What's New Bulletin 79 - 3 February 2022
This is the seventy ninth weekly provider bulletin, containing information on guidance, procedures and new initiatives. Very urgent or high priority communications may still be issued on an ad hoc basis, but we will try to keep these to a minimum.
COVID RELATED INFORMATION
- Letter from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Changes to restrictions and testing in Adult Social Care (information for all providers)
- REMINDER UPDATED GUIDANCE – Care Home Visiting (for all care homes)
- Government update on mandatory vaccination for health and social care workforce (for all providers)
- REMINDER Infection Control and Testing Fund round 3 – reporting point 2 – spend returns deadline 11 February 2021 (information for all Birmingham providers)
- UPDATED GUIDANCE Regarding the removal of confirmatory PCR after a positive LFT and updated advice on testing within 90 days of a positive result (information for all supported living and home support providers)
- UPDATED GUIDANCE Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing home care (information for all home support providers)
IN OTHER NEWS
- Skills for Care Midlands Learning Disability and Autism Registered Managers virtual network 14 February 2022 (information for all providers)
- NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group Compassionate Communities event for Employers 17 February 2022 (information for all Birmingham providers)
- West Midlands Academic Health Science Network and Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group webinar: Improving the Safety of Medicines Practices in Nursing Homes 2 March 2022 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull nursing homes)
- Registered Manager webinar: Maximise retention - Skills for Care Webinar - Thursday 23 March 2022 (information for all providers)
- Help shape the way Care Quality Commission (CQC) works (information for all providers)
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Because We All Care campaign (information for all providers)
COVID RELATED INFORMATION
1. Letter from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Changes to restrictions and testing in Adult Social Care (information for all providers)
A letter from the DHSC explaining upcoming changes to restrictions and testing in adult social care has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
2. REMINDER UPDATED GUIDANCE – Care Home Visiting (for all care homes)
This guidance sets out how care homes can support families and visitors to visit residents. It has been updated to reflect the fact that there is now no limit on visitor numbers; following a normal visit out, residents do not need to test or self-isolate; and, following an emergency hospital stay or other high-risk visit out, residents should self-isolate for 10 days, with testing arrangements to end isolation sooner. It has also been updated to provide clarification on essential care giver visits during an outbreak. The full guidance can be found below;
Guidance on care home visiting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
3. Government update on mandatory vaccination for health and social care workforce (for all providers)
You may be aware from the news that the Government are now reconsidering their approach to vaccination as a condition of employment for health and social care workers. A letter has been circulated to provider from the Department of Health and Social Care containing further information including the advice that following the Government’s announcement on 31 January 2022, employers should not serve notice of termination to employees in connection with the VCOD regulations. If you don't have a copy of the letter, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
The full press release can be found below:
Whilst there may be a pause in mandating vaccination, we continue to encourage your teams to get vaccinated and boosted to reduce the likelihood of them becoming seriously unwell from Covid. We will keep you informed as further announcements are made.
4. REMINDER Infection Control and Testing Fund round 3 – reporting point 2 – spend returns deadline 11 February 2021 (information for all Birmingham providers)
Further to the distribution of Infection Control and Testing Fund round 3 allocations the grant conditions now require you to complete spend returns covering the period 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022. Please complete the applicable online form using the links below – a separate return must be made for each care home or CQC registered Location. Please note that Questions 38 and 39 ask for November’s spend, however they should state December and January’s spend respectively.
The deadline for completion is 11 February 2021.
Community Care spending return
5. UPDATED GUIDANCE Regarding the removal of confirmatory PCR after a positive LFT and updated advice on testing within 90 days of a positive result (information for all supported living and home support providers)
The following guidance has now been updated to reflect the removal of confirmatory PCR after a positive LFT and updated advice on testing within 90 days of a positive result;
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing service for extra care and supported living settings
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for homecare workers: information for agencies
6. UPDATED GUIDANCE Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing home care (information for all home support providers)
This guidance contains information for those providing personal care to people living in their own home during the coronavirus outbreak. The guidance has been updated around self-isolation and international travel advice to reflect the lifting of Plan B.
The full guidance can be found below:
Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing home care
IN OTHER NEWS………………..
7. Skills for Care Midlands Learning Disability and Autism Registered Managers virtual network 14 February 2022 (information for all providers)
The next Learning Disability and Autism registered managers event is Monday 14 February 2022 from 5pm to 4:30pm. The agenda includes the following topics;
- The National Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection March 17
- Promoting healthy living for people with learning disabilities and autistic people
- Healthy hearts and looking after our wellbeing
- Love my culture - supporting people to celebrate their culture and traditions
To join the meeting via Microsoft Teams;
To call in (audio only); +44 20 4526 5795,, 716123343# (Phone Conference ID: 716 123 343#)
8. NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group Compassionate Communities event for Employers 17 February 2022 (information for all Birmingham providers)
As part of the work NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group are undertaking across Birmingham to support our compassionate communities, they are running an event for Employers on 17 February 2022. The event is free and open to all employers within Birmingham. If you would like more information or would like to attend, please see the link below:
9. West Midlands Academic Health Science Network and Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group webinar: Improving the Safety of Medicines Practices in Nursing Homes 2 March 2022 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull nursing homes)
The West Midlands Academic Health Science Network is hosting a webinar in collaboration with Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group on ‘Improving the Safety of Medicines Practices in Nursing Homes’ across the Birmingham and Solihull region.
By attending this event, you will:
•Gain an understanding of the national priorities relating to medicines safety in nursing home settings
• Hear about a range of Quality Improvement projects being undertaken in some care homes in the West Midlands region.
• Have the opportunity to learn from best practices that can improve the safety of medicines practices in your care home
• Find out what training opportunities are available to support safer medicines administration in nursing homes
• Gain an understanding of how this can be utilized to provide evidence to support quality monitoring visits and CQC inspections
To book for this event, please use the link below:
Improving medicines safety in nursing homes Tickets, Wed 2 March 2022 at 2 pm | Eventbrite
10. Registered Manager webinar: Maximise retention - Skills for Care Webinar - Thursday 23 March 2022 (information for all providers)
In partnership with Neil Eastwood, Founder and CEO, Care Friends, and author of Saving Social Care, this webinar will share sector expertise around maximising the retention of your staff. Join us on Thursday 23 March 2022 from 2 pm to 2:30 pm, to hear some top tips and innovative solutions for staff retention and lots of useful practical ideas from other managers.
11. Help shape the way Care Quality Commission (CQC) works (information for all providers)
The CQC would like your views on proposals to change the way their inspection teams work with providers. This includes the introduction of multidisciplinary teams and the relationship providers have with individual inspectors.
To find out more about how the CQC are proposing to change how they work, watch the short video on YouTube below, describing the proposals.
Changing the way we work video - CQC
To support the delivery of the new strategy the CQC are developing a single assessment framework, consisting of quality statements, that will replace the current Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) and associated prompts.
They also plan to use ‘I statements’ as the starting point for the assessment framework, taking the important first step towards truly regulating through the eyes of the public.
The CQC has developed three surveys on their quality statements and I statements, you can take the surveys directly by clicking the links below:
Quality statements (safe and effective)
Quality statements (caring, responsive, well led)
To discuss your thoughts and ideas on how the CQC are implementing their strategy login or sign-up to the participation platform below:
12. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Because We All Care campaign (information for all providers)
The CQC have launched a new phase of their Because We All Care campaign in partnership with Healthwatch England and supported by the Patients Association. The campaign encourages people to give feedback on their experiences of health and social care. The campaign will promote case studies from providers and the public on how feedback has helped providers to improve their services. It also encourages people to share their feedback directly with the provider, and with the CQC, so that together you can understand what’s working for people and what needs to improve.
To help you support the campaign, there is a stakeholder toolkit which includes an animation, social media graphics, and suggested posts.