Conference Review 2009
The NASHICS conference, held in Blackpool on 1st and 2nd July, produced some challenging and lively debate from the start. The programme began with a topical teatime session entitled Fire Safety.
The Fire Safety Working Group have produced a draft Memorandum of Understanding in conjunction with the Chief Fire Officers Association. The purpose of the document is to ensure that there is a consistent approach to enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
In a lively debate many members discussed the difficulties they have experience when putting into practice advice contained in the Fire Safety Guides, particularly the timescale for complete evacuation and staffing levels, especially at night. 
The draft document to view and submit comments can be found in the Members section >>Free Documents >> Fire.
Day two of the conference began with a warm welcome to delegates from the Deputy Mayor of Blackpool, Councillor Valerie Haynes. 
John Holden President Elect of IOSH chaired the conference.
Jeff Jerome, National Director, Adult Social Care Transformation, Department of Health. The first speaker to address the conference with the focus on the personalisation agenda which is especially important given that the population of over 85s is set to increase by 2.5% per year. The rising public expectation of people is that they will receive care and support that is tailored to fit in with their lives and focuses on keeping them well and independent rather than reactionary care at times of crisis.
Local Authorities and the NHS will need to take a ‘wider thinking’ approach to ensure that public and private money is used to provide more personalised options that are built around families and social networks. The number of people receiving personal budgets is predicted to rise from 93,000 to 206,000 by March 2010. This will inevitably lead to a rise in demand for care services and therefore a growth in the social care workforce and a wider product range. Consumers are also better informed of their choices – e-markets being the main reason for this.
The new risks for health and safety professionals are primarily that the majority of 
staff would no longer be employed by a corporate body and standards/quality of care could vary greatly. In order to ensure that standards are maintained more health care professional will be required to be ‘registered’ – particularly home care and residential personnel.
In conclusion Jeff is confident that, in the future, people will have more choice and independence and that partnership working will ensure that a proportional approach to risk assessment within the community can be developed and implemented.
Professor Sayeed Khan, Executive Director of the Health and Safety Executive, The next speaker to address the delegates with how the new HSE strategy will impact on the Care Sector. The mission of the HSE is the prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities. Of particular concern, within the new strategy are the risks to residents and service users.
The new strategy comprises of 10 key goals and in order to achieve these goals the HSE will encourage strong leadership in championing the importance of, and a common sense approach to, health and safety in the workplace and motivate focus on the core health and safety aims. They will help risk makers and managers distinguish between real health and safety issues and trivial or ill-informed criticism. 
Managing safety will be based on the ‘POPMAR’ model and Sayeed encouraged all managers to read the guidance on the HSE website. The HSE are already working with others to provide awareness, guidance and support – examples of this are the joint working with BUPA on the bedrails training CD and development of a CD focussing on Legionella risks in Care Homes, HSE awareness days across the county are also ongoing. The HSE are keen to begin working with a number of agencies, in particular anyone who could make a difference within the care home sector.
This would include:
• Directors of Social Services
• CSSIW
• MHRA
• NASHICS
• SCIE
• Trades Unions and workforce representative
There has been a high profile focus on specific risks in the care sector, in particular, slips, trips and falls, bed rail management, hot water systems and manual handling operations and this will continue with enforcement action being taken against those that claim to provide competent advice, but fail to do so.
The wider perspective for the future is to take account of the issues that impact on health and safety as part of the continuing drive to improve Great Britain’s health and safety performance via sensible risk management.
George Plant and Paul Gillespie, OFSTED Inspection team managers where next to the podium with their presentation – ‘Safe Service Means Quality Services’. 
George Plant began by outlining Ofsted’s role as the regulator of services to ‘looked after children’ and the legislation that underpins their work. Their work is based on the Government’s ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes. The Government’s aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support to:
• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being
Paul Gillespie took the podium to explain the methods used for regulation and inspection. Ofsted have specific national minimum standards to promote children’s physical and emotional welfare. Prior to registration being approved, there is a raft of checks that Ofsted carry out for instance, fitness, premises, people and the services that they will be providing.
Following registration premises are then inspected against the national minimum standards to ensure compliance. Inspectors us an escalating tariff starting with recommendations rising to cautions, prosecutions and ultimately cancellation of registration in the most serious cases.
What is clear from the conclusion of the presentation is that inspectors are working to support some of the most vulnerable people in society and in doing so are ensuring that standards are continuously raised within the services that they inspect and regulate to improve the lives of children and young people.
Following on from lunch and exhibition viewing the conference made a presentation to Lynnda Coleman (past Chair) and invited her to cut the ribbon and launch the new website.
David Russell the Head of Fire Risk Management within the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. David spoke on behalf of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) on the topic of fire safety in care homes and the legal obligations imposed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO). He outlined the principal points of law – particularly emphasising the importance of the ‘responsible person’. 
The importance of the fire safety guides to establish best practice rather than being used as prescriptive tools was also emphasised. The guides are in place to set particular benchmarks for inspecting Fire Officers and will be used in conjunction with a Fire Safety Audit Form that has now been adopted nationally by the fire and rescue service via CFOA. This should ensure that a consistent approach is adopted by fire officers when carrying out inspections in the future.
The key messages for care home managers are that they must:
• Achieve a two and a half minute evacuation time
• Upgrade fire doors to 60 minute fire resistance where staff will have to remain with non ambulant residents who are unable to evacuate.
• The use of by-pass routes
• Inability of residents to use external fire escapes
• Travel distances
The above bullet points are included in the draft version of a memorandum of understanding between NASHiCS and CFOA. Ongoing discussions and negotiations are taking place to obtain clarity on certain points and a consistent approach that is reasonable and complies with the RRO.
In summary, David concluded that fire safety is the responsibility of the care homes not the fire and rescue service; that guidance documents are exactly that – varying from the guidance will be acceptable if you meet similar or greater levels of safety and that Fire Safety Officers will continue to work with the responsible person provided that person can present a logical and reasoned case for their actions.
There followed a lively question and answer session with delegates asking a series of questions regarding the need to evacuate a premises within two and a half minutes and whether fire officers would accept that this is not always practicable.
Claire Solomon, Creative Director, Hill Solomon explained how crucial communication 
is in influencing the behaviour of the workforce. She gave practical advice on how to create effective communication campaigns that would increase employee understanding of occupational risk, and influence best practice behaviour at all levels of the workforce.
David Parry, Director of Care and Development for Quantum Care gave the final presentation. David gave delegates a very interesting update on the subject of dementia. The number of people with dementia is set to rise to 1 million by 2025 and this could mean that there could be people with dementia caring for people with dementia! The dementia strategy has 17 key objectives to be achieved over the next 5 years.
7 of these have been prioritised for early delivery. These are:
• Early intervention and diagnosis for all
• Improved community personal support services
• Implementing New Deal for Carers
• Improved quality of care for people with dementia in general hospitals
• Living well with dementia in care homes
• An informed and effective workforce
• A Joint Commissioning Strategy for Dementia
David stressed that the strategy is good, but that there is lots to do to achieve its goals. Progress towards memory clinics in every town and dementia care advisors is being made with funding of £60 million in 2009 -10 and £90 million in 2010 -11 which equates to £220.59 per dementia sufferer.
David went on to discuss some of the strategies that can be used when caring for people with dementia particularly the way in which we communicate and how, by focusing on the individual, using positive words and tackling discrimination, the quality of life can be improved greatly.
In conclusion David listed the main focus points for improving awareness by developing a better understanding about dementia by both the public and the professionals involved.
Chris Jackson, NASHiCS National Chair thanked all the speakers and delegates for their contributions to a very successful and interesting conference.
Carol Hughes National Executive. 
