Staff training the key to success

Clark & Partners, Sales Manager, Louise Pearson genuinely believes that sound product knowledge is a key customer influence and because of this they invest heavily in staff training and continuous personal development.

Clark and Partners sales team members, eager to expand their skill set, have recently completed the ’Trusted Advisor Learning Programme’. Such a commitment puts them and our business at a distinct advantage in an increasingly competitive retail environment.

The course aims to develop the knowledge and assessment skills of retail staff. During the course their questioning techniques are refined, enabling them to understand customer needs better. Ultimately, better advice is offered and customer trust and satisfaction levels are increased.

The course designed by Years Ahead on behalf of Patterson Medical, is presented by Occupational Therapists and combines online learning modules with one day workshops. It is approved by CEDAB’s Assistive Technology Education and Training Partnership Board and is accredited by the Open College Network (OCN).

Louise said “It was a brilliant course – staff and more importantly customer feedback has been positive… It’s been a very worthwhile and informative learning exercise for all involved. I would highly recommend it.”

Former Royal Service Artillery Women Regains Her Freedom After Clark & Partners Donation

Mark-Shaw-Mrs-Tissington

A great-grandmother who served her country during World War Two in the Royal Artillery was left housebound after an indiscriminate thief stole her mobility scooter. Katherine Tissington, aged 92, could no longer visit the shops or nearby park as she struggles to walk due to deep vein thrombosis.

The scooter was taken from the garden of the home in Lowedges, Sheffield, which she shares with blind husband Edgar, also 92.

Local paper – The Star – reported Mrs Tissingtons despair:
“We’ve just got to stay in and wait. I can’t go out, and that’s it.
“It’s not fair. You fight in the war and do all you can and then somebody does this.
“I don’t understand who would do this.”

Her Daughter in-law reported that:
“Katherine was very shocked and upset to find the scooter had gone. She just burst into tears.”
“She has crutches just to get around the house.
“But now some lowlife has taken it and she is stuck indoors all the time.”

Thankfully, this emotive story didn’t end there. Mrs Tissington was given back her ‘freedom’ thanks to Clark & Partners responding immediately to her situation. Within our hours of her story being made known, Sheffield mobility firm Clark & Partners donated a brand new, upgraded scooter.

A thrilled Katherine exclaimed: “I can’t believe it.” “I don’t know what to say… Through all of this I didn’t know anything like this would happen”.

Mrs Tissingtons former tears of despair were turned to tears of joy as Clark & Partners, her family and others responded to her situation.

Clark & Partners, which has mobility stores and across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Huddersfield and Derby donated the £750 scooter to the Tissingtons.

Mark Shaw, Operational Retail Manager of the Handsworth-based firm, said: “We picked up on the story and I just though, ‘we’ve got to help’.
“We know how vital mobility scooters are to people.
“Hopefully the new one will be better than the one Mrs Tissington had in the first place and will get her out and about again”.

Clark & Partners is a company specialising in supplying products and services to elderly, disabled and infirm people, that range from the very basic to much more complicated mobility solutions. Whether it’s a mobility scooter, wheelchair, stairlift or a simple walking stick, they strive to make a difference to people’s lives through the products and services we provide. Having been operating locally since 1959, Clark & Partners pride themselves as the trusted name for mobility.

Find out more online or call 0114 229 3388

 

If you are a Motability customer you should read this…

From 8 April 2013 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64 with a health condition or disability. You may need an assessment to work out the level of help you get.

PIP is paid every 4 weeks. It’s tax free and can be paid if you’re in or out of work. It is made up of 2 components, daily living and mobility, whether you get 1 or both of these depends on how your condition affects you.

You may qualify for PIP if you are aged 16 to 64 and have difficulty with:

  • ‘activities of daily living’
  • mobility
  • terminal illness
  • daily living difficulties

Most people getting DLA won’t be affected until 2015 or later. You may be affected earlier if your condition changes, or you reach the end of your existing DLA award.

You can go to https://www.gov.uk/pip for more information and use the PIP checker to find out:

  • when your DLA will be affected
  • what happens to your DLA
  • when you can make a new claim for PIP

If you need advice on how to get the best from your PIP, simply call Clark & Partners.
They are a local company who can supply a vast range of daily living aids and mobility products.

To find your nearest showroom call us on 0800 783 3832 or go to www.clarkandpartners.co.uk for more details.

Clark & Partners help lift people to higher places!

CTD00038_cathedral-Blog-Image

Significant work is being undertaken in Sheffield Cathedral as part of the ambitious Gateway Project which will involve new flooring, lighting and a thrilling new entrance amongst other developments. Services will be held on a raised stage in the St Georges Chapel during the implementation of this work. The Cathedral has long had a vision to be ‘a place for all people’ and Clark & Partners are thrilled to play a part in this by ensuring that wheelchair access is still maintained throughout this period. On a snowy 13th February Clark & Partners installed a Terry Melody One platform lift. The minimalist design means that it sits neatly and unobtrusively in the Cathedral environment, but more importantly it’s ease-of-use means that there is no obstruction to wheelchair users in taking part in activities at the Cathedral.

Clark and Partners is a leading provider for access and lifting solutions and have been working for over 50 years as specialists in the care environment. They work closely with specifiers and designers to supply, install and maintain a wide range of access equipment for public and private care providers.

The experienced team of specialists are happy to carry out an initial consultation to discuss your requirements and provide you with an estimate, either off plan or on site.

Call 0114 229 3388 or email info@clarkandpartners.co.uk

The amazing new Jive Powered Wheelchair

The new Quickie Jive available form Clark and Partners

The NEW Jive is an astonishing new Powered Wheelchair that has a lot more than just good looks.

The manufacturers are deeming this ‘mid-wheel drive’ chair as ‘The ultimate driving experience’ and it only takes a short trial to understand why. The responsive nature of the drive is instantly noticiable. However the stand-out feature is the SpiderTrac suspension that gives a smooth and safe a ride. This feature enables the chair to make light work of uneven terrain and kerb transitions providing a new freedom to the user. The Jive effortlessly blends indoor agility with outdoor high performance, but you don’t know have to take my word for it. Call Clark and Partners on 0800 7833 832 to demo the Jive and try to for yourself.

In the meantime watch this video and see just how capable this chair is: Click Here

Here is an overview of some of the details:

• Quick driving speeds for distances over 20 miles.
• Expandable control systems that are ready to interact with the world around you.
• A modular design allows for the adding and removing of powered options, changing the seating system or even drive base whenever you like.
• A narrow width of 630 mm making navigating doorways, lifts and confined spaces easier
• A low seat height of 430 mm (with tilt module) helps with access under tables and transportation within vehicles.
• The SpiderTrac suspension provides superb traction, excellent stability and minimal forward pitching (even when descending 10cm kerbs!).
• JAY Comfort optimum comfort cushion
• JAY Comfort backrest
• A choice of angle adjustable footplates or centre mounted legrest
• Parallel swing-away controller
• 4mph (6kph) or 6mph (10kph) high torque (4 pole) motors
• 60Ah batteries
• Solid puncture proof wheels and casters
• LED lights

Call 0800 7833 832 to speak to one of our Powered Wheelchair Specialists and find out more.

Clark & Partners at the Paralympics

Paul & Nigel at the Paralympics

All photos taken by Nigel Smith

Clark and Partners Wheelchair and Seating Specialists Paul McGee and Nigel Smith went to down to the London Paralympics this weekend to witness the spectacle of the games. As many have said, the atmosphere around the Olympic Park was fantastic with so many people enjoying the feel-good-factor of the occasion.

They witnessed a lot of the events taking place over the weekend including 7-a-side Football, Javelin and Triple Jump. In addition to this they were able to view the pinnacle of wheelchair athleticism in the 100 and 200 metre finals. They were also proud to spot that 11 times gold medal winner Tanni Grey-Thompson was using a wheelchair from the range that Clark and Partners supply.

Paul and Nigel are wheelchair specialists who posess comprehensive knowledge and experience in their field. If you are looking for a wheelchair you can call 0800 7833 832 to book a free consultation. They will assess your specific requirements and advise on the best wheelchair configuration for you.

Tip No.2 – Choosing a Care Home

 

5 Tips to helping your ageing parent #2 Choosing a Care Home

Having arrived at the decision with your family member to look for a Care or Retirement Home, there is a lot to consider. Here a few tips to provide you with an overview of the options available and guide you in your choice:

What are the options?
The terms used for the types of home available can vary slightly, however the guiding principle is that there is a spectrum of options, from adapted homes with a maximum level of independence to Nursing Homes where a high level of assistance is provided.

An Overview:

- Retirement Homes
Purpose built homes created with accessibility in mind. These homes enable residents to remain as independent as possible. There will be provision for assistance with functions such as getting dressed, bathing and household chores.

Sheltered housing typically has some communal spaces in addition to the resident’s quarters. There will be a Resident Manager or Warden on hand, but they will not be a health care professional.
A Close Care or Assisted Living home is an independent house that is situated within the grounds of a Care Home. This provides both independence and access to a range of levels of care. They also provide an easy transition to the Care Home if required in the future.

- Care Homes
These are residential homes that provide a comprehensive range of support.

Assistance is provided with Personal Hygiene, Continence Management, Diet, Mobility, Counselling, Administering basic treatments as well as general daily support.

- Nursing Homes
These homes have the additional support of 24-hour registered professional nurses. The nursing staff are trained to provide support for more complex health needs. Nursing homes also provide additional specialist therapies and rehabilitation services.

What to look for in a home?

Sales Manager Louise Person has recently been through this process with one of her relatives. Here are her top tips when choosing a home for a relative:

  1. Every home must have a CQC report available to relatives, this is the Care Quality Commission report which grade every aspect of the home from cleanliness to care showing areas for improvement. You can search for a Care Home’s full report on the following website: www.cqc.org.uk
  2. Enquire whether the home has an activities co-ordinator and what sort of things they arrange. It’s important to help your relatives keep active, involved in their interests and socialising with other people.
  3. Many homes allow residents to take their own furniture in with them, but some don’t due to health and safety legislation. Ensure you ask the home manager about this.
  4. Think about the security of your relative in the home when you’re not around. Are residents able to leave the premises without supervision? Or is there sufficient security to enable staff to know the whereabouts residents.
  5. Location is always important, consider how far you’ll have to travel to visit your loved ones – the further away the home from where you live or work, the less likely you are to visit as often.

Where can you find further information?

Age UK have put together a thorough and comprehensive guide to choosing a care home which includes contact details for all the relevant agencies. You can download a PDF of this guide by clicking here.

Coming up next…

• Getting out and about
• In the bathroom
• Cooking & eating

IMPORTANT – ‘LIKE’ The Clark and Partners facebook page in order to not miss out on more tips to help your ageing parent. You will then automatically receive the next 3 tips on your timeline as we publish them.

Clark and Partners have a Mobility and Agecare Centre near you and have been the trusted name for helping elderly family members for over 50 years.

5 Tips to help your ageing parent

Independence is an important attribute to us all. Being too reliant on the help of others to get things done is a real frustration, especially in the familiar environment of your own home. Here are 9 ways to help your friend or family member continue to enjoy the use of their home:

1) Stairways and halls should be kept clutter free to avoid a trip hazard.

2) Replace turning doorknobs with a push lever to negate difficulties with limited grasp.

3) Use nightlights to avoid navigating in the total dark at night time.

4) A long reaching tool should be available for grabbing items avoiding over-reaching

5) Loose or frayed carpet should be removed at once to prevent falls or injury.

6) Light switches should be available at both the top and bottom of the stairway.

7) Non-slip rugs or mats can prevent falls if stairs are made of slick hardwood flooring.

8) Flatten thresholds – Transitions from carpet to other surfaces and doorways have a small bump that is difficult to get passed with wheeled items such as a trolley or wheelchair and also present a trip hazard. Replacing these thresholds with flat ones, which can be rolled over effortlessly with a wheelchair or frame.

9) Stairflifts - Stairlifts provide the opportunity for the elderly to remain in their own home despite restricted mobility. Stairlifts attach to the floor, not the wall, and there are 2 main varieties: Straight and Curved.

IMPORTANT – ‘LIKE’ The Clark and Partners facebook page in order to not miss out on more tips to help your ageing parent. You will then automatically receive the next 4 tips on your timeline as we publish them.

Coming up next…

• Choosing a Care home
• Getting out and about
• In the bathroom
• Cooking & eating

Just ‘Like’ the Clark and Partners facebook page.

Clark and Partners have a Mobility and Agecare Centre near you and have been helping elderly family members for over 50 years.

Louise at Race For Life

The streets of Sheffield were taken over by 5000 women in support of Cancer Research UK on Saturday. Sales Manager Louise Pearson, complete with full pink outfit, was amongst those who took part in the Race For Life this weekend.

  ”It’s a great day and a pleasure to be involved, it’s always rewarded to give something back and this charity is close to everyone’s heart.”

For Louise this was in fact the 7th time she has taken part, this time raising over £70 for the charity. She was also joined by 2 other Clark and Partners team members Rebecca Fitzgerald and Rachel Hextall who work in the  Service and Parts department.

Louise works hard to ensure that the team delivers a great service to customers, making sure that buying from Clark and Partners is straightforward, friendly with lots of great deals on offer.

You can contact the Sales Team on: 0114 229 33 88

And the free scooter winner is…

Clark and Partners is thrilled to announce Mrs Dolphin as the prize draw winner for the top of the range ST#6 scooter!

Mrs Dolphin was thrilled at the arrival of her new high spec. scooter this week and was taking it for a spin within minutes. ‘I’ve never won anything before, I can’t believe it!’.

Clark and Partners offer a wide range of scooters, from large out door scooters equipped for longer range journeys such as this ST#6 to small portable models that are ideal to go in the car boot and take away with you.

Visit your local Clark and Partners store to view our range or call 0800 783 3832 for more information.