What are LINks? They’re Local Involvement Networks – individuals and community groups, such as faith groups and residents’ associations, which work together to improve health and social care services. There are 150 around England, and aim to give people a strong voice in the delivery of health services – to identify their needs and demands, [...]

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has helped launch a new pilot scheme to enable asset rich but cash poor older people pay for additional support at home, which could help to make their lives easier and allow them to stay in their own homes for longer, rather than move into a care home. The JRF is [...]

You will recall the Budget 2009 announced £75 million of funding for the Care First Careers initiative, which has the ambition to help create up 50,000 job opportunities for young people in the adult social care sector. Social care employers will receive a £1000 subsidy for every eligible unemployed person they take on. Following a pilot programme, [...]

Growing rapidly seems to be on the cards this year.  What a great start to 2010 so far! 247 Nursing is thriving, 247 Homecare is experiencing an explosion of demand from all areas of the sector and to top it off due to increased demand, we have launched our Permanent Pecruitment Division  247 Search & [...]

The government has done little to improve take-up of benefits among pensioners in the past six years and should refocus its efforts to reduce poverty, according to a report published today by Housing 21. The housing and care organisation, which last reported on the issue in 2003, said up to one-third of pensioners were not taking [...]

UK researchers have developed a technique which could lead to an eye examination to find Alzheimer’s and other illnesses before symptoms manifest. The scientists, from University College London, have developed ‘fluorescent markers’ which join on to dying cells, and which can be observed within the retina and show that brain cells are dying. The researchers [...]

The first of a planned chain of up to 30 private hospitals run as John Lewis-style, employee partnerships was launched in Bath yesterday, increasing competition with NHS trusts for patients and health contracts. Ambitious growth plans unveiled by Circle Health involve employing up to 10,000 staff through an investment of £1.5bn in a chain of clinics [...]

The New Year has brought with it an exciting challenge for 247 Professional Health. A big welcome to Gareth Rogerson who has recently joined us injecting a wealth of knowledge and experience into the company.  With a background of over 10 years  in the provision of care services, 247 Professional Health is lucky to have [...]

2000 The Care Standards Act What it did Led to the establishment of the General Social Care Council in England and the Care Council for Wales in 2001. It followed two white papers in 1998 and 1999, Modernising Social Services and Building for the Future, which highlighted concerns about failures and low public confidence in [...]

Depression is a problem for over 2.9 million people over Christmas, according to Dr Gowrisunkur consultant psychiatrist from the Priory. More than 2.9 million people in the UK are diagnosed as having depression  at any one time.  As many as one in three people will be affected by depression at some point in their lives. People [...]