Care – Page 2 – Godinterest

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020

Don’t Judge Me

If you know me I can be very critical at times. Just recently I had to learn this valuable lesson, criticism given in the wrong way can make us feel anxious and in some cases, worthless. But when it’s given fairly and constructively, with real care and encouragement, not only does it show us where we’re going wrong, it fires us up to want to improve. So when we’re trying to help someone improve, let’s do it with kindness, understanding and empathy.

If it’s constructive, criticism can be a good thing. If we point out mistakes from a position of love and of wanting the other person to be the best they can be, it’s a useful tool that we can use to help others improve. Otherwise, it can easily turn into a destructive force that discourages and breaks people apart. We tend to find it easy to point out failings and weaknesses in others, while overlooking or excusing our own faults.

Jesus says: ‘How can you say to your friend, “Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye”? Look at yourself! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You hypocrite!’ (Matthew 7:4-5 NCV). Strong words, so we definitely need to take notice and avoid being unfair and judging others more harshly than we judge ourselves. Sometimes we might be overly critical to try and make ourselves look or feel better. Or we might be trying to hide the wounds of past experiences by using anger and criticism as a form of defence.

Today, whatever the reason, Jesus gives us clear instructions, ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged.’ When God looks at us and sees our faults and all the mistakes we make, He treats us with grace and gently corrects us. But what if God criticised us as harshly and as often as we criticise others? We’d soon feel completely depressed and wounded. The truth is, God, who has the highest standards of all, treats us with love and care even when we fail to live up to those standards. So when we need to correct someone, let’s do the same, and aim to encourage, not discourage.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.’ MATTHEW 7:1 NIV

Lets’s Pray

Yahweh, I thank You for this timely advice not to judge others. I surrender my negative critical mind to You. Please Father, change me so I won’t be judgemental and hypocritical. God, help me to look at myself first before looking at others. Show me how to be constructive and encouraging when I have to criticise, and never to be discouraging and cause depression and discontent, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

May 3, 2018May 5, 2018

How Forgiveness Can Make You Love Again

I’m bringing you on a personal journey: mine. I strongly believe we can all learn from one another and I hope by sharing this story, it will make you ask yourself some questions. This is the goal of making you rethink your current situation.

You see, like many of you, I come from a broken family. There was a lot of violence in my daily life. No child should ever grow up in that kind of dark atmosphere, but sadly a lot of them, do!

I am an only child and I learned very quickly what “hate” felt like.

My dad was a hard-working man who spent more than 80 hours a week at work while my mom stayed home with me. I realised pretty young that I wasn’t wanted and nothing would ever be good enough, no matter how hard I tried.

She beat me every single day. Put me in diapers and made me parade in front of the big window in the living room when friends would walk by. She would scream and swear, shout for everything and nothing at all. She would pick up the phone and act as if she was talking to the police, saying I had been a very bad girl, then made my suitcase and put me in front of the door. We were “waiting” for the police car to come and get me. I was going to jail. That’s what she told me many times and every single time, I was certain I was going to jail forever!

I spent many days in my teens wishing her dead! No, I wasn’t a Christian at that time and knew nothing about God. And the fact that my dad wasn’t present didn’t help at all. He was trying to escape the madness so he stayed at work as much as he could. And when he came back, he drank himself into a coma accompanied by my mom.

That’s why I learned to drive at around 12 or 13 years old. I could drive them back at our house all the while my dad passed out in the back and mom sitting in front. At 16, I was already a very experienced driver!

Life eventually went on, and I moved out at around 20. I had a nice job and a decent apartment apart from the fact that the bathroom ceiling in the shower fell on my head! But that’s another story…

I was at least finally away from the beast! Through the years, she remained an angry and frustrated woman. But still, she could show some love on some occasions and it felt good when she did. Surprisingly, when I was sick, she was the best mom ever! But she went back to her old self as soon as I started to feel better.

Things changed and fast

In my forties, my dad got sick. The first time, I was on the road with my then boyfriend (we were driving tractor trailers in the United States), and my dad told me, over the phone, he had prostate cancer. I was in Las Vegas, very far from home.

After being operated on, dad beat cancer only to get some more bad news a few years later, that he had stage IV colon cancer. My dear father stayed strong during the battle. He fought so hard because he didn’t want to leave my mom behind. He knew she was very dependent on him. She didn’t even walk 20 feet outside to go get the newspaper. She knew nothing about paying bills, could not drive and was afraid of her shadow. Dad knew all that, and the more death’s door was knocking the more he became very angry and frustrated.

They eventually spoke frankly to one another and forgave each other. One morning dad asked mom to call the ambulance, he knew it was time for him to leave home. Mom could no longer take care of him.

She told me, it was the hardest thing she ever had to go through. They embraced each other very hard, dad was put on a stretcher and outside, he waved saying with all his strength, that he loved her very much. That was the last time they spoke. A few hours later, I went to the hospital and he could no longer recognize me or her.

My mom found herself all alone for the first time in her life! She fell into a deep depression and started to change. She went from a strong and very intimidating woman to a frail and very scared one. Everything changed so fast. I didn’t have time to deal with my dad’s passing that my mom was transforming herself into someone I didn’t know.

Five years later, she was diagnosed with dementia and had to go to the hospital emergency because of liver cirrhosis. She stayed in the hospital almost 2 months and came very close to dying. Even the doctor thought it was a miracle she had not.

That’s where the story changes and you see the greatness of God. In 2011, I was a believer, so every time, I went to see mom, I would pray with her. Pray at home, in my car, everywhere and constantly. I asked God to please help me forgive her so I could have a few moments with her before he decided to come and get her.

I was able to have one year with my mom. One day, I spoke to her in her hospital bed and told her how I felt about her old self. She didn’t remember how she was, to the point that she was now a new woman. She spoke differently, she laughed always and was loved by everyone at the hospital. She was an extremely loving person.

After I was done talking to her, I promised her I would never abandon her. She asked for forgiveness and accepted my apologies. That day, we stood there in that hospital room hugging for hours. I was blessed enough to spend one year with that new mom. Even if she forgot things and could not remember where she lived or who my husband was, I didn’t care. I had been blessed by God in a big way, and I was able to have one full year with the loving woman. I know if I had not been keen on forgiving her, I would have missed the boat and would probably live with a lot of regrets.

The day she died, I was with her, alone in the room. The Holy Spirit told me to go to her quick. I took her hand, she squeezed it very hard, smiled and I stroke her hair, telling her how much I loved her. She let out 3 breaths and she was gone.

I drove one hour to go back home and I was crying all the way back. Not just because she was gone, rather for the privilege I had to be with her that last year.

The act of forgiveness had made it possible for me to love my mom again. Love her dearly and sincerely. Plus, it made it also possible to give her pure love, while she was on her way home.

Love waved goodbye, and love reached out to welcome her.

-Smile.

April 22, 2018January 15, 2024

A Prayer for My Stressed-Out, Hardworking Husband

No one gets a free pass from stressful times. As Christians, prayer and the Scriptures are our greatest weapons against this stress epidemic.

Father,

I praise You for my husband, Your unique creation. Please guard his heart and mind, Jesus. Protect him from temptation and fill him up with the good things he needs. You’ve promised to fill his soul with what he needs and I ask You to do just that.

You are the God of peace, Who heals all our ailments and cares for all those that love and trust You. Lord, You know the many pressures my dear husband has been facing, from both his work and from the family, and Father, I am concerned that it seems to be affecting his health. Lord, this additional stress seems to be making my husband irritable and I know that he is finding it increasingly difficult to sleep at night.

I know that You care about each of Your children and are interested in every area of our lives – and so I pray that You would ease the stress and pressure that seems to be mounting up in our lives and quickly remove it, and please Lord, help my husband to rest in You and to cast all His care upon You, day by day.

Lord, I pray that You would bless my husband’s work. That he would be diligent and prosperous. That You would give him wisdom and discernment. God, I pray You would give him the strength to walk the opportunities you provide.

Thank You, Lord for being there for us and I pray that You would hold us both in Your arms of love,

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Bible Verses to Combat Anxiety and Stress

“I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.” (Psalm 4:8, NLT)”

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)”

“I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT)”

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. (2 Thessalonians 3:16, ESV)”

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3-4, ESV)”

April 20, 2018January 15, 2024

Are You the Sheep of God’s Pasture?

The beautiful parable that Christ gave of the one lost sheep, of the shepherd that left the ninety and nine to go in search of that which was lost, illustrates the care of the great Shepherd.

He did not look carelessly over the sheep of the fold, and say, “I have ninety and nine, and it will cost me too much trouble to go in search of the straying one; let him come back, and I will open the door of the sheepfold and let him in, but I cannot go after him.” No… He counts and recounts the flock, and when he is certain that one sheep is lost, he leaves the ninety and nine within the fold; however dark the night, however perilous and unpleasant the way, however long and tedious the search, he does not weary, he does not falter, until the lost sheep is found.

But when it is found, does he act indifferently? Does he call the sheep, and command the straying one to follow him? Does he threaten and beat it, or drive it before him, recounting the bitterness and anxiety that he felt on its account? No; he lays the weary, exhausted, wandering sheep on his shoulder, and … returns it to the fold.

The shepherd’s gratitude finds expression in melodious songs of rejoicing, and heavenly choirs respond to the shepherd’s note of joy…

For “joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.”

Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:14).

Just as a shepherd of the earth knows his sheep, so does the God know His flock that is scattered throughout the whole world…

“And ye, my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 34:31).

However low, however, elevated we may be, whether we are going through adversity or in the sunshine of prosperity, we are God’s sheep, the flock of His pasture, and under the care of the chief Shepherd.

April 1, 2018December 6, 2022

Where Have All the Fathers Gone?

As soon as Rhys heard the front door open, he jumped up and began shouting for joy, “Mom Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home!”. His heartbeat racing and his brown eyes shining excitedly, anticipating playtime with Daddy. A wide grin spread across Rhys’s face as Daddy acted like a big bear. Daddy quickly dropping down onto one knee so that he’d be at his son’s height to horse around the living room. Sadly this scene is becoming a rear sight to see.

Today let’s talk about the invisible dads, the ones who don’t marry Mummy, don’t support their kids and don’t hang around for the hugs, kisses and nappy changes. There are millions of them around the world, and their numbers are growing.

“Today, more than one in four births is to an unmarried mother, and more than one in 10 births is to a teenager. These numbers portend a future of fragile families. Once considered primarily a racial problem, fatherless homes have increased across a wide range of demographics over the last ten years.”

How have we come to the point where a child with two parents is the exception rather than the norm? It is time that we put the issue of fatherless families front and center on our national agenda.

So who’s the real problem here? And why should we care?

It is time to shift our attention to the issue of male responsibility, and to the indispensable role that fathers play in our society.

Firstly, it would be an oversimplification to assume that two parents are always better than one as there are many courageous and loving single moms and daddy’s who are able to balance the competing demands on their time and attention, to care and provide for their children alone.

However, contrary to the sentiments of our culture and though our society is only beginning to recognize it, the presence of fathers within the home is vital to the moral integrity of a society. The short-term effects are already far too evident as statistics reveal that the loss of fathers is reverberating throughout the world in the form of social pathologies ranging from teen pregnancy to drug abuse.

Fatherless children are five times more likely to be poor and twice as likely to drop out of school as children who live with both parents.

Boys, without proper male role models, look to other sources for the male bonding they need. In the inner cities that often entails gangs while in the suburbs it tends to be online.

“According to the latest statistics, the increase in the proportion of single-parent families accounted for about half of the overall increase in child poverty from 1979 through to 1987.”

The Scriptures warn us about the power of fatherhood, as well as the long-lasting impact that fatherhood has on us all. Exodus 20:4-6.” Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” could be both about habits/behavior and also looks. Have you ever thought about that? Do you often find yourself reacting to a situation the way your father did? or scarier yet…do you ever see your mannerisms in your son? The footprint of a father leaves a permanent mark on the soul of a child.

Fatherhood is under assault

We hear a lot about the war on women…but it is the war on Dads that is causing the greatest damage in the world today. It’s not hard to find. If you watch any popular sitcom on television today, you’ll likely notice that fathers are typically portrayed as childish, irresponsible, lazy, incompetent and stupid.

The doofus dad stereotype isn’t new. There’s Fred Flinstone, and even Charlie Brown’s monotone parents. But according to Tierny, the consistency of these new portrayals has slowly created a new norm opposed to what being a father used to mean.

Dads make a difference. Dads can be heroes – if only we give them the chance. We remain optimistic that family still has more influence than media.

We all need another hero

Fathers are representatives of God on earth; as our heavenly father is the giver of life so also are the earthly father’s givers of life. Malachi 4:6 says “And he will turn, the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

God understands the importance of a father’s love and cares towards their children and He has set the standard by being the first example of a loving father.

“The SARRI report quotes research which found that “the presence of a father can contribute to cognitive development, intellectual functioning, and school achievement. Children growing up without fathers are more likely to experience emotional disturbances and depression.”

“Girls who grow up with their fathers are more likely to have higher self-esteem, lower levels of risky sexual behaviour, and fewer difficulties in forming and maintaining romantic relationships later in life. They have less likelihood of having an early pregnancy, bearing children outside marriage, marrying early, or getting divorced.”

A father’s touch

The first thing, therefore, that a father can do for his children is to love their mother. Another part of a father’s task is that of a protector for his family. But, Daddy also has another task in the home, which is to combine tenderness with strength, and to model the combination so consistently that the children regard the combination as natural.

Our kids must come to know naturally both that dad’s standards protect them, and that his love makes them strong.

Where have all the fathers gone?

Our courts do not value fatherhood as much as motherhood. In 2015 it is still the case that mothers and fathers do not have equal rights

And herein lies the problem. Our expectation of the role a separated father should play in his children’s lives is so low, that when half of dads who win “access” to their kids can’t even sleep under the same roof as their offspring, academics declare this to be an overwhelming success. One of the fruits of the feminist movement many claim is the idea that a woman is more responsible as a parent than the father is.

“He is not my Dad…he is just someone you sleep with!” How many mothers have felt the sting of those words? That is why God hates divorce. We should too.

Our culture has put asunder things which God has joined together—things such as tenderness and strength. It is the job of the father to put them back together again.

Fatherhood, like Motherhood has is its own rewards – as most dads have found. Sadly, for the others, the invisible ones, it is a gift foolishly squandered.

January 27, 2017April 5, 2024

Tomorrow’s Homes: Modern Methods of Construction

October 1, 2015July 1, 2022

43 Great Quotes To Inspire You To Be a Better Christian Leader

Anyone who has responsibility for the work of others understands the unique challenges that come with managing people.

Over the years, various thought leaders have come up with pearls of wisdom in the form of quotations that when given some thought, have a lot to teach us. Sometimes a simple quote is just the thing to lift our spirits, to make us smile or to give us the energy to keep going when we’re feeling low.

Here are 43 such quotes to make us better Christian leaders.

“The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.” – Unknown
“In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.” – Unknown
“The good news is, God has provided us with a LifeBook to help us – the Bible.” – Unknown
“Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.” – John Maxwell
“There’s only two things you can start without a plan: a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan.” – Unknown
“Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” – Unknown
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” – John Maxwell
“Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated.” – Fred Price
“Running a project without a work breakdown structure is like going to a strange land without a roadmap” – J Phillips
“You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” – Henry Ford”
“Have a good plan, Execute it violently, Do it today” – General Douglas McArthur
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that is has taken place.” – Unknown
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill
“A project without a critical path is like a ship without a rudder.” – D. Meyer
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
“What’s measured improves.” – Unknown
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint Exupry 1900-1944, French writer and aviator
“If it is not documented, it doesn’t exist. As long as information is retained in someone’s head, it is vulnerable to loss.” – Unknown
“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things.” – Machiavelli 1446-1507, Italian statesman and philosopher
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra.” – Unknown
“Luck is for the ill-prepared.” – Unknown
“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.” – Chinese Proverb
“Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.” –Unknown
“PMs are the most creative pros in the world; we have to figure out everything that could go wrong before it does.” – Fredrik Haren
“Why do so many professionals say they are project managing when what they are actually doing is firefighting?” –Unknown
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” –Unknown
“Ensure your documentation is short and sharp and make much more use of people-to-people communication.” –Unknown
“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” – Henry Ford
“Leadership offers an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, no matter what the project.” – Bill Owens
“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” – John C. Maxwell
“Leaders have two characteristics: first they are going somewhere, and second they are able to persuade other people to go with them.” – John Maxwell
“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Kenneth Blanchard
“The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.” – Warren Bennis
“The best example of leadership is leadership by example.” – Jerry McClain
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
“The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” – John Stott
“We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” – Charles F. Stanley
“Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” –Unknown
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa
“The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” – Matt Chandler
“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential” – Winston Churchill
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” – John Piper

If you know a great quote or scripture that will inspire others to lead their churches better, please feel free to share it in the comments below.

September 12, 2015July 1, 2022

2 Ways Residential Elderly Care Providers Can Drive Growth

The care sector is growing fast. People are its most valuable asset and investment in care-home developments is being fuelled by an ageing population and a growing demand for specialist skills.

Scalability and Replication Have Now Become the Building Blocks That Will Enable Residential Elderly Care Providers to Sustain Growth, Deliver Successful Change and Achieve High-quality Service Outcomes

Dean Jones, former Investment Growth Programme Manager for Care UK offers insight into how REC providers can take advantage of market opportunities by building a sustainable and scalable system. Jones’ experience includes programme managing a £250 million investment-growth programme from 2012 to 2015, which involved building and commissioning 20 new state-of-the-art care homes and their services. He also oversaw a £60 million 3-year investment in a Suffolk programme, for the building of 10 new care homes and 10-day clubs and bringing much needed additional nursing and dementia-specialist care to the community.

REC Providers Can Develop Their Own Blueprints to Replicate and Scale Growth

REC providers can learn much from Jones’ involvement with scaling successful care homes. In his work at Care UK, Jones employed innovative ideas for evolving the next generation of care homes and introducing a competitive edge through unique selling points to harness market potential. The trendsetting programmes have led to phenomenal success, with more than 30 new homes built over a five-year period, a level of growth rarely seen in this sector. Jones describes how REC providers can develop their own blueprints to replicate and scale growth.

Building a foundation

The organization relied on a guiding principle as it developed a scalable system. It consisted of a toolkit that would outline how to manage projects and launch new homes, along with the standard of care the organization expected once a home is operational. The first system in the toolkit, the Project Management Blueprint (PMB) consisted of methodologies, processes and systems that would guide the creation of an ambitious and exciting growth pipeline for new homes.

The Blueprint ensured that the programme and project’s team resources would deliver high-quality outcomes through the practice of sound project management, both at a programme and individual project level. However, the Blueprint was just one of three tools the organisation would use to govern the commissioning and operation of new care homes. The other tools, a Home Manager Launch Manual (LM) and a suite of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), complemented the programme on the whole.

Building the Capability to Service the Demand Is the Key to Driving Growth

The blueprint

Creating the demand for growth and the environment for change is not enough to generate scalability. According to Jones, building the capability to service the demand is the key to driving growth. Instead of control, managers need to:

Introduce a framework and certainty about processes.
Implement repeatable best practices.
Build the ability to drive quality.
Equip people to do the best job possible.
Introduce a suite of project documents that directly suit the organisation’s purposes while ensuring consistence use.
Increase efficiency and productivity.

As a result of the Blueprint, Care UK was able to construct the building blocks for scalability and replication that would encourage change, growth and quality outcomes. When the foundation of an organisation is built on highly standardised and formal processes underpinned by highly developed performance-monitoring systems and the ability to control quality, it has a scalable business model. Another component involved in the process, evolving the product offerings through a process of service innovation enabled Care UK to apply standardised business-model concepts.

The requirements

Building a methodology for scalability involves considering project and business requirements first. Then, the organization can develop a system that meets the business and management-style needs to deliver successful outcomes. Jones employed a methodology that outlined the standard project-management methods to be used, and practices and guidelines to follow when managing new-home opening projects and business-transformation projects. With a disciplined, well-managed and consistent methodology, Care UK promoted the delivery of quality products and services, on time and within budget for each location.

The essential benefit of adhering to such a defined project- and programme-management methodology is the ability to demonstrate repeatable successes, rather than learning the same difficult lessons again and again. The objective of the methodology ensures that each new home opening was delivered to the highest possible standards via:

High-quality product or service that adheres to the business case.
Excellent standards of care and service.
Financial performance that achieves or exceeds the business case.
Homes or change initiatives delivered on time.
Projects executed on budget.

Relationships

Effective working relationships are also critical to the success of large-scale projects. Management tactics based on a matrix structure ensure that functional and operational resources are aligned across the business. This approach results in significant advantages, as it enables effective and responsive participation from different parts of the organisation that have specialist expertise. In Jones’ matrix, people from different parts of the business took a lead role in managing a specific work stream and were known as Work Stream Leaders. Jones also adopted the RACI technique for identifying functional areas, key activities and decision points where ambiguities exist.

Project Lifecycle

The management of any large, complex project is made easier when broken down into more manageable chunks. This unique approach to the project’s lifecycle enabled Jones’ to establish clear controls, e.g. review points, or gateways, at which to consider progress before moving on to the next phase. The Care UK project lifecycle methodology consisted of five distinct stages, with each stage considered as a sequence, providing the structure and approach to progressively deliver the required outputs.

Risk and issue management

Focusing on critical risk issues helps programme managers mitigate threats. Regularly planning and leading benefit reviews helps organizations drive success and ensure that profits aren’t eaten up by largely avoidable risks. For example, a slight reduction to a home’s expected average weekly fee (AWF) – although based on a more up-to-date market analysis – could have a detrimental effect on the bottom line. However, if this market analysis re-evaluation were to take place at the pre-planning stages, then the organization has an opportunity to review down spec. Key decisions like these must be managed with due diligence and care, by referring to the original business case and using a clearly defined change-control process, and then directing such matters to the programme board for approval.

Recommendations

Programme managers embarking on a scalability journey should note that before diving into the planning of a system of methodologies and processes, it’s important to first understand what needs to be fixed. Jones began his appointment at Care UK by working with a small team. They spent time getting into the nitty gritty of launching care homes, reviewing checklists, liaising with the Care Quality Commissions (CQC), and understanding the business and identifying gaps. Only then did he present the findings and gain support for the project’s Blueprint. Managers also need to understand the organisational culture in which they operate, and then adapt their approach accordingly. Finally, gaining senior management trust is another critical step, as approval and support helps form links throughout the organization – including the lower-management levels.

Successful organizations need managers with a breadth of knowledge – not necessarily construction management expertise – to successfully drive the outcomes of the project. They also require some understanding of IT systems, staff, marketing strategy and more. Only then will the organisation reap the strategic benefits of higher management-level expertise. With the right approach to project management and creating repeatable systems, care home organizations can seize market conditions and drive growth, while delivering quality outcomes through scalable building blocks.

September 6, 2015July 1, 2022

Professional Consultancy Responds to Health and Social Care Challenges

As people in the UK live longer, demand for residential care and nursing homes is growing, as are our expectations of the standard of living they will provide. Dean Jones offers insights about the value a professional consultancy has for overcoming the challenge and driving value for patients.

The current state of affairs

As a result of some well-broadcasted care scandals that attracted extensive, and in some cases, damaging media attention, the government has responded with cuts that are impacting local authority (LA) fees and resulting in far tougher Care Quality Commission (CQC) policies.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) Projects That by 2035 There Will Be 3.5 Million Uk Residents Aged 85 and Older, Compared to Only 1.4 Million Currently

In spite of this, the “extra-care” – or Residential Elderly Care (REC) sector – continues to overcome these challenges, attracting new investments, particularly into new-build care homes. These are specially designed, owner-occupied, self-contained housing, often with round-the-clock support and meals and sometimes with nursing assistance.

A typical pattern is for owner-founded care home operators to reach a growth limit, based on the founder’s management capacity, access to capital and appetite for risk. They cease to invest in new capacity and don’t benefit from economies of scale which can be passed on to commissioners. Public markets typically do not fulfil their function as a supplier of capital in the case of healthcare services, because they generally demand relatively modest gearing.

There’s a widely recognised need across all health and social care market segments for innovation and system change, as well as capital investment in new services. A private equity investor is well placed to leverage technical services to strategically programme and project-manage Residential Elderly Care (REC) public real estate schemes across their entire lifecycle.

Supply and demand challenges

Today, professional healthcare businesses and registered social landlords (RSLs) are the main providers of new capacity, period. Since 2008, private and voluntary status providers, who service 92 percent of all Residential Elderly Care, have reported an upswing in demand and occupancy. Paradoxically, as adult social care budgets are decreasing and the provision of residential care by the NHS and local authorities has shrunk, the number of UK people who require help and support is rapidly increasing.

The Increasingly Ageing Population of the Uk Appears to Be Underpinning the Overall Rise in Rec Capacity and Occupancy

While Local Authorities (Las) are seeking to divert placements to inexpensive non-residential/domiciliary-based alternatives, the increasingly ageing population of the UK appears to be underpinning the overall rise in REC capacity and occupancy. Britons are living longer than ever. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) projects that by 2035 there will be 3.5 million UK residents aged 85 and older, compared to only 1.4 million currently. The cost of caring for these residents is also forecasted to increase. For example, caring for a person with dementia will increase to $1,142,677 by 2025 and $2,092,945 by 2051. In total the government estimates that 1.7 million more adults will require some type of care and support over the coming decades.

As a result, the current number of nursing and residential care homes in the UK (over 381,000) will need to almost double over the next 20 years to cope with rising numbers of people aged 85 or more.

A bright future?

The demand for care will continue to rise as a result of life expectancy increasing and ageing. A robust REC independent sector arises primarily from the net increase in residential demand, and more recently, improved occupancy. These are the result of a number of competing forces:

Demographics, with the ageing population expected to drive the demand for health and social care.
Outsourcing, the long-term transfer of residents from LA homes to independent care homes.
Severe financial constraints, at least over the next five years, as the government – which pays for the bulk of health, social care and special education – seeks to eradicate the public expenditure deficit and restrict new builds.
Outdated assets, or older care homes that no longer meet needs.
Consolidation, a trend within segments of the independent sector.
Maturity, against a currently immature healthcare market.
Efficiency, highlighted by the “Nicholson challenge” for the NHS to make £15 to £20 billion in efficiency savings between 2011 and 2014. (It costs the NHS approximately £3,000 a week to care for elderly patients with no clinical need to be in a hospital ward. By contrast, it comes to about £1,000 per week for a residential care home provider.)
Demand and Occupancy. Unless the supply of new builds increases (currently by approx. 7,500 beds p.a.), it’s possible that some regions may see bed shortages, driving up LA fees.
New Technology. Progressive management capabilities in leveraging technology and strategic collaboration will constitute the formula for success and sustainability in the new healthcare business environment.

While a longer life is welcome news for millions of Britons, it could ironically trigger a public service meltdown as our national health system is stretched to its breaking point. Local authorities and NHS trusts retain a significant role in delivering services, with 75 percent of nursing home places funded by the public sector. There exist ever-increasing opportunities for private care providers to take some of the strain from NHS and ease bed-blocking by caring for patients, mostly elderly, in a residential setting when there is no clinical need to be in a hospital ward.

The REC Sector Could Potentially save the Nhs Billions of Pounds.

A combined approach to health and social care and some innovation is required for this savings to become a reality. In addition, Care Home Operators have a unique opportunity to grow their businesses and benefit from economies of scale, leveraging the expertise and resources of a professional consultancy. In doing so, they’ll have necessary resources and systems to bid for significant re-provision of services tendered by local authorities.

About Dean Jones

Dean is an Associate in AECOM’s Programme Leadership Practice. Dean joined AECOM from Care UK, the UK’s largest independent provider of health and social care, where he was a Programme Manager and delivered a £250m investment growth programme over 2012/15 which increased Care Uk’s number of homes circa 33%. Dean was also Programme Manager for a £60m Suffolk programme to build ten new care homes and ten day clubs, bringing much needed additional nursing and specialist dementia care to the Suffolk community.