ACCESS ALL CARE & TRAINING SOLUTIONS
Newsletter January 2018
Happy New Year Everyone!!
We hope January is off to a good start for you all.
We are very excited to confirm that Jessica Thomas successfully passed her CQC interview and is now the Registered Manager of Access All. Congratulations also goes to Siobhan Wade who is now the Deputy Manager and Safeguarding Lead. Amy will be stepping down as the Registered Manager due to maternity leave, Baby No.2 is due in February! When she returns, it will be in the capacity as Director.
We wish Jess and Siobhan the best of luck in their new roles, we are very confident in them both and will be there to support every step of the way!
In other news, we have reviewed all policies and procedures and delivered new ways of working to staff, this will be given to our families in due course. We have undertaken an audit of all medication in our family’s homes and undertake initial meetings regarding ways of working with the Mental Capacity act for our adults which use our service.
Last but by no means least we’ve been working with Karma Creative to update our website. Thank you to Phil Dias and his team. We will be sending you an email when it is completed as we are expecting it to go live in the next week!!
Mary and Amy
ICare Ambassador
As you are probably all aware I recently undertook an interview with the CQC which I am, pleased to say I passed! I am really looking forward to working with you all in my new role as Registered Manager and wish Amy all the best on her Maternity Leave.
In my first week as Registered Manager I attended a Registered Managers 'meet up' to share practice and ideas with other Registered Managers in the area. In this meeting, we discussed the need for a nationwide recruitment of staff in the social care sector and how to encourage and inspire young people to train and develop a career in the social care sector. As this is something we at Access All feel very passionate about I have signed up to become an "I care...ambassador". This role will entail me speaking to people in schools, colleges, universities and in other organisations to encourage people to research and peruse a career in this sector. For our staff, I have attached the poster to the end of the newsletter so take a look and let me know if you are interested in this role please let me know.
Employee of the Month
Our January Employee of the Month is Gay Rawlings.
Gay has been nominated by one of our families, they said “She has wonderful skills & always makes my daughter happy. (and me too)”. The management team have recognised that Gay is very caring, reliable and dedicated to Access All and the clients that she works with. Thank you Gay for all your hard work, last minute shift covers and the amazing care you give to all the families you work with.
Please remember any can nominate anyone of our team leaders or carers for employee of the month
All you need to do is send us an email or give us a call to let us know who you would like to nominate and what they have done to go above and beyond that month. The successful nominee will be revealed in the newsletter each month and the successful employee will receive a voucher.
Monthly Focus
Each month our management team will be looking at one of the CQC standards to ensure we are effectively meeting their requirements. We will be undertaking audits, spot checks, surveys and reviewing policies and procedures so we can ensure we are gathering information to reflect the views of our families and staff teams
Throughout January we have been looking at what makes us a Caring Service. This focuses on kindness and compassion and dignity and respect. We will be looking at the full report at the next management meeting and implementing any changes over the coming weeks.
If you would like to see a full copy of the audit report please send us an email.
For the month of February, we will be looking at what makes our service Effective.
Training
Thanks to all our staff who attended that Statutory and Mandatory training at the beginning of January. It was great to see so many of you there getting involved and updating your knowledge on the care standards. The picture shows our staff reviewed effective hand washing and infection control procedures.
A big thank you also goes to DG Medics who managed to run interesting and fun sessions for almost all of our staff over the 2 days.
Christine's Corner
The weather outside might still be frightful, but these activities and days out are sure to light up your February!
Chinese New Year
Say goodbye to the Year of the Rooster and hello to the Year of the Dog with these fun Chinese New Year creations. Made using everyday household items, these are ideal for a crafty and educational afternoon of activities! The fortune cookie messages are a great opportunity for everyone to use their different communication devices to write out thoughtful messagesChinese New Year at The V&A Museum of Childhood: Take your celebrations to the next level with mask making, calligraphy, dressing up, singing, dancing, and kung fu demonstrations. Be sure not to miss the highlight of the day, the amazing Lion Dance! Saturday 10th February, 11.30am – 4.30pm. Drop in, All Ages.
Activities inspired by Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is a festival celebrated annually in the Hindu Calendar, this year falling on February 13th. Dedicated to the god Shiva, the festival focuses on overcoming darkness and reflecting on ethical themes, with celebrations including prayers, poems, and meditation.
Headspace Meditation for Kids: Already a wildly successful mindfulness site and app for adults, Headspace has now developed an array of meditations aimed specifically at children. These are tailored to different age ranges and for all sorts of situations, from encouraging sleep to improving focus to heightening kindness.
Out of this World: Moon: Unlike most Hindu festivals, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated at night and is closely aligned with the movements of the moon. This Moon-themed morning at the Royal Observatory includes a planetarium show, interactive quiz, immersive virtual reality, and meteorite handling! Runs till the 13th February, £6, ages 7+
Other Activities
The Winter's Tale at The National Theatre
Especially reimagined for younger audiences, this enthralling Shakespeare classic follows a brave, inquisitive girl on a journey through magic and mayhem, through being lost and then found. A perfect, wintery introduction to the works of the Bard!
For those wanting to take a step further into the action, The National Theatre is also hosting a Winter’s Tale-inspired ‘play in a day’ family workshop, allowing attendees to create characters, scripts and costumes for a one-off performance at the end of the day.
The Winter’s Tale: 14th – 28th February, ages 8 - 12
Play in a Day Workshop: Monday 12th February, 10am – 4pm, ages 7 – 12
Accessible Events at Imagine Children's Festival
One of the Southbank Center’s most popular festivals, Imagine presents a fantastic line-up of authors, performances, and workshops. Excitingly, this year many of these activities have been especially formulated for kids with disabilities.
There’s BSL interpretation for most talks and performances, while sensory poetry and living paintings will bring the festival to life for blind or visually impaired children like never before. There’s also a free, fully accessible, multi-sensory drop-in superhero workshop, so your child can create their own heroic alter ego complete with mask, cape and signature moves!
Running from 7th – 18th February, please note: different workshops fall on different days!
The postal museum was
recommended by one of our families as a very fun and interactive museum with a
train ride and only £8 for a child and carer - https://www.postalmuseum.org/