Hourglass Launches Age Reform Coalition (ARC) to Campaign for Changes in Age Related Legislation and Practice

What is ARC?

Hourglass launched ARC to work in collaboration with other third sector organisations, to scrutinise, review and lobby for changes in age related legislation. Using strength in numbers and shared resources, ARC campaigns for the improvement of professional standards, employee rights and to develop a common safer ageing agenda.

ARC Members

Chaired by Hourglass, the other organisations that form ARC are:

Bettering The Care Home System (BCHS)

BCHS was set up by Pat Taylor after experiencing the terrible treatment of his mother. During COVID19, she moved care homes 9 times in 18 months, caught COVID twice, was sectioned and broke her wrist. Researching the state of the care home system opened his eyes and BCHS was created. 

BCHS objectives are to lobby the government for clearer transparency in care homeownership, where it should be mandated that care home groups and care home owners disclose exactly where their income is spent and how much leaks out of the investment in front-line care.

Nightingales Army

Nightingales Army is a community interest company, set up by two health care assistants with the vision to actively raise the standard of care. Set up in 2019, their focus is on rebuilding quality training within the health and social care sector. Founders Elizabeth Cox and Felicity Miles, witnessed the crisis in social care around recruiting, retaining, recognising and properly rewarding healthcare assistants. Staff turnover in the sector is only exceeded by the hospitality sector, and the standard of care is hampered by the failure to introduce standardised practical ‘hands-on’ accredited training.

In the summer of 2019, seeing the impact the crisis in social care was having on the standards of care being delivered, the low morale among healthcare assistants, and how unprepared the UK was to meet the future increase in demand for social care from an ageing population, the idea was born to recruit and train an ‘army of future carers’ – and to re-brand them as the ‘Nightingales”. 

Say So

Founders of whistleblowing organisation Say So, Paul Adams and Shaun Keep, have a safeguarding and criminal investigation background that spans decades. Their experience of failures in care, has time and again, been as a result of a lack of confidence and trust in internal ‘speak up’ policy, lack of confidence in the current reporting process and a fear of consequences should staff report issues. Say So seeks to support the sector and create the conditions that give staff the confidence to report.

To mark the launch of this collaboration, Hourglass will host a series of webinars, focusing on the three areas covered by the ARC member organisations.

If you would like to take part, or would like to learn more, click here