What's New Bulletin 112 - 22 September 2022
This is edition 112 of the 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.
- Are you or anyone you know interested in a job in Adult Commissioning within Birmingham City Council? (information for all providers)
- No PO No Pay Policy Implementation – please ignore (information for all contracted supported living and home support providers)
- Cost of Living Support (information for all Birmingham providers)
- Care staff to feature in adverts and other media - DHSC recruitment campaign (information for all providers)
- Capacity Tracker - Upcoming Changes to Workforce Data Collection & New Packages of Care Collection (information for all providers)
- Deterioration Tool Survey – completion deadline 30 September 2022 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
- REMINDER Birmingham & Solihull Care Home Deterioration Network Conference 28 September 2022 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
- REMINDER Care Homes engagement sessions – Provision of Community Equipment in Care Homes 3 and 10 October 2022 (information for all contracted care homes)
- REMINDER Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Care Home Champions Training Event 7 October 2022 (information for Birmingham Care Homes)
1. Are you or anyone you know interested in a job in Adult Commissioning within Birmingham City Council? (information for all providers)
Birmingham City Council Adult Social Care are recruiting to a number of roles across commissioning. Please see the list of opportunities on the site below. We would be grateful if you would share the link with your networks.
2. No PO No Pay Policy Implementation – please ignore (information for all contracted supported living and home support providers)
You may have been sent a communication with the following message from Birmingham City Council: “To help improve efficiencies, reduce the number of invoice queries, and reduce manual intervention, we are to introduce a “No Purchase Order No Pay” policy from the 1 November 2022. This will mean suppliers may not get invoices paid if it is not submitted with a valid Purchase Order number or a Purchase Order Exemption.”
Please note this message does not relate to providers contracted to deliver home support, supported living or care homes.
Please refer to the following bulletin 108, item 6, for the latest finance communication to home support and supported living providers regarding payments;
3. Cost of Living Support (information for all Birmingham providers)
Please share the following message and information with your staff for their own use and also to signpost service users to if they express concerns about the rising cost of living;
Are you worried about the rising cost of energy bills, food and transport?
You are not alone; the cost of living crisis is affecting many of us.
You may want help accessing grants and debt advice, support getting all the money you're entitled to, or simply want to know more about the government's recent support measures.
Whatever your money worries may be, Birmingham City Council have put together some helpful information to help you - see link below:
Cost of living support | Birmingham City Council
If you are experiencing immediate problems, please call 0121 303 1116.
4. Care staff to feature in adverts and other media - DHSC recruitment campaign (information for all providers)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are getting ready to start the next phase of the national social care recruitment campaign and would like to gather examples of people working in adult social care. As you will know, case studies are a very valuable source of insight and allow the campaign to tell authentic, positive stories about what it means to work in adult social care.
DHSC would like to build a bank of case studies of individuals who work in care, who can support them with the campaign. This could involve featuring in adverts, broadcast or print interviews or appearing on social media channels. Below is the link for care providers whose workers may want to tell their story:
Depart of Health and Social Care - Case Study Form
Anyone completing the online form can indicate which media (e.g. TV ads or radio or social media ) they would be comfortable with.
5. Capacity Tracker - Upcoming Changes to Workforce Data Collection & New Packages of Care Collection (information for all providers)
From the end of September 2022, in response to feedback and to highlight pressures over the winter period, new workforce related questions are being added to Capacity Tracker for both care home and home care providers. There will also be two new questions about packages of care for home care providers. Appropriate help text for these new questions will be available within Capacity Tracker.
For both care home and home care providers, new questions about workforce will be:
- How many hours have you paid direct employees to work in the last month/four weeks*, including any overtime?
- How many hours of overtime have you paid for in the last month/four weeks*?
- How many hours of agency staff time have you paid for in the last month/four weeks*?
- How many days/hours* of absence have you recorded in the last month/four weeks*?
*Time period optional to suit working practice, e.g. could cover last complete pay period using payroll data in recognition that pay periods will differ between or even within providers (some staff will be paid weekly and others fortnightly or monthly) and no one pay period option will be meaningful to all.
For home care providers only, new questions about packages of care will be:
- In the last 28 days, how many current NHS and LA funded service users’ care packages have you had to return?
- In the last 28 days, how many current self-funded service users’ care packages have you had to end?
These questions refer to previously agreed packages that have been returned/ended after service provision started.
The new workforce and packages of care questions will become mandatory for the December 2022 reporting window.
From the end of September, there will also be a change to the wording of one of the questions in the ASC Home Care Collection. To provide added clarity, the question “How many people are using your service today?” will change to “How many service users are currently receiving care from your agency?”
The Capacity Tracker Team are currently reviewing the necessity of the currently collected workforce absence questions for both care home and home care providers in light of these additions.
6. Deterioration Tool Survey – completion deadline 30 September 2022 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
It has been a while since the deterioration survey was last distributed and West Midlands Academic Health Science Network in partnership with the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board would like to send around a quick 1-minute survey to care homes to see where they are now.
Birmingham and Solihull Deterioration Tools Survey
The last day to respond to the survey will be 30 September 2022.
7. REMINDER Birmingham & Solihull Care Home Deterioration Network Conference 28 September 2022 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
The aim of the conference is to gather representation from Mental Health, Learning Disability and Dementia care homes from across Birmingham & Solihull Nursing and Residential homes. To discuss and share a variety of subjects that centre around resident deterioration identification and learn about new services that can support care homes in the future.
The event is on Wednesday 28 September 2022, 9am – 4:30pm at Birmingham City Football Club.
For further information and to book a place please visit the link below:
Care Home Deterioration Network Conference 28 September 2022
8. REMINDER Care Homes engagement sessions – Provision of Community Equipment in Care Homes 3 and 10 October 2022 (information for all contracted care homes)
Schedule 13 “Birmingham Guidance for Provision of Community Equipment in Care Homes” as aligned to the “Care Homes and Supported Living – Flexible Contracting Arrangement” is being reviewed by the Commissioning Team in conjunction with the Birmingham Community Equipment Loan Service(BCELS).
Two engagement sessions have been arranged for Care Homes with the intention of highlighting:
- Changes to the Provision of Community Equipment Schedule
- Additions such as a ‘Continuing Health Care’ section
- Additions such as an ‘Out of Scope’ section (so there is clarity as to what BCELS can and cannot provide)
- Provide an opportunity to ask questions to officers from BECLS
Both sessions will be via Microsoft Teams:
- Monday 03 October 2022 10.00 am – 11.30 am
- Monday 10 October 2022 10.00 am – 11.30 am
In order to receive an invite, please email Chris MacAdams (Commissioning Manager) at chris.macadams@birmingham.gov.uk and confirm as to which session you want to attend.
9. REMINDER Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Care Home Champions Training Event 7 October 2022 (information for Birmingham Care Homes)
The Infection Prevention Control Care Home Team are re-launching their IPC Champion Programme following their hugely successful training last year. They are proud to announce they are re-launching with a re-branded, bigger and better program. A flyer with more information has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
To book a place call 0121 466 6550 or email Ipcdata@nhs.net.