As usual, the final episode of the series is just me, but this also happens to be the final episode of the podcast! In case you were not aware, I've decided to finish the podcast after this series, and I explain why during the episode. I also share some of the key stats from the podcast including where in the world people listen from and I share a final message and lesson around self-leadership. LINKS The Care Leader's Handbook is available on Amazon here There's more information about The Judgement Index and how we work with care companies here My new venture: FidlLeaf the workplace wellbeing and personal development platform is here The podcast Top 10 episodes are: Karen Ritson Helen McGowen Cedi Frederick Issac Theophilos Sophie Coulthard - 2 Important Lessons In Leadership Neil Eastwood Andrea Sutcliffe Vic Rayner Bhavna Keane Rao Samantha Buckley You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

Today my interview is with Sophy Robson, a part-time care support worker for Bluebird Care. Sophie also has a successful business running nail services and graffiti workshops and I wanted to talk about what attracted her to care as a second career. Sophy is also actively involved in engagement and marketing for Bluebird, so we talk all things social media and how to use it positively for your business. She also shares more about her photo campaign which changes the way we see care workers in their day to day role. LINKS Follow Sophy and Bluebird Care Westminster on Twitter here Connect with Bluebird Care Westminster on LinkedIn here and Facebook here You can see the photo campaign we talk about here The photographer Sandi Friend is here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

Today I'm joined by Louie Werth of Care Research, who has recently been involved in some exciting research of Outstanding Home Care CQC reports. Even if you're a care home or a different type of care provider then there will be something of interest in this episode as Louie shares a lot about why research in this sector is so important. He also gives advice on how to conduct your own research and why it can help you as a care company to progress and provide a better working environment for staff and better quality care for your clients. LINKS The Essential Home Care Quality Guide: Be Outstanding is here The Care Research website is here Find Louie on LinkedIn here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

Today I am joined by Mark McGlade who is the owner of Home Instead Senior Care for Exeter and East Devon.  Mark's office was the first home care provider in the South West to receive an all 5 Outstanding rating - which is an incredible achievement and in fact, over 30% of Home Instead offices have an Outstanding rating, which I discuss with Mark. He also shares a story of how his team gets involved with the local community, including a story of how they have developed a partnership with the South West Ambulance service which has had fantastic results. I won't spoil it by revealing too much here! LINKS Find Home Instead East Devon website here and find them on Facebook here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

Today I'm joined by Sam Watson from NHSmail and Claire Sutton from The National Care Forum to talk all things digital, and not just digital care planning. We talk about NHSmail and the ways it can empower care companies and we also talk about other ways of embracing digital products, including the humble Amazon Echo! I really enjoyed this episode and the stories that were shared. There's lots in the links below so be sure to check them out... LINKS Follow Sam on Twitter here and Claire on Twitter here. Digital Social Care is on Twitter here and the website is here. NHS Digital is on Twitter here and the website is here The National Care Forum Twitter is here and the website is here. The Amazon Echo Dot is available here and it's under £35! You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie  

Today my guest is Raina Summerson who is the Group CEO of Agincare, a large care provider based in Dorset but with locations across the UK. I didn't know much about Agincare, which is surprising because they are such a large provider and still family owned. We discuss this and also how key messages are communicated and driven through such a large company. Raina also shares the importance of independent providers and how we can work together to keep these businesses sustainable. I also loved Raina's back story and it's refreshing to hear that someone who was terrible at school (her own words!) could go on to run such a successful organisation. LINKS Follow Raina and Agincare on Twitter here  Find the Agincare website here At the start of the episode I talk about the podcast Who Cares Wins. Find it on Spotify here. It's also on apple podcasts and their Twitter is here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

Today my guest is Marie Hart who is Head of HR at Westgate Healthcare. I'd never interviewed someone in a HR role and Marie delivered! She shares some of the steps the company has taken to improve staff retention through different staff engagement initiatives. Everything she shares can be adapted into any care company and some of the ideas were even inspired by the podcast! I especially loved the wellness fund that Westgate Healthcare have implemented that allows the staff to decide how they want to spend it, Marie shares why they felt this was important to put in place and what the results have been. LINKS Follow Westgate Healthcare on Twitter here The Westgate Healthcare website is here See the residents picking up litter in the community here I talk about The Care Leader's Handbook (again!) and the link to it is here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

James Sage, partner at Royds Withy King is my guest today and he heads up the health and social care team for the law firm. I'd recently attended an event hosted by James and so I was armed with lots of questions about what informal HR processes are and how they can help care companies to improve recruitment and retention, but also avoid a legal pickle further down the line. We also talk about mental health in social care and how this can impact a care team, and how companies can reduce the risk of discrimination claims, by following good HR procedures. LINKS Follow James on Twitter here The Royds Withy King website is here More information about the HELP scheme is here James talks about a book called Our Iceberg Is Melting which is here and I talk about a book called Black Box Thinking which is here I also talk about The Care Leader's Handbook by myself and Rob Coulthard which is here The Care Innovation Hub is here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie  

I'm really excited to bring you two guests in this episode, Ben and Katie from Milkwood Care, who were both under 30 when they stepped into their managers position. They share with me the challenges they've faced, the support they've been given to thrive in their roles and Ben shares his dramatic story of how his home came to achieve their Outstanding rating. If you've got aspirations to be a manager, or know someone young who does then it's well worth sharing this episode with them.  LINKS Find Braeburn's Facebook page here Find Castleford House's Facebook page here  The Dementia Baby Singalong is here The book I co-authored "The Care Leader's Handbook" is available here  Ben mentioned: Issac's book "How To Get Outstanding" which is here The episode with Cedi Frederick is here The Facebook episode with Michelle Purse is here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie

It's Series 6! Thank you for your patience. In the first episode I'm speaking with Tarryn Gorre from Kafoodle, a food tech company that supports better compliance and nutrition in care. We talk about why good training is so critical for care chefs, who have to cook multiple meals for many residents a day as well as manage dietary and complex requirements. Tarryn also shares her thoughts on how Brexit may affect food costs and her vision for the future of nutrition in care, including better options for people living with dementia. LINKS Follow Tarryn on Twitter here Follow Kafoodle on Twitter here  Find out more about Kafoodle on their website here You can find all of the episodes on iTunes, Spotify or Podbean. Why not download the free Podbean app if you have an android or use the Podcasts app if you have an iPhone to listen on the go? Don’t forget to check out our sponsor Sekoia who provide digital care planning for care homes. Their technology is person centred and incredibly simple to use. You’ll make fewer mistakes and save so much time I really recommend heading over to their website and checking them out. Finally - follow and join in the conversation over on Twitter to keep up with all of the latest interviews and share your comments. It’s @CarePodcast. As always, thank you for listening! Sophie