What's New Bulletin 146 - 25 May 2023
This is edition 146 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.
- Use of the Adultsocialcare2023@birmingham.gov.uk mailbox (information for all providers that have applied for a 2023 contract.
- How to avoid creating and how to delete duplicate applications on the CareMatch Portal when creating Supported Living 2023 and Care Homes 2023 applications (information for all providers)
- SPACES AVAILABLE! Project ECHO Core Competency Framework Cohort 13 Day 1 - 5 June 2023 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
- How well do you understand how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is changing? (information for all providers)
- Help shape the Care Quality Commissions (CQC) new staff experience framework (information for all providers)
- Made With Care recruitment campaign: what did you think of it? Survey deadline 29 May 2023 (information for all providers)
- Department of Health and Social Care Volunteering Survey in Capacity Tracker – deadline late June 2023 (information for all providers)
- REMINDER Help with Hoarding – Drop-in sessions for professionals and citizens 30 May 2023 (information for home support and supported living providers.
- REMINDER Clean Air Zone - end of residents exemptions 31 May 2023 (information for all care providers operating in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone.
- Department of Health and Social Care Capacity Tracker Webinar 9 June 2023 – "We want to update you!" (information for all providers)
1. Use of the Adultsocialcare2023@birmingham.gov.uk mailbox (information for all providers that have applied for a 2023 contract)
This mailbox is for responding to queries relating the initial tender for the following contracts Care Homes 2023 (P0996) Supported Living 2023 (P0996) and Home Support Sensory Loss (P0995) and returning signed contracts for the initial and ongoing applications for the before mentioned contracts.
If your email is relating to a Care Home or Supported Living application submitted on or after 24 April 2023 it will not be responded to from this mailbox. See below information on how to deal with queries you may have on applications since 24 April 2023.
If you have a query about how to complete the application form -
Check the relevant guidance document, which is available from the list of dropdown documents under each contract heading on the CareMatch Portal “001 P0996 FCA SQ Instruction Doc FINAL”
- Check the Clarification Log to see if your question has already been asked and answered
- Raise a clarification via the Questions function in the CareMatch Portal; please see section 3.2 of the user guide for instructions on how to do this;
- If you are experiencing technical issues completing or submitting your application, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
If you are emailing about the outcome of the Home Support Sensory Loss procurement (P0995), we will respond to your query shortly.
Tender opportunities | Tender opportunities | Birmingham City Council
User Guide for providers using Care Match Portal | Birmingham City Council
2. How to avoid creating and how to delete duplicate applications on the CareMatch Portal when creating Supported Living 2023 and Care Homes 2023 applications (information for all providers)
To find an application you have already started, please follow the steps from slides 21-23 in the care home and supported living presentation, which can be download below
Care Home and Supported Living 2023 Contract Briefing
These slides also cover how to delete an application you have started in error and no longer want.
A recording of the presentation is also available below:
Recording of contract briefing
3. SPACES AVAILABLE! Project ECHO Core Competency Framework Cohort 13 Day 1 - 5 June 2023 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
This programme has been designed to provider Care Homes with a training and competency framework. The training will provide you with the skills to complete general healthcare tasks and supply you with a framework to guide and record your competency.
There are plenty of spaces available for the Core Competency Framework, Cohort 13, Day One on 5 June 2023 at the Saffron Centre. Click on the link below to register. You don’t need to do the days in order, however it’s advised you do start with day one as this is when Camilla will go through what to expect over the three days.
For directions to Saffron Centre please see below.
Link to register below:
Register for Core Competency Cohort 13 Day 1 - 5 June 2023
4. How well do you understand how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is changing? (information for all providers)
The Care Quality Commission are developing a new regulatory model based on a single assessment framework, which they will implement in 2023. Alongside this work, the CQC are developing a new provider portal, also due to launch in 2023.
Implementation of new regulatory model
In 2023 the CQC will launch a comprehensive communication campaign to ensure all health and social care providers and professionals understand what these changes are, what they mean for them and what they need to do to prepare for these changes.
To help the CQC measure how successful this campaign will be, they want to know how well you understand these changes, both now and throughout 2023. Take their latest survey to share your thoughts;
Add new idea | How well do you understand how CQC is changing? (citizenlab.co)
5. Help shape the Care Quality Commissions (CQC) new staff experience framework (information for all providers)
In the new single assessment framework, ‘Feedback from staff and leaders’ is a required evidence category for all new quality statements.
As part of this work, the CQC want to improve how they gather feedback from staff across health and social care who may be more likely to face inequalities in the workplace. The CQC want to improve how they will consider staff experiences in their assessments and other regulatory work. You can help shape this work through completing a short survey;
Staff Experience Framework March 2023 (typeform.com)
6. Made With Care recruitment campaign: what did you think of it? Survey deadline 29 May 2023 (information for all providers)
The latest Made with Care campaign ran from 2 November 2022 - 31 March 2023 across England and has encouraged many more people to search for jobs in social care.
Search for jobs in social care
Now it's time for you to tell us what you thought of the campaign by completing the anonymous survey below. Your responses will help us evaluate its effectiveness and develop future promotional activities. The survey is open to everyone working in adult social care and only takes a few minutes to complete. It'll be live until 29 May 2023.
7. Department of Health and Social Care Volunteering Survey in Capacity Tracker – deadline late June 2023 (information for all providers)
Volunteers already play a positive role in improving the wellbeing of people who draw on care, as demonstrated by their essential support to health and social care colleagues and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DHSC want to make it easier for people to volunteer in social care in their local communities and support frontline staff so they can focus on providing quality care to those who need it most. In June, the DHSC are expanding the NHS Volunteer Responders programme into adult social care to form a joint NHS and Care Volunteer Responders programme.
The programme will make it easier for people to identify local volunteering opportunities, and for care providers to access volunteer support. Volunteers will help improve people’s quality of life through wellbeing activities, offering personalised support and companionship and helping people to build social connections. Volunteers will complement the existing workforce in tackling loneliness, through roles including befriending and supporting care recipients to participate more fully in their communities.
Before the programme launches, the DHSC are looking to gain insight into the number of volunteers being used within the Adult Social Care Sector and understand more about volunteering within the sector.
A brief survey will be launched in Capacity Tracker on 23 May 2023 for ASC Care Home and Home Care locations to complete and will remain open until late June. By completing the survey your responses will help the DHSC to gain further insight into volunteering within the sector and how best they can support this.
8. REMINDER Help with Hoarding – Drop-in sessions for professionals and citizens 30 May 2023 (information for home support and supported living providers)
Does your agency come into contact with people who display hoarding behaviour?
Join us for the first session of our brand new 'Hoarding Help'. It is run in conjunction with Clouds End CIC and Birmingham City Council Adult Social Care. It is an opportunity to discuss any issues you may be having working with citizens who have hoarding behaviour. We can offer information on next steps, multi-agency approaches and training to further your understanding.
The focus will be on the role the fire service play in supporting people who hoard. For further information, a flyer has been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Citizens you are supporting are also welcome if you feel this could be benefit their own understanding of the services available.
- Tuesday 30 May 2023 10:00 am - 11:30 am, West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters, 99 Vauxhall Rd, Birmingham B7 4HWFurther information about this subject has been circulated to providers.
9. REMINDER Clean Air Zone - end of residents exemptions 31 May 2023 (information for all care providers operating in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone)
As some of you may be aware, the temporary exemption period for residents living within the Clean Air Zone is due to end on 31 May 2023. After that point, any previously exempt non-compliant vehicles for residents will be subject to the daily charge. Full details of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone, including its location, can be found on our Brum Breathes website, here:
We have undergone a process of reminders to those individuals who are in a receipt of exemptions and we are keen to ensure we have taken every available route in order reach all relevant drivers. One aspect of this process has involved a recurrent series of reminders sent to the email addresses we hold from the successful exemption applications. Anyone in possession of a existing residents exemption should now have received several reminders of its termination, with more reminders due to be sent out between now and 31 May 2023.
If you have any questions, please email cleanair@birmingham.gov.uk.
10. Department of Health and Social Care Capacity Tracker Webinar 9 June 2023 – "We want to update you!" (information for all providers)
The Team leading the ASC provider data enforcement would like to say a BIG thank you to providers for prioritising uploading your data to the capacity tracker each month.
The DHSC would like to invite you to a webinar to tell you what they have done so far and to hear from you how they can further support you with the process.They understand that some providers may have concerns with provider data enforcement, but through this session they hope to alleviate those concerns and give you some further information that they hope you will find useful.
The webinar will be held on Microsoft Teams on Friday 9 June 2023 at 2:00pm. Please find the joining details below:
Click here to join the Capacity Tracker meeting on 9 June 2023
Meeting ID: 353 486 722 027;& Passcode: kcCkAw