What's New Bulletin 87 - 31 March 2022
This is the eighty seventh 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
- Secretary of State for Health and Social Care statement 29 March 2022 covering future testing arrangements (information for all providers)
- REMINDER COVID-19 vaccination: spring booster guide and resources for those aged 75 and older and older residents in care homes (information for all providers)
- Important message from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding Capacity Tracker changes (information for all providers)
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) workshops re the long term use of the Capacity Tracker – sign up to be involved by 5 April 2022 (information for all providers)
IN OTHER NEWS
- International Mixed Ability Sports (IMAS) and England Squash mixed ability Squash 57 session 4 April 2022 (information for all providers)
- REMINDER Department of Health and Social Care, Care Home and Home Care Markets Survey – Have your say 17 April deadline (information for all providers)
- Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Birmingham and Solihull 26 April 2022 10am to midday (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
- West Midland Care Association Provider Coffee Catch Up – 4 April 10am-10:30am (information for all Birmingham providers)
COVID RELATED INFORMATION
1. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care statement 29 March 2022 covering future testing arrangements (information for all providers)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has made a statement setting out the future approach in England to testing beyond April. The government has started to reduce its testing infrastructure to target government testing to protect the most vulnerable settings. The full statement can be found below. However the below is a summary of the elements relevant to adult social care providers:
The Government will continue to provide free symptomatic testing for:
- patients in hospital, for whom a test is required for clinical management or to support treatment pathways.
- people who are eligible for COVID-19 treatments because they are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
- individuals who live or work in high-risk closed settings, for example in some NHS, Social Care and Prison (and other Places of Detention) settings.
For Adult Social Care services and hospices, the Department of Health and Social Care will also continue to fund some regular asymptomatic testing for staff in periods of high prevalence. Asymptomatic testing of care home and hospice residents will be provided on admission and during an outbreak, not routinely.
Most visitors to adult social care settings and visitors in the NHS will no longer be required to take a test.
The social care guidance will be updated in line with this statement and published on 1 April. We will circulate it via our bulletin when it is available.
2. REMINDER COVID-19 vaccination: spring booster guide and resources for those aged 75 and older and older residents in care homes (information for all providers)
People aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, and those with weakened immune systems will be offered a spring booster of Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Appointments will be available from the National Booking Service shortly.
A question has been added to the Capacity Tracker for care homes to be able to report the number of residents receiving a second booster where relevant.
The full guidance can be found below:
Resources can be found below:
COVID-19 vaccination: spring booster resources
3. Important message from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding Capacity Tracker changes (information for all providers)
As you will be aware, the Capacity Tracker has been one of the main sources of information for central and local government in directing the management of the pandemic and to assist in identifying the support you need.
The Capacity Tracker has also been the source of information on vaccination uptake for care home residents and all staff, as well as for Home Care settings and other non-CQC registered providers. As we move into the next financial year, we need to give you some important messages about Capacity Tracker:
- The Department does need the Capacity Tracker collection to continue into the new financial year given its ongoing role in enabling the effective targeting of support in response to the pandemic, especially now as we transition to living with Covid-19.
- You may also be aware that the Infection Control and Rapid Testing Fund (ICTF) will conclude on 31 March 2022 (guidance here). Whilst one of the conditions of access to the fund was timely completion of the Capacity Tracker, we would like to emphasise the importance of your continued submission of data and set out what we are doing to reduce your burden in supplying this key information.
- As a result of feedback from the sector, we are removing questions that are no longer required and reducing the reporting frequency on most items. From 4 April we are:
- removing many questions directly relating to the ICTF (referred to as IPC funding questions in Capacity Tracker) and flu vaccination.
- reducing the frequency that you are asked to update the workforce and COVID-19 vaccination questions from daily to weekly.
- adding a field for care homes to be able to report the number of residents receiving a second booster where relevant – as was first announced earlier this month for spring 2022 rollout, as here.
- In addition to removing these questions, we are also working to remove/improve the remaining questions in the Capacity Tracker. This will include improving vital areas such as the questions on workforce and visiting. We will consult further to decide which data items to remove.
- Care Home vacancy information is used across NHS England and Local Authorities daily to provide vital information on bed capacity nationally. Using the Capacity Tracker to identify vacant capacity remains invaluable for those staff supporting discharge and we will continue to require daily updates.
- We have also received feedback about ways of maximising the value of the Capacity Tracker to you as providers and are looking to review and refresh the current “provider view” element of Capacity Tracker. If you have specific views on how to improve what you see from the analysis pages, please contact DHSC at Capacitytracker-guidance@DHSC.gov.uk.
- Further on in the year there will be a more significant consideration about the future of central provider data collection and you will be invited to workshops to discuss your data needs. [Please see further details in the next bulletin item].
The DHSC look forward to continued work with you over the coming year. We, as ever, remain truly grateful for your work in this past year.
4. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) workshops re the long term use of the Capacity Tracker – sign up to be involved by 5 April 2022 (information for all providers)
The DHSC are working on a longer-term approach to data collection and want to co-produce this with providers and other stakeholders. The DHSC aims to engage closely with all stakeholders to identify and agree key data needs and look at opportunities to streamline current data collections from care providers. This includes providers, councils, CQC, and national government. This will add real value in gaining a full view of the challenges for the sector and reduce overall provider data burden.
There will be workshops throughout 2022. The first set of workshops aim to identify your data needs, data concerns, the data you collect and what data you provide to different organisations.
For further information and to sign up by 5 April 2022, please use the link below:
Long term use of Capacity Tracker workshops
For any questions, please email providerdata@dhsc.gov.uk.
IN OTHER NEWS………………
5. International Mixed Ability Sports (IMAS) and England Squash mixed ability Squash 57 session 4 April 2022 (information for all providers)
On Monday 4 April 2pm to 4pm, IMAS and England Squash are hosting a Mixed Ability Squash 57 session. Mixed Ability is the concept of people with Learning or Physical Disabilities, Autism and other barriers, playing or taking part in activities with non-disabled people. Squash 57 is an enjoyable and inclusive sport, where everyone can take part. Find out more about Mixed Ability Squash 57 below. Please share this information with service users who might like to attend.
A flyer with more information has been circulated to providers - if you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk If you have service users that might like to attend, they can either turn up on the day, or you or they can send an email to m.goodwin@mixedabilitysports.org.
This is part of a wider programme of events between Monday 4 April and Monday 11 April 2022 where there will be a glass squash court in Birmingham New Street station to showcase squash to new audiences as part of Squash United’s Birmingham 2022 legacy work.
6. REMINDER Department of Health and Social Care, Care Home and Home Care Markets Survey – Have your say 17 April deadline (information for all providers)
On 7 September 2021, the Prime Minister announced changes which will affect the care home and home care provider market. To help understand this market better, DHSC is asking care home and home care providers to complete their survey now available within the Capacity Tracker.
The survey is an opportunity for providers to share information about who is receiving care in their service and information about that care. This will help DHSC to understand what it's reforms will mean in practice for residents, service users and provider businesses. It will also help monitor how reform is affecting the care market in the coming months.
A Help Guide for completing this questionnaire is available in the Resource Centre and a Bulk Template is being developed for larger organisations who wish to add information into one template for all of their sites. If you have any further questions relating to the DHSC Care Home and Home Care Markets Survey, please email: capacitytrackerfeeratesurvey@dhsc.gov.uk
The Capacity Tracker can be accessed below:
If you have questions or queries regarding how to update the data and where to report specific scenarios, please contact capacitytracker-guidance@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you are experiencing technical issues with Capacity Tracker, please contact necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net or the Capacity Tracker Support Centre on 0191-691-3729.
7. Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Birmingham and Solihull 26 April 2022 10pm to midday (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Birmingham and Solihull CCG and West Midlands Care Association are re-launching the Nurses and Clinical Leads network to support nurses working in residential care homes and nursing homes within Birmingham and Solihull. Networks are a great source of information, offer access to guest speakers, including the CQC, and support from other colleagues across the health and care sector. Being part of a network helps with your CPD and can contribute to maintaining your revalidation.
We will formally launch the network on the 26 April 2022 10am to midday with a virtual event and are really pleased to announce that Deborah Sturdy - Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care (NHS England) will be our keynote speaker. Alongside Deborah there will be updates from the CCG and WMCA about the support that is available to you but mainly this is an opportunity for you to tell us what you want.
This session will contribute toward 2 hours of CPD as part of a practice related event.
Follow the link below to book your place:
Nurses and Clinical Leads Network (wmca.care)
8. West Midland Care Association Provider Coffee Catch Up – 4 April 10am to 10:30am (information for all Birmingham providers)
West Midlands Care Association (WMCA) are offering Birmingham providers a platform to network with other providers and seek support from them, and West Midlands Care Association, in an informal, non-judgmental environment. If you would like to get a frustration off your chest, discuss an ongoing problem you need support with, discuss something positive that has happened recently and/or learn about what WMCA are offering providers as part of their membership, then these coffee catch ups are a safe space for you.
No need to book – just join in on the day using the link on the page below: