News

Press releases

Consultus on TV
June 2007

A Consultus Client and Carer were today featured on the BBC2 television programme "Working Lunch" (14/6/07).

Sheila Latimer of London told the interviewer why she preferred receiving the care she needs at home. Her daughter Claire talked about the "very reasonable price" of live-in care and added that her mother was "so happy at home; she's got her friends around her, her daily routine…her life has gone on, even though Dad has died".

Also appearing on the programme was Mrs Latimer's Carer, Carol Schoultz who talked about the satisfaction she got from being a live-in carer and companion. "We're here to look after you, care for you, give you the things you want and need, and feel comfortable with it", said Carol.

The programme discussed the relative costs of long term care and nursing, and made clear how competitive is the cost of private live-in care. Residential Care Department Manager Celia Hoare appeared talking about the costs of the service and accommodation for Carers.

The programme should be available to view on the Working Lunch website for about three months, simply navigate to "Watch Again" - Thursday 14th June - "Care Costs".

The broadcast comes less than two months after our director Peter Seldon spoke about live-in care live on BBC Southern Counties Radio.

Consultus launches new Finance Handbook
May 2007

Consultus Care & Nursing Agency has updated and expanded its website's 'Help with the Costs of Care' advice pages.

If you are interested to know how to finance long-term care have a look at our 'Meeting the Cost of Live-in Nursing and Care' handbook which describes a variety of financial products that allow you receive the care you need at home without having to sell the house! A print version will be available to order soon.

Regulator rates Consultus "Excellent"
April 2007

Following full inspections of our Nursing and Domiciliary Care businesses last month, care industry regulator the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has written to Consultus to confirm their opinion that both services are "Excellent".

The inspections covered the entire area of agency operation, from the care provided to clients to the training given to our office staff, and points were awarded to each subject matter in accordance with strict national criteria.

The reports are now available to download or you can request a paper copy from your local CSCI office.

Growth in the live-in care market
March 2007

More and more purchasers of home care are discovering the attractions of privately sourced care provision. This is the conclusion of the Laing & Buisson annual home care survey (Domiciliary Care UK Market Report 2007).

"Even private purchasers without advice from social services are recognising that there are alternatives to going into a care home when they can no longer manage alone", says care industry researcher and analyst Philip Mickelborough. "Many people have employer's pensions or capital to pay for the home care they need, and others are topping up the basic care they receive from social services with privately-paid hours".

The report also said that privately funded home care is growing faster than local authority-financed home care. Independent providers had reported an eight percent increase in hours paid for by private clients. The growth in live-in care, used either on a permanent basis or short-term after an illness or a stay in hospital, contributed to many of the additional hours.

New Regional Nurse Recruiters
January 2007

Qualified Nurses applying for a position as a Consultus Live-in Nurse can now benefit from our new network of Regional Nurse Recruiters.

From this month we have trained recruiters based in Devon and Warwickshire and, from February, in the Glasgow area. This means that nurses may no longer need to come long distances to our head office in Kent for their interview. The recruiters are all experienced Consultus nurses who can vouch for the satisfaction and enjoyment they get from the job.

If you would like an interview as a Consultus Registered Nurse please contact the Nursing Department in the first instance and they will put you in touch with your nearest Recruiter.

Expansion of South Africa Team
January 2007

Would-be care assistants in the Pretoria and Johannesburg area who are thinking of a short- or long-term career in Britain as a Live-in Carer can now be interviewed locally by our new agent Maureen Hopkins. The new office will serve applicants from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. Maureen is a Registered Nurse and Midwife and has worked in Britain for Consultus as a Live-in Carer.

The opening of the Pretoria office follows the huge success of our Cape Town office, opened by Gaeleen Kotze in 2004. You can reach Maureen by email on mh@consultuscare.co.za.

New State-of-the-Art Operations Centre
December 2006

On December 20th, Consultus founder Mrs Anne Stevens cut the ribbon on Consultus’s new purpose-built consultancy centre. Named The Anne Stevens Room after our director of 45 years, this large extension to our Kent headquarters is home to our Residential Care Department Consultants, the team that each year arranges live-in care for over 600 older and adult disabled clients across the country.

The telephone and computer systems use the latest networking technology to offer staff and clients alike the speediest service possible. The telephone system has also been upgraded – but don’t worry, you’ll still be answered by a real human receptionist. Nearly a hundred people – staff, families, suppliers and local media – attended the grand celebration.

Older People confirm Live-in Nursing would be first choice
November 2006

Recent independent research, commissioned by Consultus Care & Nursing Agency Ltd and carried out with a large number of older people, has shown that this group has very clear views on where they would prefer to receive the nursing they need.

The research, which was conducted this month by TNS Face to Face Services with a national sample of adults aged 75 and over, has revealed an overwhelmingly strong preference for live-in nursing: 88% (of adults aged 75 and over) preferring to receive long-term nursing care at home, compared to only 7% who would prefer a nursing home. In fact, the possibility of one day going into a nursing home worried 57% of respondents.

After a spell in hospital, perhaps following illness or an operation, 91% of older people would prefer to return home to convalesce. This compares to 4% in a nursing home and 1% on a hospital ward.

The results signal a clear message from the elderly. Particularly in regard to obtaining live-in nursing through the NHS as some trusts do not make this option available, despite the fact that the wishes of patients should be taken into account – the survey showed that 87% of people think that live-in nursing should be more readily available from the state.

More nursing in the community could have a beneficial effect on bed blocking as well as positive psychological effects for the patient from staying in the familiar surroundings of their own home.

Boosting this additional kind of nursing career would provide an alternative career option for nurses in need of flexible employment outside of the ailing NHS system.

Kevin May, Registered Manager of Consultus Care & Nursing Agency, comments:  “This research, which is the first of its kind, has underlined the strong views held by the elderly about where they choose to be nursed. Paradoxically at a time when Trusts hit worst by the NHS budget crisis are cutting back on nurses, there is a real demand for live-in nurses. These skilled health care workers are able to give our clients the 24/7 nursing care that they clearly want, whilst a choice of working weeks enables more nurses to remain in the profession that they have chosen.  The reality is that live-in Nursing can provide an economical solution to both patients and nurses.”

Read an abridged version of the Nursing Research.

Supporting the Community
July 2006

Consultus likes to support worthwhile charities and concerns and in the past year has helped the following organisations. Please click an underlined link to visit their websites.

Demelza House Children’s Hospice http://www.demelzahouse.org/

Hospice in the Weald                 http://www.hospiceintheweald.org.uk/

RADAR – The Disability Network http://www.radar.org.uk

Tonbridge Theatre and Arts Club  http://www.oast-theatre-tonbridge.co.uk/

Consultus’s minimum age reduced
January 2006

In response to client demand for more youthful Carers, Consultus’ Residential Care Department has reduced its minimum age for applicants. We now invite enquiries from any young man or woman over the age of 21 who feels they have the necessary qualities to become a Live-in Care Assistant.

Our many applicants from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who come to the UK as working holidaymakers will also welcome this move. These young people who are embarking on the experience of a lifetime find that live-in care assignments provide the flexibility and diversity they need to make the most of their time in Britain.

The British government are pressing ahead with reform of the Direct Payments scheme. In a few months, they will be trialling ‘individual budgets’ in 13 areas of the country.

“Individual budgets will help vulnerable older and disabled people take control and choose the services that suit them best,” said care services minister Liam Byrne.

The idea of individual budgets for service users is universally praised as a good idea. Essentially, it transfers power and money from local authorities into the hands of residents, who can then choose to spend the money with a domiciliary care provider, such as Consultus, rather than receive help from social services.

The Direct Payments scheme is already in place. The reforms should help to make it more accessible to residents and easier for councils to administer.

Consultus’s new-look websites offer more
May 2005

Consultus has increased its presence on the internet following a large increase in enquiries from the web.

The number of prospective clients, carers and nurses asking for more information by email has increased by over 500% in a year and so to reflect this greater interest we have invested in this, our new-look website. The site includes, among other things, dozens of helpful hyperlinks to websites that may be of interest to nurses, carers and people needing care; a précis of various ways in which clients may receive financial assistance for long-term care; FAQ (frequently asked questions) pages that answer your queries at a glance, and better enquiry forms that will help us more quickly process new requests for information. Please let us know what you think of the site by writing to the manager@consultuscare.com.

At the same time, we have launched a dedicated site for antipodean web surfers. www.consultuscare.co.za is aimed primarily at South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders who are thinking of joining our live-in care team.

New South Africa Representative
August 2004

Consultus welcomes Mrs Gaeleen Kotze as the agency’s first overseas representative.

In recent years, more and more South Africans have chosen to join our team of live-in carers in the UK. Many of them are young ‘working holiday makers’ and are visiting the country for a year or so. Others may hold dual British citizenship or Ancestry visas and have decided to start afresh in the UK. To help them make the move and start earning as soon as possible, Consultus has engaged Gaeleen, herself a former Consultus carer, to interview and select staff and to help arrange their first bookings.

Gaeleen is based in the Cape Town area. To find out more visit our South African website.