What's New Bulletin 143 - 4 May 2023
This is edition 143 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.
1. Urgent action required - Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund 2023/24 (All Birmingham based CQC registered locations)
2. Important reminder about the tendering of supported living for Birmingham City Council (information for supported living providers)
3. Free COVID-19 DBS checks likely to end 11 May 2023 (information for all providers)
4. Celebrating International Nurses Day 23 May 2023 - conference for Midlands nurses and nursing associates (information for West Midlands nursing homes)
5. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Care Workforce Pathway call for evidence deadline 31 May 2023 (information for all providers)
6. Data Security and Protection Toolkit deadline approaching 30 June 2023 (information for all providers)
7. Care Quality Commission (CQC): An update on their plan and approach for transformation (information for all providers)
8. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Because we all care: focus on people with a learning disability and autistic people (information for all providers)
9. Help in Brum – Help for vulnerable people in short-term crisis with food and essential items (information for all providers)
10 People for Public Services would like to invite you to its next meeting, about using technology to support independence, on: 23 May 11am-12.30pm. (information for care providers supporting citizens in Birmingham)
11. Home support and Supported Living invoice process (Information for all home support and supported living providers)
12 .REMINDER Important update about the tendering of care homes, supported living and home support sensory services for Birmingham City Council (information for all providers)
1.Urgent action required - Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund 2023/24 (All Birmingham based CQC registered locations)
Further to the government announcement of the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund in the November 2022 autumn statement the government has released further details and guidance, see below:
Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Birmingham is currently developing plans to utilise its £13.1m share of the funding, which it is required to submit to the DHSC in May alongside a range of reporting metrics.
In order to comply with the grant conditions the DHSC requires the Council to submit the following workforce data for each Birmingham based CQC registered location:
- Total number of new recruits commencing employment in the month of April 2023
- Total number of employees leaving employment in the month of April 2023
We therefore request that you complete and submit this short survey (via Microsoft Forms) by midnight on Thursday 18 May 2023 so that we can collate the data. Please click on the link below to open the survey.
https://forms.microsoft.com/e/kwn3LjCLxe
2.Important reminder about the tendering of supported living for Birmingham City Council (information for supported living providers)
The Council’s supported living schedule [Service Specification for Care and Support (Supported Living)] states in clause 2.1 that “this document sets out a specification relating to the provision of Care and Support (Supported Living) services by Providers who are registered with the regulatory body to support people who require personal care and support” and the contract schedule then goes on to reaffirm in clause 2.2.1 that “the care and support Provider will be a registered Supported Living care provider”.
When applying to come onto the Council’s supported living contract, the Council will check the ‘Registration details’ for the Provider on the Care Quality Commission web pages. If ‘Supported Living’ is not showing in ‘Type of Service’ the application will be put ‘on hold’ and will not be reviewed by the Council until the Care Quality Commission ‘Registration Details’ have been updated (it will be the responsibility of the Provider to facilitate that change with the Care Quality Commission).
3.Free COVID-19 DBS checks likely to end 11 May 2023 (information for all providers)
Free COVID-19 Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are likely to end 11 May 2023. The check was introduced as an emergency measure to support employers recruiting health and social care staff into COVID-19 roles. The need for these roles has significantly reduced. Therefore, applications made on or after 11 May 2023 will be processed in the normal way and fees will apply.
The DBS provides two additional services below:
These can be used to tackle ongoing COVID-19 related or other emergencies, where there may be significant risk to service provision should recruitment be delayed.
Please use the following link for more details on the DBS service;
4.Celebrating International Nurses Day23 May 2023 - conference for Midlands nurses and nursing associates (information for West Midlands nursing homes)
Skills for Care think it is vital to shine a spotlight on nurses and nursing associates working in social care to recognise the hugely important role that they play in the lives of people who draw on care and support. To do this, they will be celebrating International Nurses Day on 12 May 2023 and will be posting on their social media channels from 8 May 2023. Join in the conversation using #WeAreSocialCareNursing and #IND2023.
As part of our International Nurses Day celebrations, Skills for Care are hosting a face-to-face event for the Midlands region on Tuesday 23 May 2023, 10:00am - 14:30pm, Leonardo Royal Hotel, Birmingham.
The event is specifically for registered nurses and nursing associates working in a social model of care. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with other nurses in your region, share good practice and contribute to professional discussion and debate, as well as taking the time to recognise the contribution you make. The event will be attended by Deborah Sturdy, the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, who is keen to hear your views.
Find out more and book your place
5.Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Care Workforce Pathway call for evidence deadline 31 May 2023 (information for all providers)
The DHSC has published a call for evidence that will inform the development of a new Care Workforce Pathway for adult social care. The pathway will set out the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed to work in adult social care, as well as a clear career structure for the workforce.
The DHSC plans to publish the first part of the Pathway, focusing on those in direct care roles, in the autumn and will work with the sector to implement it over the following months.
Find out more and share your views on the pathway, including what it should include, how it should be set out and how working in care and social care employers can be supported to use it. Visit the open consultation, which runs until 31 May 2023;
Care workforce pathway for adult social care: call for evidence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
6.Data Security and Protection Toolkit deadline approaching 30 June 2023 (information for all providers)
As a care provider you are entrusted with safeguarding the information you hold about the people in your care and colleagues you work with, regardless of whether you keep paper or digital records. You should complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit at least once a year to evidence you have good practices in place to protect people’s information. The deadline for 2022/23 is 30June 2023.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to access free, expert support from the official support programme below:
Attend one of the webinars using the link below:
Download and adapt a template policy using the link below:
view the online guidance below:
Call the national helpdesk, or access support using the link below:
Read more here;
Digital Social Care - Run by social care providers for social care providers
For care providers in the West Midlands, the Local Support Partner is:
West Midlands Care Association
who provide help and support with completing the toolkit below:
Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT)
7.Care Quality Commission (CQC): An update on their plan and approach for transformation (information for all providers)
The CQC have published an update on how they plan to implement their new regulatory approach and provider portal across 2023. This update outlines the work they have been doing so far in 2023 and sets out what health and care providers and others can expect for the rest of the year:
An update on our plan and approach for transformation: April 2023 - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)
A webinar is also available about the CQC’s new approach:
See the new timeline in the link below:
Please take two minutes to fill out this survey below to share your views on how you think the webinar went and any other thoughts you would like to share with the CQC.
You can also sign up to the CQC’s digital engagement platform, CitizenLab, for more opportunities to shape how they work.
8.; Care Quality Commission (CQC) Because we all care: focus on people with a learning disability and autistic people (information for all providers)
Because we all care is a joint public behaviour change campaign to encourage more people to share care experiences with CQC and Healthwatch England. To date it has driven over 90,000 people to share their experiences or those of a loved one.
The CQC have launched a new phase of their campaign which focuses on understanding the experiences of people with a learning disability and autistic people. People with a learning disability and autistic people are more likely to experience poorer care and face inequalities, despite needing to use health and social care services regularly. Their needs are not always met by the system, leaving people and their loved ones feeling diminished or ignored. You can hear real life experiences from the link below:
Help raise awareness by using the toolkit below:
and sharing the hashtag #BecauseWeAllCare on Twitter.
You can read more here;
9.Help in Brum – Help for vulnerable people in short-term crisis with food and essential items (information for all providers)
Help in Brum is the council’s support for people in Birmingham who are in need of help due to cost of living crisis. The council has information and support offers around a number of areas with full information on the Council's website here:
It can help people who want help accessing grants and debt advice, support getting all the money they are entitled to or simply wanting to know more about the government’s support measures.
Cost of living support | Birmingham City Council
Please share this information with staff members and service users as appropriate.
10. People for Public Services would like to invite you to its next meeting, about using technology to support independence, on: 23 May 11am-12.30pm. (information for care providers supporting citizens in Birmingham)
This is a hybrid meeting. You can choose to join online or attend in person at 10 Woodcock St, Birmingham B7 4BL
Do you use technology to assist you and/or your family in your daily living?
Birmingham City Council want to understand how people could make more use of technology to enhance their quality of life and support their independence. We want to understand your experience of technology, especially those receiving health and social care services.
What do we mean by Technology ?
There are many kinds of technologies that assist people in their day to day lives like smart device, falls detectors (image on the left), remote monitoring sensors, health monitoring devices and many others.
What are we looking to do?
There is a Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Citizen Board to work on this project until March 2024 and beyond. We aim to create a TEC service that will better support citizens to use technology to improve their quality of life and independence. We would like you to join the conversation around TEC and work with us in creating the right service, challenging our thinking and understanding what our citizens really want to receive in their home and how.
Everyone is welcome, we would especially like to hear from people who:
• receive health and/or social care services
• are really interested in technology
We would also like to hear from people who don’t understand technology and how it works but who are interested in how it might help them keep independent for longer.
To book a place, please click please click on the link below:
If you are unable to book a place using that link, please do not hesitate to contact us via our email getinvolved@birmingham.gov.uk
11.Home support and Supported Living invoice process (Information for all home support and supported living providers)
This is a reminder to all providers which invoice the Council for their fees, that invoices must be based on the correct hourly rate as set out in the fee uplift summary on our website:
Invoice, payment and fees | Birmingham City Council
Home support care packages have been uplifted from 3 April 2023 to 2023/24 rates for providers holding a 2019 Home Support Framework contract.
Supported Living care packages have only been uplifted for locations which have been awarded a 2023 Supported Living contract. If you were awarded a contract on the initial contract award date (24 April 2023) fees will have been uplifted to 2023/24 rates from 3 April 2023. If you are awarded a contract after this date then fees will only be uplifted to 2023/24 rates from the date of contract award. If you have not been awarded a 2023 supported living contract then fees for existing packages of care will remain at their 2022/23 rates (until such time as a contract is awarded) and you should invoice accordingly.
12. REMINDER Important update about the tendering of care homes, supported living and home support sensory services for Birmingham City Council (information for all providers)
Further to the tendering for care homes, supported living services, we can confirm that contract award letters have now been issued in relation to care homes and supported living. These contracts started on 24 April 2023 and fee increases for successful providers will be backdated to 3 April 2023.
Applications and reapplications for the 2023 care home and supported living contracts are now able to be made through the CareMatch Portal below:
Please see further information for previously unsuccessful applicants below.
Successful providers
A gentle reminder that successful providers will need to sign and return documents to Adultsocialcare2023@birmingham.gov.uk by 14 May 2023.
Unsuccessful providers
For those care homes and supported living providers who have been unsuccessful, feedback has been provided in your decision letter.Should you wish to re-apply to join the Flexible Contracting Arrangement, you will need to address the feedback given, before you can submit a new application.We are expecting to open the Flexible Contracting Arrangement for care homes and supported living applications from 24 April 2023. We will send a further email alert once this re-opens, but you may wish to check using the below link:
Tender opportunities | Tender opportunities | Birmingham City Council
Some unsuccessful applications were awaiting updated insurance documents only at the time of contract award. These providers have been contacted directly previously and their applications will have a status of In-Review rather than Rejected or Approved. Please refer to Section 3.3 of the Care Match Portal User Guide for instructions on how to upload documents to a submitted application form. The User Guide can be found here;
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/file/10486/user_guide_for_providers_v03
If you have any queries in relation to your tender outcome letter, please send any correspondence directly to: Adultsocialcare2023@birmingham.gov.uk
Home support sensory loss
For providers who applied for a home support sensory loss contract, the evaluation period remains ongoing at this time and we will advise you once this has concluded.
Please note that invoices submitted incorrectly or with incorrect information, including incorrect invoice amounts will be rejected and payment will not be made.