What's New Bulletin 194 - 25 April 2024
This is edition 194 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 PLEASE READ Home Support Tender - Home Support and Quick Discharge Service Recommissioning Update - 7 Days Remaining of the Clarification Period (information for homesupport providers)
2. Mobility Impairment Deep Dive - Questionnaire for Citizens, Carers and Professionals – deadline 10 May 2024 (information for Birmingham providers)
3. REMINDER Skills for Care: Training available and how to claim funding for adult social care courses and qualifications in 2024-2025 (information for all providers)
4. REMINDER Free Scam/fraud awareness training for Adult Social Care from the Crime Reduction Enterprise Ltd (CRE) (information for all providers)
5. REMINDER Support to Care Homes Training May 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
6. REMINDER Health Innovation West Midlands Deterioration and Quality Improvement in Care Homes 14 May 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
7. REMINDER PLEASE READ Home Support Tender - Home Support and Quick Discharge Service Recommissioning Update – Tender Now Open (information for home support providers)
1. REMINDER PLEASE READ Home Support Tender - Home Support and Quick Discharge Service Recommissioning Update - 7 Days Remaining of the Clarification Period (information for homesupport providers)
The Council launched its tender for Home Support and the Quick Discharge Services on 9 April 2024.
As bidders (providers) will be aware from the Council’s tender documentation and communication, any questions about the tender must be submitted via the Questions function in the CareMatch Portal. The responses to which are being published regularly here:
Tender opportunities | Tender opportunities | Birmingham City Council
This update is to confirm that the tender clarification period is due to end on 2 May 2024 (as previously published). You are therefore encouraged to use the clarification process to raise any questions you have in the next 7 days to ensure you receive a timely response.
Please ensure you follow the more detailed guidance available before logging a clarification - including ensuring you read the tender documentation in full and checking the clarification log for any similar questions prior to logging a new clarification:
2. Mobility Impairment Deep Dive - Questionnaire for Citizens, Carers and Professionals – deadline 10 May 2024 (information for Birmingham providers)
Birmingham City Council are writing a report (known as a 'Deep Dive') about citizens living with a mobility impairment in Birmingham. This includes information about the prevalence of mobility impairments in Birmingham, associated health conditions and health inequalities, in addition to mapping local services.
All data received by Birmingham City Council, in relation to this research, will be stored in line with the
Public Health Division Data Protection Rules
You can take part in this survey as citizen, carer or professional. Please ensure you select the correct link from the below;
Mobility Impairment Deep Dive - Questionnaire for Citizens:
https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/mobility-impairment-deep-dive-questionnaire-for-ci
Mobility Impairment Deep Dive - Questionnaire for Carers:
https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/copy-of-mobility-impairment-deep-dive-questionnaire
Mobility Impairment Deep Dive - Questionnaire for Professionals:
https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/mobility-impairment-deep-dive
3. REMINDER Skills for Care: Training available and how to claim funding for adult social care courses and qualifications in 2024-2025 (information for all providers)
Search this year’s list of adult social care training courses (see link below) to find opportunities for you and your team.
adult social care training courses and qualifications
In order to claim funding you need to register and upload your workforce data to the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), a free online data collection service that covers the adult social care workforce in England. You can find out more about the benefits of an ASC-WDS account in the attached leaflet. There will also be a national webinar where you can take a virtual tour of the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS):
Tuesday 11 June 2024, 9:30am - 10:30
4. REMINDER Free Scam/fraud awareness training for Adult Social Care from the Crime Reduction Enterprise Ltd (CRE) (information for all providers)
Reg Burrell is an ex-police officer who has received funding to deliver this scam awareness training specifically for adult social care. Those who have attended have given excellent feedback and when he recently came to a Skills for Care regional meeting the delegates were very keen for him to offer training to their staff teams. The training can be delivered to individual providers but also in geographical areas. For further information, please see the “Training Flyer open region” attached or contact info@oprepeat.co.uk or 01778 305011.
5. REMINDER Support to Care Homes Training May 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Details of the Support to Care Homes Team virtual training for the month of May 2024 for all Care Home staff across Birmingham and Solihull Care homes has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
There are valuable informative training sessions this month on;
- Management of Deterioration
- Infection prevention
- Pressure Ulcer prevention
- Falls
- Dementia awareness
The training will be hosted by the Solihull Support to Care homes Team and is open to all Care Home staff across Birmingham and Solihull care homes and joining details can be accessed via the BSol Healthzone Care Home App.
Instructions on how to download the BSol Healthzone Care Home App are also attached. Please see the previous bulletin item 3 here for further information about the App;
What's New Bulletin 184 - 15 February 2024 - Care services providers' bulletin (birmingham.gov.uk)
6. REMINDER Health Innovation West Midlands Deterioration and Quality Improvement in Care Homes 14 May 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSol ICB) would like to invite you to a webinar event focusing on the management of deterioration and quality improvement in care homes across the Birmingham and Solihull region on 14 May 2024 at 2:00pm - 4:00pm.
Join the webinar for insightful discussions, informative sessions, and practical tips to enhance the care provided in these crucial settings. Whether you're a healthcare professional, caregiver, or simply interested in the topic, this event is perfect for anyone looking to make a positive impact on the well-being of residents in care homes. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn, connect, and innovate in the field of healthcare!
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk.
7. REMINDER PLEASE READ Home Support Tender - Home Support and Quick Discharge Service Recommissioning Update – Tender Now Open (information for home support providers)
The Council’s Cabinet have now approved the Commissioning Strategy 2024 for Home Support and the Quick Discharge Service. A copy of the final Commissioning Strategy and the full report can be found here:
The tender for the replacement contracts Home Support and Quick Discharge Service 2024 has now gone live and you can apply now using the link below:
Legal tender notices have been published via the following links:
Contracts Finder;
Contracts Finder - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Finditinbirmingham;
The anticipated start date for the new contracts is 8 October 2024.
How do I ask questions during the tender period?
As the tender process has now launched, there will be restrictions on the contact Commissioners may be able to have. Please do not contact Commissioners in relation to any aspect of the tender.
To ensure the tender process is fair and transparent, support will need to be accessed as follows:
Procurement Support Step 1 – Check the Guidance Document
Should you have questions about the procurement exercise or how to complete the Questionnaire, you should check the relevant guidance document which is available from the list of dropdown documents under each contract heading on the CareMatch Portal here;
- For Home Support 2024 contract, please read document; 001 The Instructions P2170 Document for Potential Suppliers Invitation to tender (ITT)
- For the Quick discharge Service 2024 contract, 001 The Instructions P2170 Document for Potential Suppliers Invitation to tender (ITT)
Procurement Support Step 2 – check the Clarification Log
Check the Clarification Log to see if your question has already been asked and answered:
Tender opportunities | Tender opportunities | Birmingham City Council
Procurement Support Step 3 – raise a clarification question via the CareMatch Portal
Raise a clarification via the Questions function in the CareMatch Portal. See section 3.2 of the CareMatch Portal User Guide for how to raise Questions. The user guide can be accessed here;
User Guide for providers using Care Match Portal | Birmingham City Council
The answers to these questions will be published regularly here:
Tender opportunities | Tender opportunities | Birmingham City Council
How can I get support with the CareMatch Portal during the tender?
CareMatch Portal Support Step 1
Review the tender instructions document and any guidance in the CareMatch Portal by hovering over the “i” icon next to the question, to check you are entering the correct type of information.
CareMatch Portal Support Step 2
Review the CareMatch Portal User guide for instructions, which can be found here:
User Guide for providers using Care Match Portal | Birmingham City Council
Watch the recorded briefing session on
CareMatch Portal Support Step 3
Check the Clarification Log and bulletins, as we may have published some further information already to support you:
Tender opportunities | Tender opportunities | Birmingham City Council
CareMatch Portal Support Step 4
Only after you have attempted to resolve your technical issue using the above support, should you contact the Council’s Market Intelligence Team via email at:
marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
In your email requesting technical help, please include the email address you are using to log in to CareMatch Portal and, if applicable, the Registration number of the contract application you are having problems with (you can find the number on your Registrations page). Please ensure you give as much detail as possible in your email, including screenshots where possible and which stage of the process you are stuck at. The team will respond by email and will only contact you by phone if they cannot resolve easily by email.
Please be aware the Market Intelligence Team can only answer technical questions relating to the CareMatch Portal and not about any other aspect of the tender process. Please see guidance above for how to raise procurement/tender related questions.