In today’s world, sustainability is more than just a buzzword – it’s necessary. Across various sectors, there is a growing emphasis on reducing environmental impact and enhancing operational efficiency. This positive change has been driven further in the care home sector as the CQC has recently released a new framework. This framework encourages care homes to adopt greener practices.
Being green is, of course, a positive approach to take however, sometimes, companies view going green as meaning increased costs – this is not the case!
The St Monica Trust, a Bristol-based charity providing accommodation, care and support for older people in the South West of England, sought to optimise its operations while prioritising sustainability. Partnering with Acticare, the Trust aimed to create a cost-effective yet sustainable solution for care home products, all whilst improving the quality of life for residents.
Identifying Areas for Care Home Improvement
Our partnership began by analysing where the best areas for improvement were for St Monica Trust. We identified three key areas where Acticare’s expertise and support would be most helpful:
- Unreliable Stock Supply: The Trust experienced frequent delays in the delivery of essential daily supplies.
- Environmental Impact: Using single-use plastic packaging for cleaning products and using chlorine-based products did not match a desire to adopt greener practices.
- Complex Product Range: A large variety of cleaning products led to an increased volume of products held in stock and a potential risk of confusion. They wanted to take action to mitigate these risks by replacing products in use with those that could be used for multiple tasks.
Actions Taken to Enhance Care Home Sustainability and Efficiency
After identifying areas for improvement, Acticare devised and demonstrated multiple solutions which could work for St Monica Trust. A trial period started to ensure the correct solution was chosen. The success of the process resulted in:
Streamlined Product Range: Acticare’s analysis resulted in a simplified and cost-effective range of products, reducing the margin for human error, reducing waste and decreasing costs.
Hygiene Manual Creation: A detailed manual was developed to further improve efficiency in cleaning procedures, enhancing overall site cleanliness.
Trial Samples: Acticare provided samples for St Monica Trust to trial, identifying the most suitable products the site needed.
Product Usage Optimisation: One bottle of our EC7 product replaced three bottles of the original cleaning product. An automatic dosage machine was also installed with Acticare’s concentrated products. These were diluted to ensure correct concentrations, further aligning with St Monica Trust’s sustainability goals. It is a fantastic example of product optimisation.
Key Benefits of the Partnership
The collaboration between St Monica Trust and Acticare has been a huge success, with multiple key wins enjoyed across the board. These included:
Significant Savings: The streamlined product range led to a 60% cost saving and a 60% reduction in product waste. As a result of their reduction in plastic waste, the Trust has become even more sustainable.
Efficient Deliveries: The St Monica Trust team appreciate the convenience of our drivers delivering orders directly to their desired location within the building. This streamlined process has boosted staff efficiency and markedly improved overall site hygiene.
Transparent Reporting: One key service provided by Acticare is monthly spend reporting, offering complete transparency and reassurance to the management team at St Monica Trust.
Continuous Improvement: By focusing on reliability, sustainability, and efficiency, Acticare and St Monica Trust are working together to create a better environment for care home staff and residents.
These benefits prove that through hard work, attention to detail and in-depth industry knowledge, sustainability goals can be achieved without compromising care or wider business goals.
What St Monica Trust say about Acticare
Rob Bennington (Business Deputy Manager) from the Trust’s Russets and Sherwood Care Home, shared his thoughts on the partnership:
“It was a no brainer. We are getting better products at a better price, whilst using less plastic. That was the reason for choosing Acticare”.
Simpler, Safer, Better.
We were delighted to help St Monica Trust achieve its sustainability and efficiency goals. It was an honour to work with a company that takes both care standards and environmental impact seriously. By working with clients like St Monica Trust, we can realise our ambition of making the lives of care home teams simpler, safer, and better every day. If you want to reduce your waste, reduce your costs, and improve your methods in your care home group contact Acticare today.