As the country faces the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the management team at Richardson Care reflect on their experiences so far. Richardson Care has six specialist residential care homes – three for adults with acquired brain injury and three for adults with learning disabilities. Caring for up to 78 people, many of whom are vulnerable brings added responsibilities and pressures, as well as additional skills.
Our experience in supporting people who are rebuilding their lives after brain injury or living with learning disabilities means that we are problem solvers. We support people to overcome challenges every day. Never has this been more important and we’re proud of the way that our management team and staff have responded.
We asked our Homes Managers for their personal views and experiences of the pandemic – from their initial reactions to plans for the future. We discover what we’ve learnt, and how we can change things for the better.
Resilience
‘The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness’ has been demonstrated by our team throughout the pandemic. Jane Payne, Operational & Clinical Officer at Richardson Care, takes us back to the beginning of the year: “On February 18th 2020 we informed staff that there was a new virus, and preventative measures were put into place; including hourly touch point cleaning, increase in hand washing and an increase in awareness. Ahead of government guidance on March 12th 2020, we took the very tough, necessary decision to close our doors to family and friends to protect service users. We made sure that all staff worked only in one home, so in the event of an infection, it would not be transferred from one home to another by our staff.”
“The management team have become incredibly solid; working as one in supporting each other, as and when each has needed, as we live and work through the rollercoaster that is Covid-19. I am proud to lead; and be part of such a strong group of individuals displaying a sole purpose of ensuring the care, welfare, safety and security of our service users and staff. Richardson Care has shown we are more than resilient, we have become stronger through experience. Care: it’s in our DNA.”
Jacky Johnson, Registered Manager at our Boughton Green Road home for adults with acquired brain injury talks about the realities of dealing with something that no one had ever experienced before. She says: “We were dealing with real disease: a real virus, in real time with real people…The guidance received from various governing and public bodies changed before the ink could dry…The initial fear demonstrated by some staff left others having to broaden their shoulders… taking on extra activities within their daily routines…The expectation on myself as a Manager weighed heavily, it felt like I should know all the answers to the questions they asked… I was clear of my expectations from my team and them of me… Resilience: it’s not about how many times you fall… it’s about how many times you stand up and face another day.”
Teamwork
It was important to create a positive spirit as we knew our response would impact our service users. Central staff were redeployed so each home had enough admin and maintenance support in their team. This means they have been able to form closer relationships with the service users, some have been helping out with maintenance jobs – developing their skills and feeling valued while completing meaningful activities.
The teams within each home became closer, bonding more as they faced challenges together. No job was too big.
Weekly management meetings moved online in February. The Managers have worked more closely together while being socially distanced. Helen Petrie, Manager at The Richardson Mews adds: “No-one has ever been in this position before. We’re all learning together and supporting each other. We’re there to boost morale when it’s needed, sharing experiences and insight to keep our service users and staff happy and safe.”
Resourceful
We’ve found more efficient ways of operating – reducing risk while continuing to help our service users develop their daily living skills. For example, instead of going out to the shops several times a day, there’s just one trip per day. This means planning ahead, so service users have been helping to plan the menus, write shopping lists and prepare for their daily needs. These all require cognitive skills.
We have all become much more tech-savvy, using the internet, apps, photos and video calls as well as phone calls and letters to keep in touch with service users’ family and friends. We’ve also been checking in with each other more too.
Wendy Coleman, Registered Manager at our Duston Road home adds: “For service users, routine is a major part of their life. When their usual activities are no longer possible – no home visits, day services, community activities – staff have shown how well they have supported service users, reassuring them throughout all this. They have also been dealing with more challenging behaviours due to service users’ complex needs and lack of understanding of what is happening. We have created different routines and activities, promoting health and exercise.”
At The Richardson Mews (inspired by Joe Wicks) the day now starts with ‘Morning Motivation’ – exercising to music every day to improve fitness, flexibility and well-being. We’re also making more use of our in-house gym equipment. One service user who has a brain injury thrived during lockdown: he was in a wheelchair in February and now he can walk 70 lengths of the parallel bars.
Although the service users have missed going out, we have had plenty of scope and opportunity to develop in-house activities. Our large gardens and outdoor spaces have been used for gardening, ‘coffee shops’, sports and games, trampolining and treasure hunts. Our indoor communal spaces have hosted quizzes, craft activities, music and karaoke sessions. We’ve celebrated birthdays with gifts, parties and barbecues. We’ve maintained structure when needed, providing mental stimulation, social interaction and fun, while supporting well-being and skills development.
Appreciating each other
“The new normal is valuing and appreciating the simple things in life and each other, focusing on the positives,” adds Wendy Coleman. As we have gone through the months, we’ve noticed positive changes in service users – improved bonding with staff due to them having much more 1-1 time. Individual service user’s communication skills have also improved.
“Staff have done all this whilst dealing with the impact on their own lives. I feel through all this we all have changed our priorities, we have learnt different coping skills, adapted to change, and have gained new skills.
“It is important to show how we value, support and appreciate each other, talk more, respect and most importantly listen to each other. Learning that showing praise and valuing people is so important in these difficult times.”
Never has the responsibility of managing specialist care services been so great. As we prepare for the next phase of the Coronavirus pandemic, we know that we have the experience, skills and resilience to face the challenges ahead.
Richardson Care provides specialist residential care and rehabilitation for adults with acquired brain injury and learning disabilities. An independent family business with a 30-year track record, it has six residential care homes in Northampton. Find out more at www.richardsoncares.co.uk