What's New Bulletin 123 - 8 December 2022
This is edition 123 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.
- Nurses strike on 15 and 20 December 2022 (Information for all Care Homes)
- Provider Business continuity plans - power outages (information for all providers)
- Market Engagement Event - Care Home/Supported Living Commissioning - 16 December 2022 11am – 12:30pm (information for all Care Home and Supported Living providers)
- Level 3 Cold Weather Alert 7 – 12 December 2022 (information for all providers)
- Yellow warning of ice affecting the West Midlands 7 – 8 December 2022 (information for all providers)
- REMINDER Autumn COVID-19 booster and flu campaign: Book your appointments on the NHS app today! (information for all providers)
- Staff retention: Tips on how to recruit, retain and support great colleagues (information for all providers)
- Message from the Department of Health and Social Care: ASC Provisions Update on Enforcement (information for all providers)
- ACTION NEEDED Update the mandated questions on the National Capacity Tracker by 14 December 2022 (information for all providers)
- Cardiff University and Bridges opportunity to be involved in research - Sustain Project (information for all providers)
1. Nurses strike on 15 and 20 December 2022 (Information for all Care Homes)
In the light of industrial action being taken by nurses on 15 and 20 December, we are advising all Care Homes to review business continuity plans, to ensure that they cover any impact on residents as a result of unavailability of nursing staff, either employed at the home or in the local NHS services. If you are concerned about the welfare of any of your residents as a result of the strike, you should contact the Area Commissioning Team responsible for your contract with Birmingham – contact details are below:
Who to contact in the commissioning team | Birmingham City Council
If you don’t know which Commissioning Area Team covers your contract, you can find out by looking up your care home below:
Care Homes | Birmingham City Council
2. Provider Business continuity plans - power outages (information for all providers)
Please see the following information on preparing for power outages. Providers are asked to review, test and update their business continuity plans for this scenario.
Useful information;
Preparing for Power Outages – a Guide for Essential Services (careprovideralliance.org.uk)
3. Market Engagement Event - Care Home/Supported Living Commissioning - 16 December 2022 11am – 12:30pm (information for all Care Home and Supported Living providers)
Market Engagement Event for the recommissioning of care homes and supported living services for Birmingham City Council.
The purpose of the engagement event will be to:
- To share a summary of the proposed Commissioning Strategy
- To share the proposed forthcoming procurement arrangements and timelines
- To demonstrate how to apply for a contract using the CareMatch Portal
Please be aware, the Council’s Cabinet will be considering approval of the proposed Commissioning Strategy 2023+ on 13 December 2022. The relevant documents have been published and can be found below:
This event will be recorded and shared via the Council’s website for anyone that is unable to attend:
A separate event (with similar content) will be held for providers considering providing Home Support – Sensory Loss services to the Council. A separate invite will be issued directly to current providers and known specialist providers and the recording published in the same place.
Please join the Care Home/Supported Living event via the information below;
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 334 967 727 30
Passcode: hDw9R7
Or call in (audio only)
+44 20 3794 0272,,803657400# United Kingdom, London
Phone Conference ID: 803 657 400#
4. Level 3 Cold Weather Alert 7 – 12 December 2022 (information for all providers)
I am writing to you as a Level 3 Met Office Cold Weather Alert has been issued for the West Midlands (and similar alerts have been issued for other parts of the UK). There is a 90% probability of severe cold weather between 18:00 on Wednesday 7 December and 09:00 Monday 12 December. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.
Information and guidance has been circulated to all providers. Please share this with your staff, service users, communities and partner networks to help ensure that citizens - particularly those who are most vulnerable - are adequately prepared. If you don't have copies of the information and guidance, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Region: West Midlands Warning Level: 3 (Amber) Risk: 90%
Comments: Cold with overnight, potentially severe, frosts and temperatures only rising a few degrees Celsius above freezing by day.
In addition, please be aware that you can sign up to the Met Office email alert service via the following link:
Sign up for cold weather alerts
5. Yellow warning of ice affecting the West Midlands 7 – 8 December 2022 (information for all providers)
I am writing to you, as in addition to the Level 3 Met Office Cold Weather Alert, a yellow warning of ice affecting the West Midlands has also been issued by the Met Office. This warning covers the period from 5pm 7 December 2022 to 6pm on 8 December 2022.
Headline: Some disruption is likely due to icy surfaces
What to expect: Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces. Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. Some roads and railways may be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services
Information and guidance has been circulated to all providers. Please share this with your staff, service users, communities and partner networks to help ensure that citizens - particularly those who are most vulnerable - are adequately prepared. If you don't have copies of the information and guidance, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
In addition, please be aware that you can sign up to the Met Office email alert service via the link in item 4
6. REMINDER Autumn COVID-19 booster and flu campaign: Book your appointments on the NHS app today! (information for all providers)
All those eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, including frontline care colleagues, can now book and manage their appointments via the National Booking Service on the NHS app. You can also visit the NHS website to find your nearest pharmacy offering free flu jabs.
Find your nearest pharmacy offering free flu jabs
The country-wide marketing campaign, urging millions of eligible people to get their flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines, continues to run across television, radio and social media. You can watch the TV advert below.
Country-wide marketing campaign
To learn more, and promote the benefits of vaccination to care colleagues, visit the Campaign Resource Centre for Q&A leaflets, posters, social media content and stickers, all free to download and share.
Book your appointment today below;
Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
7. Staff retention: Tips on how to recruit, retain and support great colleagues (information for all providers)
Understanding your care colleague recruitment needs will help you retain people with the right values. A workforce plan is a great way to do this as it helps you assess your current and future staff requirements.
Skills for Care and Partners in Care and Health have developed a guide to 'top tips for retention', in conjunction with councils and care providers, to support senior officers, employers and councillors involved in the adult social care workforce. The guide provides tips, suggestions and links to resources. Click the link below to find out more.
Visit ‘recruitment planning’ at Skills for Care to find out more;
Recruitment planning (skillsforcare.org.uk)
8. Message from the Department of Health and Social Care: ASC Provisions Update on Enforcement (information for all providers)
This is an update from DHSC on the Adult Social Care Provider Information Provisions that require you to submit data monthly through the Capacity Tracker.
The Adult Social Care Information (Enforcement) Regulations 2022 were made law on 10 November 2022 after being debated in both Houses of Parliament and commenced in December 2022.
Adult Social Care Information (Enforcement) Regulations 2022
The guidance on the enforcement process will be published in the week commencing 19 December 2022. This guidance will let you know how DHSC will enforce the information provisions – i.e. what will happen if, from December, you do not update your data monthly, via Capacity Tracker, as outlined in the guidance on data collection first published in July.
As we have outlined in previous communications, financial penalties will normally be a last resort and the majority of the enforcement process will focus on what support we can give to help you meet the requirements of the Information Provisions.
9. ACTION NEEDED Update the mandated questions on the National Capacity Tracker by 14 December 2022 (information for all providers)
The deadline for the next mandated data submission of the National Capacity Tracker is approaching on the 14 December 2022. For further information, a Provider Data Provisions FAQs from the Department of Health and Social Care is attached.
What you need to do
Make sure you complete your updates on the National Capacity Tracker by day 14 of each month.
However, we are asking all our providers to please complete the National Capacity Tracker every time information changes. This is key to producing the most up to date overall picture of protection and needs across the sector and to enable the Department of Health and Social Care, working together with system partners in the NHS and in Local Authorities, to better manage the challenges and target additional support as needed. Thank you to all providers that are already regularly updating the National Capacity Tracker.
How much are the fines?
The level of the fines will be the same as a provider’s CQC registration fee, for example;
- a care home with 31-35 service users could be looking at a fine of £5,023
- a larger care home with 56-60 service users could be looking at a fine of £8,792
- a home care provider with 20 clients could be looking at a fine of £1,325
- a larger home care provider with 40 clients could be looking at a fine of £2,411
Who issues the fines?
The National Capacity Tracker team is administering and enforces all aspects of the fines on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care. Local authorities are not involved in any aspect of this process. Please do everything in your power to make sure you do not receive a fine, as it could be significant.
You may also want to ensure that more than one person in your organisation can update the National Capacity Tracker.
Help and support
If you require any assistance with refreshing or updating your information, please just call the Support Centre on 0191 691 3729 (Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm) or send an email to necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net. An updated Provider Support Pack has been circulated to providers. The Support Pack contains useful information and tips. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Capacity Tracker refresher sessions are also available which cover mandatory data completion. Click your chosen date and time below to join the session
Capacity Tracker refresher session 13 December 2022 at 14:00
10. Cardiff University and Bridges opportunity to be involved in research - Sustain Project (information for all providers)
Clinicians and researchers from Cardiff University are working with Bridges an independent organisation to develop training resources for people living with long term conditions. They are part of the Sustain project. This is a codesign project aims to bring together people who have experience of caring for people living with joint pain, to listen and learn from their ideas and experience and any strategies they have found helpful. The new training resources will aim to help carers support people manage their pain and make choices about their everyday living activities.
For further information, a flyer has been circulated to care providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk . f you are interested in taking part, either by being part of the co design group or being interviewed, please email Kate Button; buttonk@cardiff.ac.uk