Why is it important to factor profit into the Cost of Care?

A standard cost of care calculation will generally cover items such as staffing costs, other direct costs and overheads. This is true whether the cost calculation comes from you as a provider, or as a template for completion from, for example, a Local Authority as part of an annual review of fees. The issue of profit (or cost of capital) if often less straightforward. It is important providers understand the level of reasonable profits they should be looking to make, and to be in a position to have appropriate discussions with commissione...

Caresolve in the News – August 2017

Caresolve's Ben Challinor was featured in the Caring Times earlier this month (August 1st), where he explained how it is possible to regain trust should your care home be rated as 'inadequate'. You can read the full piece here. Ben has also been speaking to Caring UK, giving his thoughts on the latest CQC report. You can read this piece in full here....

British care homes facing collapse

A funding crisis is leaving thousands of care homes facing collapse, it has been reported. According to research by leading accountancy firm Moore Stephens, 16% of care home companies in the UK are showing warning signs that they could be at risk of failure. The percentage has increased from 12% in previous research. The increase to the National Living Wage in April this year is thought to be one of the main causes. Its rise to £7.50 an hour has put an increased burden on care home running costs. It is scheduled to rise again to £9 an h...

Driving up standards needs to be the key focus for care homes

Care homes need to drive up standards with improved training, support and investment from the local authorities, says care home specialist Caresolve. Ben Challinor, co-founder of Caresolve, spoke out after a new report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) revealed that a third of residential nursing homes are failing to provide safe levels of care. The damning watchdog report said that poor leadership and staff shortages is leaving residents in a quarter of care homes with poor care. Around 37 per cent of homes failed on safety with inspe...

Would you like help managing your care home?

Talk to us about our new Care Home Management Service. Our service is aimed at operators wishing to take a step back from day to day involvement in managing their homes, are looking to sell the business and require an interim solution, or who would just like to remove the stress of dealing with CQC and the Local Authority. We have found that an increasing number of operators have been asking us for help with the operational and financial running of their care home. Whether it’s a short term engagement or a longer term contract coveri...

How do you calculate ‘the true cost of care’?

Calculating the true cost of care is increasingly important for care homes and it was an issue we tackled at a recent Lancashire Care Association Seminar. Caresolve’s Consultancy Director Ben Challinor and our Finance Director Richard Shore spoke to an audience of care home operators, proprietors and owners at the event in Preston. We also tackled issues such as how to deal with an inaccurate CQC report before it goes into the public domain and affects your reputation. We know that the care sector is under ever increasing financial p...

Caresolve in the news

How do you gain the trust of the authorities after an inadequate CQC? We know that a poor inspection report can have a dramatic and detrimental impact on a care home. The consequences can often be severe and, if remedial work and required improvements are not made within the timeframes given, operators may end up being forced to contend with anything from loss of support from local commissioning teams to home closure. We tackled the issue in a recent issue of Healthcare Business. In the article, our Consultancy Director Ben Challino...

Launch of Caresolve Recruitment

We are delighted to announce the launch of Caresolve Recruitment. Our new service is headed up by James Parkin, our co-founder and Operations Director. James has in-depth knowledge and experience of the recruitment sector, particularly within specialist health and social care markets. As a company, we understand the difficulties of recruiting within the care sector and are delighted to now offer care staffing solutions across all areas of a care business from entry level to senior management. We have successfully sourced staff for many...

How to regain the trust of the authorities after an ‘Inadequate’ CQC

This month, we have been talking to Healthcare Business about the importance of regaining the trust of the authorities after an 'Inadequate' CQC. The full story appears on page 44 of the new issue and you can read it here bit.ly/KD6emx We know that a poor inspection report can have a dramatic and detrimental impact on a care home. The consequences can often be severe and, if remedial work and required improvements are not made within the timeframes given, operators may end up being forced to contend with anything from loss of support from ...

Caresolve to give seminar on calculating ‘the true cost of care’

Caresolve, the specialists in care home transformation, will be speaking about ‘the true cost of care’ at the Lancashire Care Association’s Spring Seminar next month. Caresolve’s Consultancy Director Ben Challinor and Finance Director Richard Shore have been invited to give the seminar on Thursday, 4th May at Farington Lodge in Leyland, Preston (9am-1pm, cost from £25). They will be joined by Rachel Adamson, a partner at Stephensons Solicitors LLP who will also be giving a session on how to ensure that your care business is CQC c...