Brunelcare Strategic Plan
2014 -2017
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2014 -2017: Our vision, mission and values
Brunelcare is a local charity and registered provider, which has been working with and for older people in and
around Bristol since the 1940’s.
Our Vision
To be recognised and renowned for “Helping people to make the most of their lives.”
Our Mission
Our mission is to listen, learn and improve so that we are able to:
• Deliver great service that meets the needs of our customers
• Enable our staff to be all that they can for our customers
• Make our business stronger for the future
• Create great communities to live, work and be in.
Our values
Our values underpin everything that we do at Brunelcare and give an insight into our culture. These are the
behaviours that you should expect to see on a daily basis.
•We put the customer’s individual wellbeing at the heart of our entire decision making.
•We are passionate about what we do and strive to make a positive difference to peoples lives.
•We are each responsible for delivering great service, 1st time, to meet each customers unique needs
•We will ask “if it isn’t improving service to our customers, then why are we doing it?”
•We do all we can to ensure equal opportunities for all. .
•Everyone is encouraged to challenge and make suggestions: we are always seeking to improve
•We are one team working to the same purpose to develop a strong and efficient business.
•We will actively listen to and go and experience issues raised, then problem solve together
• We make decisions as near to the customer as possible
•We aim to provide a service that is ‘value for money’ without compromising on quality.
This document provides an overview of the organisation’s work and aspirations for the next three years, and is
reviewed annually by the Trustees, and updated to provide a rolling three-year strategy.
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2013-2017: An overview of current environment
OVERALL
Brunelcare operates in three areas, namely: housing (sheltered and extra care), community services (providing care in
people’s homes) and care homes (generally very frail older people who are often living with a dementia).
This market remains a very dynamic and difficult one in which to operate. The current economic environment means
that many councils are needing to cut funding to vital services and we have experienced cuts to fee levels and
complete services. This looks likely to continue and we recognise the need to increase the percentage of people who
are paying privately for their service in order to maintain the financial viability of many of the services which we provide.
This will be accompanied by a pricing strategy to ensure that we recover the full costs of all services, except those
which we aim to subsidise as part of our charitable objectives.
Our reputation with our customers and commissioners is very high, but we have more work to do to share this with the
general public and we shall embark on a branding and marketing programme to raise awareness.
We are a highly regulated organisation, with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the Charity Commission and
the Care Quality Commission each having different requirements and approaches. In addition, our care commissioners
also audit our services. On the care and support side, we are fully compliant with all CQC requirements in all services.
Whilst we believe that we run a highly efficient organisation, we have yet to convince the HCA that our approach to
Value for Money (VFM) is as good as it can be. We shall therefore need to put some effort into ensuring that we have
all the evidence required. This will pay particular attention to the way in which we manage our property assets and we
shall be reviewing our asset management strategy as part of this programme.
Our employees are our most important asset in achieving great service. We employ circa 1,200 people from a wide
variety of backgrounds, with the focus on recruiting the people with the right behaviours. Out aim is to nurture all of our
staff to ensure that they make the most of their talents to the betterment of the lives of our clients. In addition, we need
to develop a learning culture alongside our systems thinking work so that managers, in particular, see their role to
problem solve.
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2013-2017: High level strategy
THE NEXT THREE YEARS
When thinking about our 3 year business strategy, we consider four main areas: compliance, financial sustainability,
customer satisfaction and staff satisfaction. Given this approach, many of our objectives each year are to ensure that
we improve in all four areas. We currently have no plans for major expansion outside of our geographical area, but,
given the dynamics of the marketplace will not rule this out and reconsider our strategy every year to recognise the
changes taking place. The following highlights our current thinking.
Year 1:
Housing: Roll out of systems thinking with a new asset management strategy planned
Community services: several contracts up for retender and some excellent new business
development opportunities; growth expected
Care homes: Three sites for new care home development available. Finalise Irwin development.
Development programme for nurses.
Central support: Focus on improved efficiencies with business process reviews, wide area network roll
outs and workforce planning implemented
Year 2:
Housing: year 1 of the Asset Management Strategy, continued tenant scrutiny
Community services: a year of consolidation
Care homes: Potential opening of new care home(s), clinical governance focus. Consider specialism.
Central support: Continued focus on business efficiency, talent management and new software
implementation
Year 3
Housing: Potential disposal and planning for reprovision of sites
Community services: Consider move into other areas (geographical and specialism)
Care homes: Consolidation, growth in clinical work
Central support: Consideration of shared support services
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2013-2017: Community Services Operations and Plans
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Currently we make 18,000 visits per week to over 1,300 people in Bristol, Somerset, North Somerset and South
Gloucestershire, including residents of our Extra Care Housing schemes. During these visits we provide assistance with
personal care and meet the health and support needs of physically and mentally frail people and their carers.
Alongside this we provide reablement services, respite services and day care, all aimed at tackling social isolation,
creating meaningful activities and restoring lost independence.
Building a relationship with a regular carer, who has the skills and the time to do an excellent job, at preferred times of the
day , is what matters most to our customers. Reconciling this with the volume and logistics of our work, and with the
financial viability of the services, is an on-going challenge.
In addition, the majority of our services are currently commissioned by local authorities. Budgetary pressures are likely to
be translated into frozen or reduced hourly rates, while a wider social agenda will demand more personal, innovative and
higher-quality services.
Our on-going project of redesigning services and staff structures around the customer has brought demonstrable
efficiencies. This creates the space to deliver what matters most to our customers, even within tighter budgets. To
accommodate income pressures in an already low-margin business we will seek to launch new services in the same
geographical area, to increase the number of customers organically or by acquisition, and to shift the mix of customers
towards those that are self-funded, ensuring we are best placed flexibly to support those with personal budgets.
Our plan is to optimise the effectiveness of our operations to ensure financial stability during this period of change and to
be ready for new business opportunities. Many contracts will be up for renewal in 2014 and there are also new
opportunities ranging from domiciliary care to Dementia Care Pathway in Bristol. All shall be considered. In addition we will
be increasing the use of telecare, and focussing more on supporting people to engage with their communities and access
community resources.
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2013-2017: Care Homes Operations and Plans
CARE HOMES
Our four care homes (with 250 residents) provide support for older people who have are living with some form of
physical or memory impairment through the provision of nursing and residential care (with around 80% of our
residents either diagnosed or living with some degree of dementia). All four homes have been recently inspected by
CQC and are fully compliant. The homes currently have an occupancy level of over 97% (compared to the UK
average of 90%) and we receive referrals from outside the area.
The dependency levels in the care homes continue to increase. This is especially affected by hospitals wishing to
avoid death in hospital (leading to very short end of life stays) to individuals delaying their admission for as long as
possible.
We are conscious that there are increasing financial pressures from our Local Authority commissioners. We have
managed to secure block book bed contracts in some of our care homes, but wish to increase the number of
private paying residents (where the fee is higher). In order to do this, we shall need to increase awareness of the
services at large in the community.
We know that we could manage at least one further care home without any increase in overheads. Bristol City
Council is currently looking for partners to build two new care homes. We have identified potential partners for this
who would put up the funding required. Current proposals are to have 70% nominations to the care home; this will
be open to negotiation. In addition, we need to satisfy ourselves that the business will be able to repay the loans.
The clinical manager in each home will be ensuring that all nurses continue their professional development. Our
specialists in nutrition and wound management will continue and we shall be developing the role of the nurse (to
include the administration of IV antibiotics) in order to reduce hospital admission .Our reputation for end of life care
has grown and we shall be continuing our training in this specialised area.
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2013-2017: Housing Operations and Plans
HOUSING
We provide approximately 1,050 homes in Bristol for 1,300 tenants, ranging from accessible independent bungalows,
to sheltered housing with a low level of support, to extra care housing with the potential for high levels of care and
support.
Our properties vary from older properties which are not always fully accessible (stairs to the first floor as an example)
to brand new properties which lead the way in modern design. Despite this, we have high occupancy rates and, when
we last reviewed our assets in 2010, we felt that there were many years life in all our properties. We shall be
conducting a detailed Asset Management Strategy in the coming year in order to develop our plans for the coming
years. In the meantime, we shall continue to maintain our properties to a high standard and improve energy efficiency.
We have many mechanisms in place to work with our tenants to help us shape our services and Tenants Voice
(formed in February 2009) is growing in confidence. Their focus has matured to cover policy work, service standards,
annual reports, event planning, involvement in staff interviews, writing corporate objectives and carrying out site
inspections, to name but a few. We have also introduced a question of the month in addition to our site meetings and
have a mystery shopping scheme in place. As a result we know that repairs and maintenance and the management of
anti-social behaviour are of the utmost importance to our tenants and will continue to focus on these in the short term.
A tenant scrutiny panel has just been launched at the end of 2013 and we (together with the Tenants’ Participation
Advisory Service: TPAS) shall be supporting them in their investigations.
Bristol City Council face many financial challenges. It’s recent considerations to cut funding for older persons’ services,
which would have meant that our alarm service, and many of our Supporting People services would have been cut.
Following responses from 500 of our tenant (which represented around 10% of the total responses from the
population of Bristol), these cuts will no longer happen.
Overall the focus in housing is on meeting the demand of customers and looking at ways to continually improve our
services.
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2013-2017: Central Support operations and plans
CENTRAL SUPPORT OFFICE
Our central support office employs 35 people who are responsible for business development, HR, finance and IT. Our
challenges for the coming year are:
• There are many opportunities to expand both from a service and capital investment perspective. The business
development team will continue to focus on building its network and assessing all business opportunities to ensure
that we invest our time in those areas which match our strengths and are financially viable.
•From a finance perspective, we shall develop a pricing strategy to inform all new contracts, ensure that we monitor all
Value for Money (VFM) savings, review our internal audit strategy to ensure that it covers regulatory areas and
continue to review our treasury management strategy and maintain our current levels of financial control.
•The focus for Information Systems will be to implement the Wide Area Network (WAN) network, ensuring improved
speed and reliability. In addition, we shall be reviewing our major applications with the aim of removing complexities,
improving the user experience and upgrading to supportable levels.
•The agenda for the HR Team involves achieving a closer alignment of HR activities to business requirements with a
particular focus on workforce planning and development, fit for purpose HR operational policies and processes that
attract good quality employees and retain essential skills within the business.
Brunelcare Strategic plan: 2014-2017: Overarching objectives and goals
Objective 1: Deliver great service that meets the needs of our customers
Goal 1: A range of methods in place to find out what our customers want and a system to use findings to
drive business improvement
Goal 2: Housing Services which are highly regarded by tenants, leaseholders. Local authorities and
regulators
Goal 3: Care services in our care homes and the community which are recognised by clients, relatives,
commissioners and employees as being innovative and sustainable
CUSTOMERS
Objective 2: Enable our staff to be all that they can for customers
Goal 4: The ability to attract the right people to work for us
Goal 5: Develop staff to have the right skills and behaviour
Goal 6: Manage staff in a way which keeps the right staff
BUSINESS
Objective 3: Make our business stronger for the future
Goal 7: Improve the efficiency of the organisation and create more funds for future business
development
Goal 8: Business processes and information systems which are capable of actively supporting our
employees to meet the needs of customers
Goal 9: Maximise the opportunities in the market to develop and grow the business
Objective 4: Create great communities to live work and be in
Goal 10: Improve our properties in order to increase their sustainability
Goal 11: Build all new properties to a high standard which meets the needs of the customer
Goal 12: Make our communities great places to be
Objective 1: Deliver great service that meets the needs of our customers
Goal 1 Achieved in 2013/4
In CS, customers told us
they would like visits at
their preferred time from
a carer they can get to
know and relate to.
In CS customers tell us
about their goals and we
support them to achieve
Improved
communication
regarding changes
Improved customer
satisfaction and reduced
complaints
Goal 1
A range of methods in
place to find out what
our customers want
and a system to use
findings to drive
business improvement
Long Term Objective
To be viewed by all
stakeholders to be a
provider of choice
evidenced by high
satisfaction and growth
Proposed Actions
• Better
tailoring of our
services to meet
customer priorities

ECH schemes renowned for a personalised,
flexible service within a thriving community
setting which is operationally efficient
• Clients able to
influence priorities and
scrutinise performance

Rollout a new way of working across
community services including reablement
• Improving
satisfaction with how
they are informed
•A provider of choice
for commissioners and
individuals
Goal 2 Achieved in 2013/4
Tenant scrutiny panel
developed: 7 on the
panel.
Tenants Voice continues
with a strong
membership
Desired Outcomes
Goal 2
Housing Services
which are highly
regarded by tenants,
leaseholders and
regulators
Desired Outcomes
• High levels of
customer satisfaction
• Low levels of voids
with high satisfaction
of new tenants
• Clients say that it is
easier to get hold of
people
• All regulatory
standards met
Proposed Actions

Tenant scrutiny and self assessment in
place

Retender “out of hours” call system
Objective 1: Deliver great service that meets the needs of our customers
Goal 3 Achieved in 2013/4
Settling in period for
residents much
improved; each
allocated an individual
to care for them. Few
admissions on a
Friday.
All care services CQC
compliant
Increased levels of
satisfaction in CS due
to service redesign
and focusing on goals
rather than task
Long Term Objective
To be viewed by all
stakeholders to be a
provider of choice
evidenced by high
satisfaction and growth
Goal 3
Care services which
are recognised by
clients, relatives,
commissioners and
employees as being
innovative and
sustainable
Desired Outcomes
• Reputation for
excellent personal and
dementia care
•Ensure CQC rating
remains
good/excellent
• New services being
designed and
implemented
-Preserve the
personhood, liberty,
freedom and
independence of all
our clients
-Enable our customers
to direct their care and
support and be
involved in decisions
about the service they
receive”
Proposed Actions

Mandatory training review conducted to
ensure that we are compliant with our
regulatory responsibilities
Objective 2: Enable our staff to be all that they can for customers
Goal 4 Achieved in 2013/4
New Finance Director
appointed
Improved nurse
recruitment through
sponsorship and
reputation
Goal 4
The ability to attract
the right people to
work for us
Desired Outcomes
• High quality
appointments
•. Become an
employer of choice
Goal 5 Achieved in 2013/4
Business partners in
the HR department
assisting with more
added value work
Improved clinical
governance: falls,
pressure sores, end of
life care. Nurses
trained to give IV
antibiotics
Training on welfare
reform complete; all
tenants supported
Staff trained in power
of attorney matters
Goal 5
Develop staff to have
the right skills and
behaviour
Proposed Actions

Enhance the learning opportunities for
nurses in the organisation by offering
nationally recognised qualifications as
part of their development plan.

Develop a resourcing solution including
workforce planning and improved value
for money from recruitment suppliers
Desired Outcomes
• Demonstrable value for
money of training
Proposed Actions

Develop the skills of our staff to ensure
they make the most of their talents. For
managers this will enable them to improve
decision making, inspire their teams and
manage business and individual
performance.

Improve the settling in period for staff in
care homes.
•Staff turnover rates reduce
• Continuous improvement
in staff satisfaction
•. Change in staff culture
from task to outcome focus
• Evidence of person
centred services
Long Term Objective
•All staff are coached and
mentored
To be rated as an
extraordinary company to
work for by our
employees
•Empowered staff to be
more accountable for their
own team’s performance
• Improved staff
performance; more
accountability
Objective 2: Enable our staff to be all that they can for customers
Goal 6 Achieved in 2013/4
Auto-enrollment of
staff completed in
January; less than
10% opted out to
date.
New disciplinary
process developed
Improved TUPE
knowledge with Care
UK handover
Maintenance team
terms and conditions
completed
Head of Staff Council
appointed; admin
support given.
Staff more supported
in new ways of
working
Long Term Objective
To be rated as an
extraordinary company to
work for by our
employees
Goal 6
Manage staff in a way
which keeps the right
staff
Desired Outcomes
• Good performance
recognised and seen
to be the way we do
things
• Staffing rotas meet
demand/reduce
dependency on
Agency
•Staff consultation to
be meaningful and
productive
•Reduction in
sickness/absence
•Poor performance
managed quickly and
appropriately
Proposed Actions

Develop a learning culture so that
managers, in particular, see their role to
problem solve and improve their
operations on a continual basis
Objective 3: Make our business stronger for the future
Goal 7 Achieved in 2012
Residential beds
reduced in
Glastonbury; very few
left and fully staffed
for nursing.
New ways of working
rolled out in Somerset
Acquisition of Care UK
with no addition to
overhead cost
Acquisition of
Woodland Court
Successful tender for
reablement service
Goal 7
Improve the
efficiency of the
organisation and
create more funds
for future business
development
Desired Outcomes
• Successfully manage
the business through
the current economic
crisis
•Clear evidence of
savings
• Funds available for
future developments
Long Term Objective
To have a reputation with
our customers, staff and
commissioners for
efficiency and financial
strength

Increase brand awareness through a promotional
and marketing campaign with the intention of
attracting good quality staff and volunteers as well
as more private customers

Implement a range of measures which provide
easy-to-understand information for managers and
trustees and which enables them to understand
the issues as well as key areas for improvement

Ensure that we comply with all regulatory
requirement and that we maintain our reputation
with the regulators

Increase the percentage of private paying
customers in order to improve the financial
viability of the services

Develop a pricing strategy so that all new
services, which we tender for, cover the full costs
of services

Increase the number of private fee payers in the
care homes

Improve financial understanding of the care home
managers

Ensure that Value for Money becomes embedded
as a concept and objective throughout Brunelcare

Compete systems thinking review in Saffron
Gardens and implement changes
•Maintain quality of
services delivered
•A range of measures
in place to assist
managers and
trustees in their
decision making
Proposed Actions
Objective 3: Make our business stronger for the future
Goal 8 Achieved in 2013/4
Replaced payment
system in care homes
Significant
improvements in the
IT network. IT
strategy approved and
1st year plan
implemented
Several policies
reviewed and
implemented
including family
friendly and
acceptable behaviour.
Systems thinking
complete in Somerset,
beginning in housing,
care homes and North
Somerset
Goal 8
Business processes
and information
systems which are
capable of actively
supporting our
employees to meet the
needs of customers
Desired Outcomes
Proposed Actions
•Processes used to
ensure staff are in the
right place at the right
time to satisfy
customer needs

Roll out and continue to develop systems
to reassure the quality of service we
provide ensuring they meet our purpose
'helping people make the most of their
lives'.
•Applications for
scheduling and
invoicing care, support
and rent as well as
arrears management
is fit for purpose

Complete a roll out of consistent,
appropriate and proportionate systems in
community services and housing

Streamline the income collection and
arrears process to reduce waste, ensure
clean set up for all new clients and reduce
overall arrears

Establish DD as preferred payment method
for all customers

Conduct a HR/Payroll/Business review
looking at improving processes for starters,
leavers and recording of absence

Review of HR measures so that they help
the business make appropriate decisions
•Applications for
collection of data on
working hours and the
paying of staff is fit for
purpose
•Website and intranet
used for all information
Long Term Objective
To have a reputation with
our customers, staff and
commissioners for
efficiency and financial
strength
Objective 3: Make our business stronger for the future (cont.)
Goal 9 Achieved in 2013/4
Won the reablement
bid in South
Gloucestershire.
Tendered for the
dementia pathway
work; currently
awaiting result. Took
over Care UK
operations in N
Somerset
Woodland Court
acquired; sales of
empty apartments on
track (over one a
month)
Goal 9
Maximise the
opportunities in the
market to develop and
grow the business
Desired Outcomes
• Commissioners
satisfaction and repeat
business

Secure a sustainable contract to grow the
turnover of the business by 5-10%
• Maintain contracts in
VSH and community
where desired

All flats in Saffron Gardens in use within a
financial model acceptable to the
organisation
• Grow community
services by 30%??

Achieve a positive contribution from the
acquisition of Woodland Court
•Increase in the
number of private
customers purchasing
support and care in
their own homes

Retender all current contracts and any new
suitable business opportunities

Review the lessons learnt from the Saffron
Court opening to plan and deliver the
development and opening of Irwin Wing
• Reduction in empty
properties and care
home rooms
•Maintain occupancy
of 95% in care homes
Long Term Objective
To have a reputation with
our customers, staff and
commissioners for
efficiency and financial
strength
Proposed Actions
•Increase the number
of private care,
support and CLS
services in housing
Objective 4: Create great communities to live, work and be in
Goal 10 Achieved in 2013/4
Orchard Court to
complete in April
2014. Emmanuel
Court in progress
Wide range of
adaptations
implemented
Goal 10
Improve our properties
in order to increase
their sustainability
Desired Outcomes
•Fully accessible
buildings
• More attractive
properties to let
• Improved use of
assistive technology to
assist independence
• Reduced energy
usage
• Reduced void levels
Long Term Objective
Our communities to be
places that people enjoy
being part of
Proposed Actions

New Asset Management strategy in place

Complete the refurbishment of Irwin Wing

Complete the refurbishment of Emmanuel
Court
Objective 4: Create great communities to live, work and be in
Goal 11 Achieved in 2013/4
No new buildings in
2013/14
Goal 12 Achieved in 2012
600 hours of
volunteers time
achieved.
Satisfactory audit of
Health and Safety
Goal 11
Build all new
properties to a high
standard which meets
the needs of the
customer
Desired Outcomes
• All new housing to be
built to Level 4 of the Code 
for Sustainable Homes all
other buildings to BREEAM
Eco Homes Excellent
Goal 12
Desired Outcomes
Proposed Actions
• Minimal antisocial
behaviour

•Care home take on
role as a hub facility
for services
Develop a programme to attain and retain
volunteers that adds value to our
community offer

Improve the Health and Safety of our
residents and staff
• Zero tolerance to
unacceptable
behaviour
Our communities to be
places that people enjoy
being part of
No new buildings planned for 2014/15
• A world class
development of housing,
care home and
administrative offices: 1
site
Make our communities
great places to be
Long Term Objective
Proposed Actions
•Create sustainable
and cohesive
communities
• Older people in our
local neighbourhood
to join activities/
receive services from
our sites
Brunelcare
Strategic Plan 2014-2017