dementia.

Care in the home is often viewed through a narrow lens, but it can achieve a significant amount, with support including:

• Daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning
• Hygiene and personal care
• Social support and transport
• 24-hour or live-in care
• Night care
• Complex medical support such as ventilation.

In other words, care is a spectrum. Dementia is an individual condition which progresses at different rates and intensities, with care available and tailored to each stage.

The progressive of the condition is one of the most frightening aspects of the condition, particularly as memory and mobility issues arise more frequently and severely. Individualised care can be there to step in when new challenges arise and ease the transition at every step.

Care that fits into a person’s life and individual needs looks to be the way forward, backed by the Government’s social care-led approach to supporting those with dementia.

While a cure doesn’t seem to be priority number one, it is certainly supported by forthcoming pledges to enhance the availability of cutting-edge treatments and therapies for the wider population.

While we wait, care is there to help individuals and loved ones in the fight with Alzheimer’s disease.  

To find out more information on how we can support those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, please contact our team.

Health and wellbeing for children and young people have rarely been off the collective lips of the adolescent care sector in recent weeks, following a General Election and King’s Speech filled with pledges to transform health and social care provisions.

Nuneaton-based children’s care provider, Almond Children’s Services, says that proposals to revolutionise support for the most vulnerable children are welcomed across the sector – but their success will depend on the willingness to act boldly.

Matthew Gorvin, Head of Children’s Services at Almond Care, said: “The communication from our new Government on children’s health and wellbeing is clear: security, fairness and opportunity.

“It seems to me that there will be a particular focus on youth justice and improving all aspects of social care, safeguarding and adoption to residential homes for young people, particularly from Janet Daby MP, the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Education.

“The Government’s aim to be a ‘mission-led’ administration is also apparent. I am very keen to see how this will play out once priority policies have been announced.”

Assessing the Government’s proposed policies, the provider particularly praised measures to address what authorities call the “woefully out of date” mental health legislation for children and young people, particularly those in care settings for whom the transition to independence in most challenging.

Matthew continued: “Within the sector, this is an area of shortfall in many ways, and has been noted by operators, staff and clients.

“One concern the care sector currently faces is the mental health of young adults moving out of children’s residential care. The statistics in relation to those people’s mental health, self-harm and even suicidal tendencies are alarming.

“This is not down to individual providers or staff, but rather seemingly down to the lack of infrastructure for young people transitioning into adulthood.

“For this reason, I’m really pleased to hear there is a proposal for a new legal right for children in residential care to see their families. This will further enforce the need for placing children closer to their families – but I think we can go further.

“There is still a significant shortfall of children’s homes in key areas, such as London and the South East. Despite the positive move made by current proposals, I feel there needs to be a greater emphasis on providing resources to local authorities to support local children’s homes.

“Alongside mental health treatment infrastructure, social support and safeguarding for vulnerable people, keeping young people local while accessing the support they need could set us on the path towards better all-round mental health for the most vulnerable.”

Almond Care, a leader in complex care services, is thrilled to announce its shortlisting for the prestigious Specialist Care Provider of the Year – Homecare or Supported Living category at the HealthInvestor Awards 2024.

This nomination recognises Almond Care’s dedication to delivering exceptional and tailored nursing care for individuals with complex needs, directly in their homes or supported living environments.

Since its founding, Almond Care has consistently demonstrated a client-centred approach, ensuring that each service user receives the highest standard of care, precisely tailored to their unique requirements.

“We are honoured to be recognised at the HealthInvestor Awards,” said Julia Senah, Managing Director at Almond Care.

“This nomination is a testament to our team’s hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our clients.

“We believe in putting the needs of our service users at the heart of everything we do, helping them to find the right nursing care that not only meets but exceeds their expectations.”

Almond Care’s expertise in complex care is underpinned by its ongoing commitment to training and development, ensuring that its care teams possess the skills and knowledge to provide specialised support for a wide range of conditions.

This approach has led to high levels of client satisfaction and contributed to the company’s continued growth and success within the healthcare sector.

The HealthInvestor Awards are highly regarded within the healthcare industry, celebrating excellence and innovation among organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the sector.

As Almond Care looks forward to the awards ceremony, the company remains committed to its mission of providing high-quality, personalised care and support, making a real difference in the lives of individuals and families across the UK.

For more information about Almond Care and its services, please contact us.

A nurse from Nuneaton who set up a business that has become a leading provider of complex care in the home has been shortlisted for a prestigious national business award for the second time this year.

Julia Senah, Clinical Director at Nuneaton-based Almond Care, established the business from her hospital bed more than 10 years ago before growing it to become one of the UK’s leading providers of complex care in the home.

Now she has been shortlisted in the ‘Hera’ category at the NatWest Everywoman Awards. The category celebrates the achievements of women entrepreneurs who established their business more than 10 years ago.

This is the second major national business award that Julia has been shortlisted for this year. She is currently also shortlisted for the Entrepreneur – Senior Leader category at the Black British Business Awards, which will reveal its winners next Friday 30 October.

Almond Care provides nurse-led complex care in the home to people living with conditions including spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, with an emphasis on offering bespoke care packages designed to enhance clients’ quality of life.

Julia established the firm from her hospital bed, having been in receipt of critical care following the birth of her son. This experience underpins Julia’s deep commitment to meeting clients’ needs as well as their clinical needs.

The rigorous judging process for the NatWest Everywoman Awards has already seen Almond Care make a detailed written submission nominating her based on her outstanding achievements over the last decade.

Julia said: “I want to show that with good judgment, a sound business plan, tenacity and hard work, it really is possible to establish a successful business that makes a vital difference to its clients.

“It is wonderful to have been shortlisted for the NatWest Everywoman Awards and all the more so, coming just weeks after being shortlisted for the Black British Business Awards.”

The winners of the NatWest Everywoman Awards will be announced on Thursday 3 December 2020 in an online ceremony.