What's New Bulletin 124 - 15 December 2022
This is edition 124 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.
- REMINDER Market Engagement Event - Care Home/Supported Living Commissioning - 16 December 2022 11am – 12:30pm (information for all Care Home and Supported Living providers)
- REMINDER Care England's action to establish the largest Gas and Electricity Tender for Care Providers DEADLINE for expression of interest 16 December 2022 (information for all providers)
- Update: Level 3 Cold Weather Alert (information for all providers)
- Project Echo - Identifying a Deteriorating Resident Tuesday 20 December 2022 at 02:00pm (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
- REMINDER Nurses strike on 15 and 20 December 2022 (Information for all Care Homes)
- REMINDER Provider Business continuity plans - power outages (information for all providers)
- REMINDER Digitising Social Care and Technology Enabled Care Survey – completion date extended to 30 December 2022 (information for Birmingham Care Homes, Home Support, Supported Living and Extra Care providers)
- Invitation for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Champions to the Festive IPC Champions Network meeting on 22 December 2022 at 11am. (information for IPC Champions in Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
1. REMINDER 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 here:
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#
2. REMINDER Care England's action to establish the largest Gas and Electricity Tender for Care Providers DEADLINE for expression of interest 16 December 2022 (information for all providers)
Care England is offering care providers in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales the opportunity to combine energy volumes, to maximise significant economies of scale, to secure the lowest possible price for energy in the UK to help overcome rising energy costs devastating the sector and is issuing an exclusive bulk tender for 2023-24 Gas and Electricity 2023 renewals, tendered through not-for-profit consultancy Box Power, to all energy suppliers in January 2023. Please complete the EXPRESSION OF INTEREST LINK by the 16 December 2022. Providers will be contacted by Box Power directly to ascertain how they can participate.
Further information can be found below:
Sector Wide Gas and Electricity Tender Opportunity.
Data collected will help to inform the DHSC and BEIS as to the impact energy inflation is having on the sector to help inform future energy relief for our sector.
Given the funding challenges faced by all care providers, the aim to secure the lowest possible energy rates for all care providers by way of a bulk tender through the largest care provider energy charity Box Power, a philanthropic not-for-profit consultancy that has donated £800,000 to charity in the last year. They have just been awarded (30 Nov) at the TELCA’s the top award in their industry for making a difference.
3. Update: Level 3 Cold Weather Alert (information for all providers)
The Level 3 Met Office Cold Weather Alert has been extended for the West Midlands until Sunday. There is now a 99% probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions/snow between 09:00 on Wednesday 14th Dec and 12:00 on Sunday 18th Dec. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.
Please share the following information and continue to share the previously circulated guidance with your staff, service users, communities and partner networks to help ensure that citizens - particularly those who are most vulnerable - are adequately prepared:
West Midlands - Level 3 (Amber) - 99% risk -Cold or very cold with overnight moderate locally severe frost, and some freezing fog patches. Most of the region will be dry until a band of snow arrives on Sunday morning before it turns to rain. Temperatures slowly rising over the weekend.
In addition, please be aware that you can sign up to the Met Office email alert service via the link below:
4. Project Echo - Identifying a Deteriorating Resident Tuesday 20 December 2022 at 02:00pm (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
The next Project Echo is on Tuesday 20 December 2022 at 2pm, where Camilla Barrow, BCHC Care Homes Team, will talk about Identifying a Deteriorating resident. Further information has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please emailo marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
If you have already completed a registration and Data Agreement form, you will only need to do this once and will automatically be invited to the next session. If you are new to Project Echo a registration form has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Please use the link below to join the session.
Identifying a deteriorating resident
5. REMINDER 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
6. REMINDER 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)
7. REMINDER Digitising Social Care and Technology Enabled Care Survey – completion date extended to 30 December 2022 (information for Birmingham Care Homes, Home Support, Supported Living and Extra Care providers)
West Midlands Care Association (WMCA) are working in partnership with Birmingham City Council (BCC) to establish a local picture of Birmingham based care providers digital capability and use of Technology Enabled Care (TEC).
There will be various funding opportunities available to you as a care provider, to adopt one or more digital technologies to meet your future needs. The first step in this process is the completion of the following brief survey (which will only take a few minutes to complete).
It is important that all care providers complete this survey, for which we thank you in advance for your support. Regardless of where you are as an organisation in your transformation to delivering on digital enabled care and TEC this information is vital in helping the WMCA and BCC in determining what support care providers need. Should you have any questions about this survey please contact: Carol Leach, carol.leach3@nhs.net
The survey can be found below:
8. Invitation for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Champions to the Festive IPC Champions Network meeting on 22 December 2022 at 11am. (information for IPC Champions in Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
We are due to discuss:
- Overview and availability of the new IPC Workbook
- IPC preparations for Xmas – visitors, gifts and food, decorations
- Any issues you wish to discuss
All existing or potential IPC Champions are welcome to join using the link below.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 395 700 939 435
Passcode: XSnSPX
Or call in (audio only)
+44 20 3794 0272,,513566234# United Kingdom, London
Phone Conference ID: 513 566 234#