What's New Bulletin 99 - 23 June 2022
This is the ninety 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.
- Action required - Cost of Care exercise 2022 – Older Adult Care Homes – Deadline 10 July 2022 (Information for Birmingham located care homes with an older adult or dementia service/specialism registration)
- Action required - Cost of Care exercise 2022 - Home Support, Extra Care and Supported Living – Deadline 10 July 2022 (information for all home support, supported living and extra care sheltered housing providers)
- Capacity Tracker - changes in data collection, commissioning response and introduction of statutory requirement to update, provider training dates (information for all providers)
- Digital Social Care & Better Security, Better Care - Briefing 17 June 2022 (information for all providers)
- iPad Closedown – 30 June 2022 (information for care homes)
1. Action required - Cost of Care exercise 2022 – Older Adult Care Homes – Deadline 10 July 2022 (Information for Birmingham located care homes with an older adult or dementia service/specialism registration)
The Council’s cost of care exercise is well under way and the deadline of 10 July 2022 is fast approaching. We encourage all Birmingham located care homes with a ‘Caring for adults over 65 years or dementia’ registration specialism/service to take part in the exercise as this is the best opportunity for you to inform us about the costs of care in your home. Please note that completion of the exercise is mandatory for those homes holding a current care homes contract with the Council.
Full instructions are on our website below:
Cost of care exercise 2022 | Cost of care exercises | Birmingham City Council
If you have not already done so your organisation must register with ‘CareCubed FCOC’ to submit cost information. You can do this using the link below:
Register for the CareCubed FCOC (carecubed.org)
We recommend that you commence this exercise as soon as possible to ensure you are able to identify and input accurate cost data and to enable us to respond to any queries or issues you may have. Full guidance and ‘how to’ videos to help register and enter data into the tool can be accessed below:
FCOC Awareness Pack Care Providers - IESE Local Government and Public Sector Consultants
If you have further questions please contact us at costofcare@birmingham.gov.uk
2. Action required - Cost of Care exercise 2022 - Home Support, Extra Care and Supported Living – Deadline 10 July 2022 (information for all home support, supported living and extra care sheltered housing providers)
The Council’s cost of care exercise is well under way and the deadline of 10 July 2022 is fast approaching. We encourage all Birmingham located home support, extra care and supported living locations to take part in the exercise as this is the best opportunity for you to inform us about the costs of care in your service. Please note that completion of the exercise is mandatory for those home support and supported living locations holding a current contract with the Council. Full instructions are on our website below:
Cost of care exercise 2022 | Cost of care exercises | Birmingham City Council
You can access the Home Care Costing Tool and guidance documents on the Local Government Association website using the link below:
Homecare Cost of Care Toolkit | Local Government Association
Please complete a copy of the Home Care Costing Tool for each CQC registered location delivering home support, extra care or supported living services in Birmingham and submit to costofcare@birmingham.gov.uk by 10 July 2022.
You can access further support materials including FAQ’s and instructional videos at the website below:
If you have further questions please contact us at costofcare@birmingham.gov.uk
3. Capacity Tracker - changes in data collection, commissioning response and introduction of statutory requirement to update, provider training dates (information for all providers)
Recent changes to data collection
Vacancy Information - Care Homes are now able to share more information on the status of their vacancies and highlight where beds are; available to accept a new admission, reserved, unavailable to new admissions (and be able to select the reasons why). For further information, please see the link below:
Improving vacancy information guide
Revised Guidance for providers reporting on Covid vaccinations - see link below:
Changes to Covid data - ‘Confirmed’ and ‘Suspected’ cases of Covid will be merged into one value – this applies to both residents and staff. The length of an outbreak will be reduced to 10 days, reflecting guidance.
Providers will also no longer report on residents admitted from outside the care home.
Changes to Commissioning response to PPE, workforce, and other Coronavirus issues information updated on the Capacity Tracker
As we move further towards business as usual, Birmingham City Council Area Commissioners will no longer contact Birmingham providers about low reports or PPE, workforce issues or “other Coronavirus issues”. Please continue to update this information at the frequency requested by the Department of Health and Social Care as it will continue to be reviewed nationally and locally for strategic purposes.
However, if you have any immediate operational concerns about workforce issues or other Coronavirus related issues, please contact your Area Commissioner as soon as possible – this advice applies to both contracted and non-contracted Birmingham providers. Details of who your Area Commissioners are and how to contact them can be found below:
Who to contact in the commissioning team | Birmingham City Council
Introduction of a statutory requirement to regularly update the Capacity Tracker
The Health and Care Act introduces new powers for DHSC to require information from all regulated adult social care providers in connection with the provision of adult social care in England. This will be introduced from 31 July 2022. In practice, this means we will be requiring providers to submit a small number of data items on a monthly basis. For further information relating to this and enforcement action that could be taken a “Letter to Providers from DHSC” has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Provider training dates
The following dates are available for refresher/induction sessions. To join one of the meetings, please click on the relevant date below:
4. Digital Social Care and Better Security, Better Care - Briefing 17 June 2022 (information for all providers)
A national briefing about the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) from Digital Social Care has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
This edition includes;
- Care providers urged to check data protection arrangements by 30 June 2022
- Data security strategy and commitments re social care
For further information on Better Security, Better Care, and the help available to care providers with NHS Mail and completion and of the DSPT, please see this page on the Birmingham City Council website below:
Better Security, Better Care | Birmingham City Council
5. iPad Closedown – 30 June 2022 (information for care homes)
Providers who currently hold iPads that were issued as part of the (then) NHSx iPad Rollout programme in 2020 should note the revised FAQ document, which has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk The FAQ document outlines changes to iPad settings that will come into effect on 1 July 2022.
For further information please see the Item 8 of bulletin of our previous bulletin below:
What's New Bulletin 94 - 19 May 2022 - Care services providers' bulletin (birmingham.gov.uk)