What's New Bulletin 150 - 22 June 2023
This is edition 150 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. REMINDER Yellow Heat-Health Alert has been updated for the West Midlands (information for all providers)
2. Respite Care - Innovation Partnership (information for all Birmingham and contracted care home providers)
3. NHS England T Levels: Industry Placements in Social Care Webinar 20 July 2023 (information for all providers)
4. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System Care Home Lifting Cushion Expansion Project (information for Birmingham Care Homes)
5. REMINDER Project ECHO Deaf Awareness session 5 July 2023 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
6. REMINDER Please ensure your current insurance documents are uploaded to the CareMatch Portal (information for all Birmingham City Council contracted providers)
1. REMINDER Yellow Heat-Health Alert (information for all providers)
A Yellow Met Office Heat-health alerthas been issued for the West Midlands and is in effect between 23/06/2023 at 09:00 and 26/06/2023 at 09:00.
This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Please share the following information and attached guidance with your staff, service users, communities and partner networks to help ensure that citizens – particularly those who are most vulnerable - are adequately prepared.
Additional useful links to guidance include:
Translated “Beat the Heat” Posters
guidance on keeping your baby safe in the sun
advice for older adults staying safe in hot weather
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
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Respite Care - Innovation Partnership (information for all Birmingham and contracted care home providers)
Birmingham City Council and Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System are developing a system approach to the management of demand and market development of respite care based on collaborative and relationship based commissioning.
We are looking at respite care in the context of:
Break from caring while the person being cared for is looked after by a registered provider of overnight care traditionally but not exclusively, in a registered residential setting.
Planned respite for adults aged 18-64, who will have an annual allocation of respite nights
Adults eligible for respite care have a learning disability, are autistic, have a physical disability or chronic health conditions and are assessed as having complex support needs.
You are receiving this invitation because you already support Birmingham and Solihull citizens or have expressed interest in developing a respite care offer.
As we start this work we would like to engage with you to hear about your respite care offer, your aspirations and challenges and look at developing an Innovation Partnership so we are holding a provider meeting: Wednesday 28 June, 10.30-12, Auditorium at Woodcock Street, Birmingham B7 4BL.
If you are interested in joining us reply to this e-mail and we will confirm receipt.
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NHS England T Levels: Industry Placements in Social Care Webinar 20 July 2023 (information for all providers)
What: an overview of what T Level industry placements look like for today’s Social Care roles, practical examples of how to make sure it is a success for you and the student and the government support available to help you.
When: Thursday, 20 July between 10.30am-12pm.
How to sign up:
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REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System Care Home Lifting Cushion Expansion Project (information for Birmingham Care Homes)
Birmingham and Solihull (BSol) Integrated Care System are just completing the falls prevention lifting cushion pilot. The aim of the pilot was to provide 60 older adult care homes in Birmingham & Solihull with the means and mechanisms to manage falls in a more person-centred way by using post falls risk assessment (istumble) and lifting cushions. Birmingham City University are also conducting a research project alongside this work to evidence the impact and explore barriers to using the lifting device. Lifting cushion devices are a means of manually assisting a person off the floor, this manual handling item therefore is not available through local equipment stores service.
Early preliminary findings are showing such a positive impact, in terms of lifting residents off the floor, freeing up staff time and reduction in non-harm 999 calls for falls. BSol Integrated Care System are pleased to confirm that we have successfully secured further funding to enable an expansion project to provide lifting devices and bespoke falls training to all remaining 120 older adult care homes in Birmingham that did not participate in the pilot.
Learning from the pilot means that the bespoke falls training and delivering of the lifting device will be face to face in each care home, this will enable as many staff to attend as possible. The care home will also be offered a flexible morning, afternoon or early evening 2-hour training slot.
The training has been co-produced by BCHC Care Home Academy and will be delivered by Mangar Health. Training objectives will cover the safe management of falls including istumble app, and the safe method of using the Mangar Elk lifting cushion to lift residents off the floor.
Mangar Health will be contacting each home to arrange the training session, if you would like to register your interest to participate in the first wave or would like further information, then please contact nhsbsolicb.communitytransformation@nhs.net.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
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REMINDER Project ECHO Deaf Awareness session 5 July 2023 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
Join the Project ECHO team on 5 July 2023 at 02:00pm when Sandra Channings, Teacher/Assessor from Communication Community, will present on Deaf Awareness. Please see the attached flyer for further information.
Sign up now on Eventbrite using this link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/556463155277
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REMINDER Please ensure your current insurance documents are uploaded to the CareMatch Portal (information for all Birmingham City Council contracted providers)
It is an important part of your contractual obligations to Birmingham City Council, and a legal requirement, to ensure you have valid insurance at all times. It is important that when you renew your insurance documents you remember to upload a copy to the CareMatch Portal following the instructions in Section 8.8 of the Care Match Portal User Guide;
If you are experiencing technical issues uploading the documents, please contact market.intelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Reminder alerts were added to the CareMatch Portal in December 2020 to inform you when your insurance documents were coming up to their expiry date and when they had expired to assist you to remain compliant with your contractual obligations around insurance. For further information about this CareMatch Portal functionality and how to ensure you are receiving these alerts, please review the following previous provider bulletin items on this topic;
No evidence of current insurance cover on the CareMatch Portal at the levels mentioned below will be treated as a breach of contract until evidence of cover is provided
The levels and types of insurance required by the Framework Agreement for the Provision of Home Support for Children and Young People with Disabilities and Home Support for Adults and the Flexible Contracting Arrangements for the Provision of Care Homes With and Without Nursing Services and Care and Support (Supported Living) are as follows;
- Employers Liability (including volunteers) Insurance - to be as a minimum in accordance with statutory legislation (currently £5m)
- Public Liability Insurance (including loss or damage to service user’s personal effects) - Minimum £10m
- For nursing homes only: Professional Indemnity / Treatment Cover / Negligence which must be a minimum of £5m
Providers are finding the cost of insurance has risen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and as such it is important you allow enough time for finding an alternative insurance provider, if needed, before your current insurance expires. Please contact your Care Association to see what support and advice they can offer. It is important that you inform you area commissioners if you are having difficulty arranging future cover before the expiry of your current insurance.