west midlands | Secure Healthcare Solutions

We understand that there are individuals that have no healthcare experience and are highly passionate about providing care, and also healthcare workers that may have experience of working in care homes or nursing homes that may want a new challenge to work as a home care carer. Working with service users in the comfort of their own home allows you to develop a healthier relationship to provide the best quality care and support. Providing personal care with service users regularly in their home allows you become close with individuals and build trust, which is important to prevent loneliness. Starting your journey as a home carer, requires no experience and full training is provided.

By working in a home care environment, it is a chance to make a difference to lives of people within your community, by providing the best quality support and care. Home care provides you an opportunity to make a difference to improve the routine of peoples lives who need your care and support.

Working in care homes allows you to use transferable skills and apply them effectively within a home care environment to progress your career in the healthcare industry. Providing Healthcare at home is a great opportunity to adapt your skills and allow you to progress your career within care. Through developing healthy relationships with service users, one of the most important skills it develops is, interpersonal skills which is one the most important skills when providing care and support.

Secure Healthcare provides flexible opportunities when working within a home care environment, this gives you the opportunity to do other things around your personal commitments. Within a home care environment service users there will be individuals that require basic care and other individuals may be need more complex care. You may be required to spend a few hours with service users or spend time for longer periods of time.

Duties within a home care environment include:

– Assisting with washing and dressing
– Support with getting patients in and out of bed
– Help with going to the toilet
– Preparing daily meals
– Talking to the patient and providing the individual company
– Support with household tasks
– Helping patients get around the house
– Administering basic medicines

A domiciliary care role is great way to start your healthcare journey, for this role no healthcare experience is required and full training is provided. It can open up an opportunity to become a care manager, alongside the experience you will need the RMA qualification, NVQ 4, or QCF diploma. To find out more about how to become a care manager click here.

If you looking to start your journey within the healthcare sector with a healthcare agency in the West Midlands, then look no further, as we have care jobs available, if a domiciliary care worker role is of interest to you then apply by clicking here. We have flexible part time and full-time domiciliary roles across Wolverhampton, Cannock and Walsall, offering rewarding salaries and pick up as many shifts as you require around your availability.

Or contact us on 01902 303017 to find out more and secure a role with us today.

Working as a healthcare assistant, the role is generally varied and can include working alongside Nurses in care homes, hospitals or within GP’s.
If you are considering a career in care, then becoming an HCA could be the role for you to specialise.

For a HCA role, there is no set requirements, however there is certain skills and personal characteristics that you must have for you to pursue this career option.
– You need to be patient and have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
– Have a caring and friendly personality
– For this role stamina and endurance is required, as there is a lot movement involved
– Great communication skills to use effectively with service users and great listening skills
– Ability to work well with others, this includes service users, healthcare professionals and with family members
– Excellent written and spoken English skills are required
– Willing to undertake personal care (washing, assisting with toilet etc.)

Working as HCA has many responsibilities, these could be regular routine responsibilities and can also change depending on the clients needs, you need to have the ability to adapt to certain situations.

As a healthcare assistant, you will be providing care and support to those in need:
– Washing and dressing patients if required
– Serving and assisting with food preparation to feed patients
– Assistance with movement around the house
– Making and changing beds
– Assistance with toileting
– Taking and recording basic interventions such as blood pressure, temperature and finger prick testing, weight etc.
– Listening and talking with patients
– Sterilising equipment
– Keeping supplies and equipment in order
– Administering basic medicine and bandaging wounds if required. For this, HCA’s will be provided training to apply this
to service users

How Secure Healthcare could help?
Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we require 6 months experience and we provide full training to allow you to gain skills and knowledge to support service users. Our services are regulated by the CQC.

We will not throw you in the deep end, we can arrange shadow shifts to be completed. This is where, you will shadow a senior member of the team, allowing you to get hands on experience, gain confidence and understand the role. This is a great opportunity for you to ask any questions.

For our healthcare assistants, we provide ongoing support, through training and qualifications, we also supervise and carry out spot checks to identify any potential training needs.

At Secure Healthcare, you can choose when you want to work, so if you require full-time hours, part time or extra shifts alongside your regular job, then a flexible role could be just for you.

Secure Healthcare is always hiring health care assistants across the West Midlands and Staffordshire. We are always seeking highly passionate health care workers to join our care team. If you believe, you have the right skills and characteristics, or want to find out more about the benefits of working for Secure Healthcare.

Sobia’s experience of working as a healthcare assistant at Secure Healthcare.

“For a healthcare assistant role, you have to have a strong character and be passionate about providing care. Working as a carer is not an easy ride, there is daily responsibilities based on individual client needs, however there is unexpected challenges that arise over the course of providing care”.

We have healthcare jobs across the Midlands & Staffordshire, whether you are seeking part time, full time or the odd shifts around your availability, then discover the latest roles using our job search tool or contact our recruitment team on 0121 285 9449.

Complex carers are a very important part of the front-line team to ensure quality care and support is provided to those that require it. Providing care and support to our service users requires a lot of hard work and is one of the most difficult occupations. We highly appreciate those that dedicate their lives to helping others.

Kabriya is one of our star complex care workers, who has been providing care for over 10 years. She started her journey as a Domiciliary carer in Wolverhampton and through training and development at Secure Healthcare has progressed her career to become a complex carer. Below in summary Kabriya will be outlining the day in the life of a carer.

By working as a complex carer, within a homecare environment, every day is different and it is more than just a job. You have to be passionate about providing healthcare, you need to be a hard willing worker. For me it is about building strong relationships with the service users and feeling part of a new family. I strive to make a real positive difference to our service users lives, every single day.

Being a complex carer, requires a strong character, you have to remain professional and positive, even though you may be experiencing personal issues. This is the life of a carer.

You may be required to provide care and support during the day or nights. While providing homecare for an individual there will be day to day responsibilities such as supporting service users with baths and showers, dressing, assisting with food, medications, housework movement around the house and much more. There are new challenges that can arise while providing care and support and it is important
that you handle this in a calm and safe manner.

Throughout my job I have to assess the needs of our service users to ensure tailored quality personal home care is provided.

Listening to people is important, it is vital that I communicate with service users, family members of those that I am providing care for and also with healthcare professionals to ensure that quality care and support is provided.

With the Covid 19 pandemic, it is also important that I use appropriate PPE to protect myself and others from Covid 19. This is done by wearing gloves, aprons, using face masks and disinfecting surfaces when necessary.

It is important that you follow care plans devised, by collaboratively working with case managers to ensure that tailored care and support is provided. It is also important to document everything, so care plans can be adjusted.

I would say that individuals should be passionate about providing care, hardworking and need to have a strong character.

Looking at Kabriya’s experience of working with us as a healthcare worker, if you think that providing care is for you, then feel free to check out the latest opportunities we have available in the West Midlands & Staffordshire and the North, click here to use job search tool to discover roles local to you or contact us on 0121 285 9449 to find out more.

Secure health solutions

The number of students starting undergraduate nursing courses has dipped by 2.6% this year which has lead to warnings that the future supply of nurses ‘remains in peril’.

The Government promised in October to create an extra 5,000 nursing places, part of a wider drive to cope with soaring patient numbers, however, an end to bursaries in favour of student loans have been blamed for deterring people from the profession.

Combined with the drop in overseas applicants – which has partially been blamed on uncertainty over Brexit – the true risks to our NHS services are yet to be seen.

The latest data shows there was a 13 per cent decline in acceptances to nursing subjects from applicants aged 21 to 25 and a six per cent decline from those aged 26 or above, but that these decreases were offset by in increased acceptances of young applicants.

It suggests that, per applicant, it was easier to get onto a nursing degree this year than in the past.

The Royal College of Nursing said the figures showed the Government is not filling the promised extra places.

Speaking in the Telegraph, Lara Carmona, Associate Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the RCN, said: “These figures show the future supply of nurses remains in peril – we have not seen the increase we need across the UK, despite government promises.

“In practice, this will mean services already struggling to recruit staff will find it even harder.”

If you are interested in a career in nursing – please get in touch with us.

When faced with illness or immobility, it can be a struggle to carry out everyday activities that you may have once performed with ease. Our discreet personal care service is designed to support you with your day-to-day living, as well as providing you with the encouragement and emotional support that you may need to remain living independently. Our personal care service can assist you with personal hygiene needs ( washing, dressing, continence care) administering medication, at a time to suit your convenience. Maintaining your dignity is of paramount importance to us, which is why our Carers will ensure you feel comfortable at all times.

Treating your family members in Brewood like our own

With Secure Healthcare Brewood as your home care service provider, you will enjoy personalised service built around your needs. Secure Healthcare pride ourselves on treating people with the same care, kindness and dignity that we would expect our loved ones to be treated.

We pride ourselves on ensuring persons needing support are Safe, our care treatment and support helps you to maintain quality of life based on best available evidence, our staff involve and treat you with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. We ensure our services are responsive to your needs and our management ensure high quality care is provided based on an individuals needs.

If you wish to learn more about how we can support you, please contact us and let one of our advisers come to see you and your family for a more detailed plan on how we can support you.

What sets us apart in the home care industry?

Our trained caring friendly staff have your Dignity and respect at the forefront of delivering personalised care in the comfort of your own home. When providing home care for yourself or a family member or friend, we take the time to get to know you and make sure you are continually happy with the care you received and the staff that support you.

Home care can be arranged on an hourly, daily, weekly basis or a much longer plan to suit your needs. We provides in-home care and support services to people so they can live as independently as possible in their own homes and communities. We support people to live life the way they choose.

The best person to know what support you need to remain as independent as possible in your own home is you. That is why everything we do is designed around your needs and goals. These can be relatively simple like help with shopping through to high dependency 24 hour care.

Housekeeping
Personal care
Companionship
Support with information and advice
Housing support
High dependency care
Live-in care
Respite care
Medication management
Hospital to Home service
Complex and specialist care

Do you need a trustworthy carer (HCA) in Dudley? Let us help you get the care you need for the life you want.

We will always be there for you

Secure Healthcare Solutions will find for you an experienced candidate that will suit all your needs.
Call us on 01902 302017 or write us to homecare@securehealthcaresolutions.co.uk

Housekeeping
Personal care
Companionship
Support with information and advice
Housing support
High dependency care
Live-in care
Respite care
Medication management
Hospital to Home service
Complex and specialist care

With Secure Healthcare as your home care service provider, you will enjoy personalised service built around your needs. Secure Healthcare pride ourselves on treating people with the same care, kindness and dignity that we would expect our loved ones to be treated.

Living independently at home is something most of us would like to do for as long as possible. When that time comes to make the decision to ask for extra support to continue to live independently as much as possible, our home care services are tailored for exactly that. If you wish to learn more about how we can support you, please contact us and let one of our advisers come to see you and your family for a more detailed plan on how we can support you.

Susie Henley leads the free online course “The Many Faces of Dementia”, run by University College London (UCL). Here she explains the course and how you can sign up to learn more about rarer forms of dementia.

Susie Henley

Did you know that some forms of dementia can affect how people see the world around them? Or that they can cause problems with language and communication rather than just memory?

UCL’s popular, free online course, “The Many Faces of Dementia,” can teach you more about the lesser-known aspects of dementia.

The course uses videos from people with dementia, as well as discussions and articles from leading clinicians and researchers in the dementia field, to shed light on aspects of dementia that may come as a surprise.

It’s accessible, with jargon-free information; the online platform FutureLearn also means that you can dip in and out when you have time. You can complete the whole course by spending about two hours a week on it over the four-week run.

It’s a very sociable forum, with many learners commenting on the various steps and supporting each other as they learn about each other’s stories and reasons for being there.

Different aspects of dementia

Each week tackles a different aspect of dementia.

In week one, the course looks at Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD), rare forms of Alzheimer’s disease that are inherited, and how this affects the whole family. It also explores how research with members of these families has been enormously helpful in understanding the more common, non-inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Week two covers frontotemporal dementia (FTD), an umbrella term for a lesser-known cluster of young-onset dementias that can affect social skills and behaviour or language. In these forms of dementia, memory is relatively preserved in the early stages, so it’s very different to what most people think of as ‘dementia’. Often people with these forms of dementia have struggled to get a diagnosis and to understand what’s going on.

In the third week, we look at dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and typical features of this. This includes seeing things that aren’t there (hallucinations) or believing things that aren’t true (delusions). These symptoms can occur in other types of dementia, but tend to be a defining feature in dementia with Lewy bodies. We hear from families living with this dementia, and the professionals who try to help manage and minimise the impact of hallucinations.

Finally, week four talks about Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), the rare variant of Alzheimer’s disease that author Terry Pratchett had. The course uses videos and pictures to show what life is like for someone with Posterior Cortical Atrophy, whose brain can no longer process visual and spatial information correctly.

Useful information for everyone

Whilst the course focuses on rarer dementia types, it’s also relevant to anyone working or living with people with all types of dementia. People with the more common forms of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia can also experience these sorts of symptoms at some point.

Learners to date have been a mixture of professionals, family members, students and people with dementia. We’ve had lots of very positive feedback about how useful the new information they’ve gleaned from the course is, and how they’ve learned from each other too.

Expert staff from UCL also pop in to answer questions and comments during the week; there is a special ‘Q&A’ feature at the end of each week, where the most popular learner questions are answered online every Sunday night.

So if you are interested in exploring a bit more about these sides of dementia, or you know someone who is, encourage them to sign up and have a look.

Secure Healthcare Solutions is proud to support Wolves Community Trust during the 2017/18 season.

Wolves Community Trust, the registered charity of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, supports the local community through delivering projects relevant to sport, health, education, inclusion and community donations.

We have teamed up with the trust to bring the fantastic sport of walking football to people in and around Wolverhampton. The aim of walking football is to help older people, or those with limited mobility, remain active and fit, while still pursuing their love for the beautiful game in a fun and sociable environment.

Each year, the projects delivered by Wolves Community trust reach around 25,000 local residents of all ages, genders, socio-economic and ethnic demographics. Over 4,000 participants are engaged in sports programmes alone, with over 85 weekly sessions being delivered to the communities.

For further information about the great work Wolves Community Trust does, and to find out more about walking football sessions, visit www.wolvescommunitytrust.org.uk/.

The Problem

Cavell Nurses’ Trust spoke to over 2,200 nurses, midwives and HCAs about financial hardship and deprivation, domestic abuse, health, illness, wellbeing and employment. Here’s what we found:

Nurses are nearly twice as likely as the average person to be unable to afford basic necessities like beds, washing machines and keeping their homes warm
Two in five nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants have a long-term physical or mental illness that limits their day-to-day activity
Nurses are 3 times more likely to have experienced domestic abuse in the last year

“This is appalling, and we’re taking action”

Will you be here for nurses?

Cavell Nurses’ Trust gives money and support to nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants (HCAs) who are facing financial hardship, often because of illness, domestic abuse and the effects of older age. If you believe we should be here for nurses, please join us and take action at cavellnursestrust.org/research If you’re a nurse, midwife, HCA or work in healthcare, please take action and help your colleagues at cavellnursestrust.org/ research

Still caring

In spite of all this, nursing professionals are getting on with the vital job of caring for the UK. Nurses give so much to us all. They help bring our children into the world. They care for us when we’re dying. They’re here for us with care and compassion at the darkest and the brightest moments in-between.

About Cavell Nurses’ Trust

Cavell Nurses’ Trust is here for nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants (HCAs) with money and support when they are experiencing personal or financial hardship. We also help people who are retired or have changed profession and help students in exceptional situations. We’re proud to offer a listening ear and practical support to everyone who gets in touch. Cavell Nurses’ Trust was established in 1917 following the execution of British nurse Edith Cavell in WW1. She helped 200 Allied soldiers reach freedom from German-occupied Belgium and Cavell Nurses’ Trust is her living legacy. We’re proud to maintain Edith’s values of compassion, courage and care in the work we do. Put simply, we’re #HereForNurses

“I was devastated; the idea that I wouldn’t walk again and be unable

to return to work was horrible. I couldn’t imagine my life without nursing”

In 2010, nurse Michelle’s life changed forever. Until then, she’d worked with new born babies suffering heart problems and loved every minute of it, but increasing pain in her lower back turned into bad news – two ruptured discs. It soon became clear that Michelle would be a wheelchair user for the rest of her life. Michelle’s determination was strong and after five months in hospital and six months rehabilitation, she was ready to return to work. But costly modifications were needed to her wheelchair so Cavell Nurses’ Trust was able to secure funding to convert her manual wheelchair into an electric one. This help has ensured Michelle’s return to work as a Cardiac Education Nurse.

“The help I’ve received from Cavell Nurses’ Trust has been life changing, I will be forever grateful to them.”

A student job in a nursing home opened Louise’s* eyes to a career caring for others and after qualifying in 2005, she nursed in her local hospital. Now a nurse and mother, Louise found her life took a bad turn as her partner was becoming increasingly abusive towards her – physically, emotionally and financially. She ended up in a women’s refuge with a bag of clothes and a toy for each child. Cavell Nurses’ Trust was quickly able to fund items for Louise’s new home and pay her registration costs, allowing her to return to her beloved nursing career.

“I’ve given so much during my nursing career and I’m so grateful to know that Cavell Nurses’ Trust

are there for me if I need help.”

Could this report be a catalyst for making a change?

The money and support Cavell Nurses’ Trust gives must be made available to more and more people. To do this we need to raise awareness of the cause described in this report. We need to raise awareness of the help available. And we need to raise the funds to make it all happen. Cavell Nurses’ Trust can only do this with your support. So I ask you to consider how you, the people you know and the people you work with, could be here for nurses too.

What is Hypotention ?

Doctors measure blood pressure using two numbers – the first and higher of the two is called the systolic blood pressure, and it occurs when the heart beats and fills the arteries of the body with blood. The lower number is called the diastolic blood pressure, and it’s the pressure in the heart when it rests between heartbeats. A normal blood pressure is said to be in the region of 120/80mmHg (systolic/diastolic) and doctors spend a lot of time dealing with people with high blood pressure. Use a blood pressure chart to see what your blood pressure means.

Low blood pressure (hypotension) on the other hand often requires no treatment but elderly people in particular can find it a problem, especially when standing up from sitting or lying down. In general terms, the medical advice is that the lower the blood pressure the better, and for most people their blood pressure rarely falls below 90/60.

Recognition

However, low blood pressure can sometimes mean there’s not enough blood flowing to your brain and other vital organs, which can lead to symptoms such as:

dizziness or lightheadedness
unsteadiness
fainting
blurred vision
heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable (palpitations)
confusion
feeling sick (nausea)
general weakness

What to do if you have symptoms

If you think you may be experiencing an episode of low blood pressure, you should:

stop what you’re doing
sit or lie down
drink some water

The symptoms will usually pass after a few seconds or minutes.

When to see your GP

You should see your GP if you have frequent symptoms of low blood pressure. Your GP can measure your blood pressure and help identify any underlying causes of the problem. Read more about diagnosing low blood pressure.

Low blood pressure after suddenly standing up

If you experience symptoms of low pressure after changing positions, such as standing up, it’s known as postural, or orthostatic, hypotension. Symptoms shouldn’t last longer than a few seconds, as your blood pressure will adjust to your new position. This type of low blood pressure tends to affect people more as they get older, when it can lead to more frequent falls. Similar symptoms may also occur after exercise.

Low blood pressure after eating

If you experience symptoms after eating, it’s known as postprandial hypotension. It occurs more often in older people, particularly in those who have high blood pressure or conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes mellitus. After a meal, your intestines need a large amount of blood for digestion. If your heart rate doesn’t increase enough to maintain blood pressure, your blood pressure will fall, causing symptoms.

Low blood pressure after standing for long periods

Some people experience symptoms after standing up for long periods of time. This is sometimes known as neutrally mediated hypotension, and most often affects children and young adults.