What's New Bulletin 199 - 30 May 2024
This is edition 199 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. AMENDED PLEASE READ Home Support Tender - Home Support and Quick Discharge Service Recommissioning Update CareMatch Portal system notifications must be on during the evaluation period – AMENDED INSTUCTIONS RE INTITAL CQC DETAILS CLARIFICATIONS (information for home support providers)
2. Building in new practices to promote anti-racism in mental health services (information for all providers)
3. Capacity Tracker updates (information for all providers)
4. MSc Community Specialist Practitioner Programme in Health and Social Care - Adult Social Care Nursing pathway - NMC approval volunteers requested Tuesday 18 June 2024 (information for all care homes)
5. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare Gloveless Campaign (information for all Birmingham providers)
6. Recording of Health Innovation West Midlands Deterioration and Quality Improvement in Care Homes Event 14 May 2024 now available (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
7. REMINDER Raising awareness about Cancer - Cancer Champions, Talk Cancer Training 5 June 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull providers)
8. REMINDER Skills for Care: Registered managers webinar: Understanding your digital requirements under the Single Assessment Framework 11 June 2024 (information for all West Midlands providers)
9. REMINDER Skills for Care: Moving Up – bookings open 13 June 2024 cohort (information for all West Midland providers)
10. Moisture Associated Skin Damage Training (MASD) 20 June 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
11. Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care 25 June 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
12. REMINDER Support to Care Homes Training Programme June 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
1. AMENDED PLEASE READ Home Support Tender - Home Support and Quick Discharge Service Recommissioning Update – Please ensure CareMatch Portal system notifications are on during the evaluation period – AMENDED INSTUCTIONS RE INTITAL CQC DETAILS CLARIFICATIONS (information for home support providers)
We are currently in the Evaluation Period of the Home Support and Quick Discharge Tenders as shown on the indicative time table below:
EVENT |
TARGET DATE |
Stage 1 - Applications to Join the Flexible Contracting Arrangements (FCA) |
|
FCA open for Potential Providers to request to participate |
8 April 2024 |
Clarification Period Deadline for receipt of Selection Questionnaire |
10 April – 2 May 2024 Midday 16 May 2024 |
Anticipated Evaluation Period |
17 May – 7 June 2024 |
Award Approval |
10 – 28 June 2024 |
Notification of Contract Award |
1 July 2024 |
FCA Standstill Period |
2 – 11 July 2024 |
FCA Contract Award |
12 July 2024 |
FCA Starts – Individual Contracts |
18 July 2024 |
Stage 2: Call Off Contract (individual packages of care) |
July 2024 |
Closure of the FCA |
|
Anticipated Closing date of the FCA |
July 2029 |
Option to extend for a further 2 years subject to performance |
July 2031 |
As stated in section 15.1 of the "Document 001 The Instructions P2170 Document for Potential Suppliers Invitation To Tender (ITT)".Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you do not have a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
The evaluation of SSQs for the FCA will consider responses and, where requested, written information and evidence provided by the Potential Supplier. All relevant evidence submitted will be evaluated against the selection criteria. Where there are inconsistences in the application, the Council may follow up with a clarification; a time limit will be set for the response and included in the clarification request. It is the Potential Supplier’s responsibility to ensure that any clarifications are received and correctly responded to within the set time frame. For more information see the CareMatch Portal User guide.
Initial clarifications on the CQC information provided will be emailed from HomeSupport2024@birmingham.gov.uk to the email address of the CareMatch Portal user that submitted the application. Responses will be required within the set deadline.
All further Supplier Selection Questionnaire (SSQ) clarifications will be sent via the CareMatch Portal. You will be able to view this correspondence (referred to as clarification or clarification request in the ITT) in two different formats. The first will be through an email notification, and the second through a correspondence window within the system, as shown in Figure 3.3.1 in the guide below:
If you followed Route A (your company or organisation had never previously entered your Owner details into CareMatch Portal) or Route B (your company or organisation had previously entered your Owner details into CareMatch Portal, but has never been awarded a contract and had to use the none CQC route to register as a new Owner) when starting your application, your User account will automatically have “Message Email Notifications” set to YES.
If you followed Route C (added a contract to a Provider that had already been awarded a contract via the CareMatch Portal) or Route D (added a location to an Owner that had already been awarded a contract to a different location via the CareMatch Portal) to start your application, you will have to check that your email notifications are not disabled to ensure you do not miss out on important updates regarding your application. Please refer to Figure 4.5.2 in the Carematch Portal Guide (see link below) for details on how to check this and ensure RECEIVE MESSAGE EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS" is set to YES for the user that submitted the application.
Email notifications are sent from the following email address; system.notifications@carematchportal.com. Check your spam/junk email folders for emails from this address.
For further information and guidance please see the following;
User Guide for providers using Care Match Portal | Birmingham City Council
section 3 which describes Routes A-D in further detail, section 3.3 “Procurement Correspondences” and section 4.5 “My Account”
Slides 12, 14, and 15.
A voice over recording of the above slides is also available here;
2. Building in new practices to promote anti-racism in mental health services (information for all providers)
Chris Dzikiti, Director of Mental Health, and Dr Jacqui Dyer, Mental Health Equalities Advisor at NHS England, have written about the work CQC and NHS England are doing to implement the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF). The framework is the first anti-racism framework for mental health trusts and mental health service providers which sets out to improve access, experience and outcomes for people from ethnic minority groups.
The blog post looks at the progress NHS England and CQC have made in the last few months since PCREF was launched. The two organisations have been working together to progress the roll out of the framework and formally embed its components into their work.
NHS England: Patient and carer race equality framework
Patient and carer race equality framework (PCREF): Our interim approach (March 2024)
3. Capacity Tracker updates (information for all providers)
- Workforce Headcount changes to question guidance: Refinements have been made to Workforce Headcount questions to include additional guidance and improve understanding of the associated questions. Please see additional guidance relating to the following question: Health and Care/Skilled Worker Visa holders employed under your sponsor licence: 'The number of Health and Care/Skilled Worker Visa holders currently employed under your organisation or service’s own sponsor license, not including workers who have entered the UK on any other visa, and not including Health and Care/Skilled Worker Visa holders you employ but who are sponsored by another employer. However, staff falling into any of these categories should still be included in the Total field.'
- ASC Enforcement Guidance 24/25. See link below:
The enforcement process, the expectations & the reporting window periods will remain the same (BAU) for 24/25 and a schedule of reporting windows up to March 2025 are included in Annex A. Top tips for updating are as follows;
No annual re-set from 1st April 2024.
To update/refresh as soon as the window opens; less reminders/saves time chasing!
To attend training sessions to get a better understanding of the system & how to quickly update their information. May 2024:
Peak holiday period – reminder to providers to ensure arrangements are in place to complete updates as Capacity Tracker cannot be updated from abroad.
To additional users registered on CT to cover periods of absence. To register for a CT account, visit the Capacity tracker website.
4. MSc Community Specialist Practitioner Programme in Health and Social Care - Adult Social Care Nursing pathway - NMC approval volunteers requested Tuesday 18 June 2024 (information for all care homes)
University College Birmingham (UCB) are developing a Specialist Practice Qualification in Adult Social Care Nursing. This MSc programme, due to launch in September 2024, has been specifically written for Registered Adult Nurses working across Community Social Care environments, in recognition of the specialist knowledge and skills required for nurses to lead and manage services across diverse health and social care settings.
The University are hoping to commence delivery of this programme in September 2024 and need the support of Nurses working in social care to assist with the NMC approval. UCB require the support of Nursing Home managers, Registered Nurses working in nursing and care homes, to attend the NMC approvalon Tuesday 18 June 2024.This is a great opportunity to be part of a brand-new social care focussed specialist programme.
Email Malaika Eparh (programme lead) via meparh@ucb.ac.uk at your earliest convenience to offer your support. University College Birmingham, Moss House, Birmingham B3 1QW (10 mins walk from New Street Train Station)
For further information visit;
Adult Social Care Nursing | Postgraduate | University College Birmingham (ucb.ac.uk)
5. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare Gloveless Campaign (information for all Birmingham providers)
Are you gloveless when supporting residents with their hydration and nutritional needs? Good hand hygiene, before and after, and bare below the elbow is much safer for your residents and kinder to the environment.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you do not have a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
6. Recording of Health Innovation West Midlands Deterioration and Quality Improvement in Care Homes Event 14 May 2024 now available (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Live recording of the event:
Health Innovation West Midlands | Deterioration and quality improvement in care homes.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you do not have a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
7. REMINDER Raising awareness about Cancer - Cancer Champions, Talk Cancer Training 5 June 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull providers)
Delivered by nurse trainers, the online, interactive workshop will equip and empower you to raise cancer awareness in your community. The training is on Wednesday 5 June 2024 at 10:00am to midday.
The training is suitable for you if you are able to promote health and wellbeing in your community. The Talk Cancer training can help you to make your conversations more impactful by:·
- Increasing your knowledge of key messages around reducing your risk of cancer, the national cancer screening programmes, and spotting cancer early
- Building your confidence to talk to the public about cancer
- Helping you to encourage people to make healthy changes, access local services and visit their GP promptly with any concerns.
For further information please contact Kafilla Munir; Kafilla.munir2@nhs.net.
8. REMINDER Skills for Care: Registered managers webinar: Understanding your digital requirements under the Single Assessment Framework 11 June 2024 (information for all West Midlands providers)
Thursday 11 June | 10:30 – 11:30 | Zoom, book using the link below:
Skills for Care is hosting a digital-themed webinar for registered managers. It will provide practical advice, support, and information on how to meet the digital requirements of the Single Assessment Framework, ensuring that you are well prepared to meet the evidence requirements.
With digitisation a high priority for the adult social care sector, it is important for managers to know what digital aspects are assessed and monitored within the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Single Assessment Framework and its set of quality statements.
Mark Sutton, Chief Digital Officer at the CQC, as well as a panel of registered managers will be attending who will share their top tips and discuss their experiences.
9. REMINDER Skills for Care: Moving Up – bookings open 13 June 2024 cohort (information for all West Midland providers)
The next Moving Up programme starts on 13 June 2024. This programme supports Black and Asian minority groups who are managers or aspiring managers and have the desire and drive to progress in their career but are facing blockages and resistance preventing them from doing so. Taking part in the programme gives participants an increased understanding of who they are, their strengths and weaknesses and a variety of techniques to help overcome any personal challenges. It will focus on increasing confidence and self-belief, to allow growth and progression to where they want to be in their career.
The next programme dates (which are three live online sessions) are:
- Thursday 13 June 2024, 09:30 - 16:00
- Thursday 4 July 2024, 09:30 - 16:00
- Tuesday 10 September 2024, 09:30 - 16:00
Registrations close on Monday 27 May 2024. Up to £510 per learner can be claimed from the:
DHSC training and development fund
You can find out more and book on our website
10. Moisture Associated Skin Damage Training (MASD) 20 June 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Moisture Associated Skin Damage Training (MASD) training is available on 20 June 2024.Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you do not have a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
To register your interest in attending the training and to receive the Teams invite, email antonia.dekavanagh-boulger@smith-nephew.com
11. Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care 25 June 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care would like to invite registered nurses to the next virtual network meeting for Tuesday 25 June 2024 2:00pm to 4:30pm.
The meeting agenda will include relevant clinical nursing issues;
- Modified diets and food preparation
- Learning from a choking incident
- Digital monitoring
- Update on Specialist Practice Qualification
- Knowledge & Library Services available to Nursing Homes
There will be an update from BSOL Integrated Care Board, Skills for Care and West Midlands Care Association on support/resources for nurses.
To find out more about the meeting, and to book your place, follow this link;
Nurses and Clinical Leads Network (wmca.care)
12. REMINDER Support to Care Homes Training Programme June 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
A poster with details of the Support to Care Homes Team virtual training for all Care Home staff across Birmingham and Solihull Care homes has been circulated to providers. If you do not have a copy, emailmarketintelligence@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.
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)