Ty Cwm Gwendraeth Bubble machine praised by Care Inspectorate Wales

At Ty Cwm Gwendraeth, the introduction of a simple innovate bubble machine is restoring taste, connection and joy, earning national praise while transforming everyday life for people unable to swallow safely.

At Ty Cwm Gwendraeth, the introduction of a simple innovative bubble machine is restoring taste, connection and joy, earning national praise while transforming everyday life for people unable to swallow safely.

At Ty Cwm Gwendraeth, something remarkable is happening. Not through complex medical equipment or radical clinical intervention, but through something far simpler and far more human.

A small device is restoring something many of us take for granted: the ability to taste.

For people living with complex neurological conditions, brain injuries, dementia and profound disabilities, swallowing safely is not always possible. Many are classed as “nil by mouth”, meaning food and drink can’t be consumed due to the risk of choking or aspiration. Alongside this comes a quieter loss – the loss of flavour, ritual, memory and connection.

Today, thanks to the introduction of the bubble machine at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth, those moments are returning.

This compassionate innovation has now been recognised nationally by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), who highlighted the approach as an example of excellent practice that improves wellbeing, dignity and quality of life.

Why taste matters more than we realise

Food is deeply tied to who we are. It evokes memories of home, family traditions, celebrations and everyday comfort. The smell of coffee in the morning. The taste of chocolate shared with loved ones. The familiarity of a favourite drink.

When that ability is lost, the impact is profound. Care Inspectorate Wales acknowledged this, noting that losing the ability to taste food and drink “often causes distress and a real sense of loss.”

At Ty Cwm Gwendraeth, the team recognised this loss not just as a clinical issue, but as a quality-of-life issue. They understood that restoring taste, even in a safe and adapted way, could reconnect people with meaningful parts of their lives.

How the bubble machine Ty Cwm Gwendraeth works

The solution came through the home’s speech and language therapy team, who introduced a specialist bubble machine capable of transforming real food and drink into safe, melt-in-the-mouth bubbles.

These bubbles carry the flavour and aroma of familiar foods, allowing people to experience taste without the need to swallow.

As Care Inspectorate Wales described, the device “turns food and drink into safe, melt-in-the-mouth bubbles. This means people we support who can’t swallow can taste flavours they miss. From chocolate, to their favourite alcoholic drinks, they can taste without risk.”

Reflecting on the simplicity of the innovation, Aldo explained that the impact lies in its accessibility as much as its design. He said, “the machine allows colleagues to put food in one end and create a bubble with the flavour and aroma. Once it’s on the person’s tongue, they experience the taste and smell, but without the risk of choking.”

From tea and coffee to chocolate and familiar drinks, the bubble machine at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth restores lost experiences and memories.

Seeing the impact in real moments

While clinical outcomes are important, the true impact is in the quiet, human moments. Aldo described how the response from people has been overwhelmingly positive, noting that even without words, the impact is unmistakable. He explained that colleagues can see the difference immediately, observing “the enjoyment through body language and smiles.”

These reactions reflect more than sensory stimulation. They reflect connection, comfort and recognition. Speech and Language Therapist Megan Lewis captured the emotional significance, explaining that helping people experience familiar tastes again “has been transformative. It brings joy, sparks memories, and creates opportunities for meaningful social interaction – things that are vital for quality of life.”

Flavours often trigger deeply personal memories – holidays, family meals, favourite routines – helping people reconnect with their identity and past experiences.

Care Inspectorate Wales recognised this, highlighting how familiar tastes can spark memories and create opportunities for reminiscence, communication and emotional connection.

Improving quality of life through compassionate innovation

The introduction of the bubble machine at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth reflects something fundamental about the culture of care at the home: a commitment to continually improving quality of life.

Aldo reflects on what the innovation means for the people we support there, sharing that the greatest impact is “improving the quality of life of the people we support.”

He emphasised that this is about restoring everyday experiences that define a full life. It allows people to enjoy “the things everybody else is able to do – making life more rich and normal.”

This proactive approach aligns with our wider commitment to supporting emotional wellbeing alongside physical care, recognising that dignity and joy are essential parts of holistic support.

National recognition from Care Inspectorate Wales

The significance of the bubble machine at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth has now been recognised at a national level. In fact, the Care Inspectorate Wales has published the approach as an example of positive practice.

For Aldo and the team, this recognition represents validation of their dedication and innovation. He reflected on how meaningful this acknowledgement has been. He said, “Care Inspectorate Wales highlighting our work nationally shows that even small innovations can make a profound difference.”

Care Inspectorate Wales highlighted how the approach enables people to safely savour favourite foods and drinks again. This often lifts mood, improves social engagement and helps people feel more connected to daily life.

This recognition positions Ty Cwm Gwendraeth as a leader in compassionate, person-centred innovation.

Supporting people with the most complex needs

Ty Cwm Gwendraeth supports people living with highly complex physical, neurological and psychological needs. Many people arrive having experienced significant loss – of independence, communication, and everyday experiences.

The bubble machine at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth represents something powerful in this context. It restores not just taste, but participation.

It allows people to engage in shared moments again. To experience pleasure. To reconnect with memories.

It reminds us: colleagues, families and the people support – that quality of life can always be improved.

A simple idea making an extraordinary difference

The bubble machine at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth is just one example of how we continually look for new ways to improve quality of life.

Innovation at ivolve isn’t about technology alone. It’s about listening, understanding, and finding thoughtful, creative solutions that help people live fuller, more meaningful lives. In this case, came in the form of bubbles carrying familiar flavours, and with them, memories, connection and joy.

As this approach continues to expand across Wales and beyond, more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the bubble machine example at Ty Cwm Gwendraeth and the thoughtful, person-centred care it represents. Because sometimes, the smallest innovations restore the biggest parts of what makes us human.

Specialist nursing care with a difference

If you are supporting someone who could benefit from specialist nursing care, then we would love to speak with you. Our team is always happy to explore how we can support.

When thousands of colleagues across ivolve took part in this year’s annual colleague survey, they weren’t just sharing feedback about their workplace. They were helping support something much bigger.

Thanks to record participation in our annual colleague survey fundraising initiative, we’ve proudly donated funds to both Alzheimer’s Society and Cancer Research UK, turning colleague feedback into meaningful support for two charities that touch the lives of millions of people across the UK.

The donations were formally presented during a special cheque presentation event attended by representatives from both charities, celebrating the collective impact that can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose.

At ivolve, listening to colleagues isn’t simply something we do once a year. It’s part of how we shape our culture, improve experiences and create a workplace where people feel valued, heard and empowered to make a difference.

This year, however, the survey delivered something even more powerful. For every completed survey response, we pledged to donate £1 to charity, giving colleagues not only the opportunity to share their views but also a direct say in where the money would go.

The result was our highest ever level of survey engagement, with thousands of colleagues from across our nursing, residential care and supported living homes in England and Wales taking part.

Together, those individual responses created a collective contribution that will now help support people affected by dementia and fund life-saving cancer research.

How Colleague Survey Fundraising Made a Difference

At ivolve, we believe that every voice matters. Our colleague survey plays a vital role in helping us shape the future of our organisation.

The insights colleagues share influence decisions, improvements and priorities across the business, helping us continue building an environment where people can do their best work while delivering meaningful care to the people we support. The colleague survey fundraising initiative was designed to reinforce that belief.

By linking survey participation directly to charitable giving, colleagues could see first-hand how sharing their views could make a difference beyond their own workplace.

The response exceeded expectations. Thousands of colleagues took the time to provide feedback, demonstrating not only their commitment to improving ivolve but also their desire to support causes that matter deeply to them.

When it came to selecting the charity, colleagues were invited to vote for the cause they wanted the donation to support. The result was incredibly close, so rather than selecting a single winner, we chose to split the funds between the two charities that received the highest number of votes: Alzheimer’s Society and Cancer Research UK.

The decision ensured that both charities would benefit from the generosity and engagement of colleagues across the organisation. It’s a simple idea, but one that reflects something important about our culture.

We know that meaningful change often starts with small actions. Completing a survey may seem like a small act on its own, but when thousands of people come together, those actions can create a powerful impact.

That principle sits at the heart of our employee value proposition and the culture we’ve worked hard to build. It’s also one of the reasons ivolve has been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Places to Work by The Sunday Times for three consecutive years. We know that when colleagues feel listened to, valued and involved in shaping the future, everyone benefits.

"We simply can't reach those who need us without support from incredible fundraisers like ivolve Care & Support."

Jodie Jarecki,
Regional Fundraiser – Alzheimer’s Society

Supporting Causes Close to Colleagues’ Hearts

The charities selected by colleagues represent causes that affect countless families, communities and colleagues across the UK.

Alzheimer’s Society works tirelessly to support people living with dementia, fund groundbreaking research and campaign for change.

Speaking following the cheque presentation, Jodie Jarecki, Regional Fundraiser for the East Midlands at Alzheimer’s Society, highlighted the difference the donation will make.

“We are so grateful that ivolve Care & Support chose to support Alzheimer’s Society. We provide vital support to people living with dementia, funds groundbreaking research and campaigns to make dementia the priority it should be. It will take a society to beat dementia.”

She continued, “There are around a million people living with dementia in the UK including 14,006 in Derbyshire. We all have a role to play in ending the devastation dementia causes. We simply can’t reach everyone who needs us without the continued support of our incredible fundraisers like colleagues at ivolve Care & Support.”

"Thank you so much for choosing to support Cancer Research UK. Every penny raised goes towards vital life-saving research."

Joyce Clifford,
Alfreton Representative – Cancer Research UK

The donation will help Alzheimer’s Society continue providing vital support services while funding research aimed at improving lives and finding solutions for future generations.

Cancer Research UK, meanwhile, remains the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving and improving lives through research, influence and information.

Representing the charity at the presentation event was Joyce Clifford, Chairman of the Alfreton and District Committee for Cancer Research UK.

Reflecting on the occasion, she said: “A lovely morning to celebrate, and so well organised. Thank you so much for choosing to support Cancer Research UK. Every penny raised goes towards vital life-saving research.”

This is why initiatives like this matter. Behind every donation is the potential for hope. Hope for better treatments. Hope for greater understanding. Hope for brighter futures for individuals and families facing some of life’s toughest challenges. And we’re proud to be part of that in some small way.

A Workplace Where Feedback Matters

The success of our colleague survey charity donation initiative is a reflection of the culture we continue to build.

Across our organisation, we support more than 1,150 adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and complex support needs through more than 185 homes and support services across England and Wales.

Delivering high-quality support starts with having engaged, motivated and valued colleagues. That’s why listening matters.

Every year, our colleague survey helps us better understand what’s working, where we can improve and how we can continue making ivolve a great place to work. The feedback we receive directly informs actions, priorities and improvements across the organisation.

Divisional Head of People for England, Keeley Denman, believes this year’s initiative demonstrates the power of collective action. “The response from our colleagues demonstrates their shared commitment to making a difference and shows that small individual actions – such as completing a survey – can come together to create a significant collective impact.

“The success of our colleague survey fundraising initiative reflects the culture we continue to build, while also reinforcing our commitment to giving back. Our annual survey remains a key part of how we gather insight and shape our future and we have been delighted it has further benefitted not one, but two charities close to the hearts of our colleagues.”

That commitment to listening has helped shape a culture where colleagues feel able to speak up, share ideas and influence positive change. We’ve recently been recognised as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for the third consecutive year, reflecting the experiences and feedback of colleagues across the organisation. While awards are never the goal, they provide a valuable reminder that listening to colleagues and acting on what they tell us makes a real difference.

Whether it’s supporting people to achieve personal goals, volunteering within local communities, raising money for important causes or sharing ideas that help improve our organisation, our colleagues consistently demonstrate the values that make ivolve special.

"The success of our colleague survey reflects the culture we continue to build, while also reinforcing our commitment to giving back"

Keeley Denman
Divisional Head of People for England at ivolve

Small Actions, Lasting Impact

The cheque presentation marked the end of one fundraising initiative, but it also highlighted something much bigger.

When people feel heard, they engage. When they engage, they contribute. And when thousands of people contribute together, remarkable things can happen.

What began as colleague survey fundraising became an opportunity to support two incredible charities, fund important work and demonstrate the positive impact that colleague voices can have both within and beyond the workplace.

At ivolve, we’re incredibly proud of every colleague who took the time to complete the survey, cast their vote and help make these donations possible. Their feedback will continue helping us shape the future of ivolve.

Their participation has already helped make a difference to two charities doing extraordinary work. As we begin reviewing this year’s feedback, we’ll continue using those insights to strengthen our culture, improve colleague experience and ensure ivolve remains a place where people can thrive.

Because when colleagues feel heard, supported and empowered, positive things happen – for our teams, for the people we support and, as this initiative has shown, for the wider communities around us too.

Looking for a workplace where your voice matters?

At ivolve, colleague feedback helps shape decisions, drive improvements and create positive change. Explore our latest opportunities and discover how you can build a meaningful career with us.