What's New Bulletin 209 - 08 August 2024
This is edition 209 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. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Home Support and Quick Discharge Service contract start dates and arrangements (information for all current and new Home Support and QDS contracted providers)
2. Community Unrest and Potential Further Protests – Review of Business Continuity Plans (information for all providers)
3. Yellow Heat-Health Alert (information for all providers)
4. REMINDER Cost of Care Exercise 2024: Action required 18 August 2024 deadline AMENDED CARE HOME TEMPLATE – (Younger adult (18-64 yrs) care homes and supported living services located in Birmingham and the West Midlands region, and which are contracted to Birmingham City Council and Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System)
5. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Notifications under Regulation 18 (information for all providers)
6. REMINDER CONSULTATION Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together: Shaping and informing the Council’s Corporate Plan - Deadline 18 August 2024 (information for all Birmingham providers)
7. Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in social care 5 September 2024 (Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
8. Infection Prevention & Control Champions Forum 13 September 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Home Support and Quick Discharge Service contract start dates and arrangements (information for all current and new Home Support and QDS contracted providers)
We are pleased to confirm the conclusion of the procurement exercise for the provision of Home Support and Quick Discharge Services. All providers have now been notified of the outcome of their tender applications and new contracts for both services will start on Monday 12 August 2024.
For successful providers:
New contracts will commence on 12 August 2024.
All new referrals processed by the Council from this date will be issued under the new Home Support 2024 contracts on the CareMatch Portal.
For new providers, go to the CareMatch Portal User Guide for information about how to log on/review/make offers/accept new referrals.
There will be further communication issued after 19 August 2024 about briefing sessions for new providers and existing providers.
For existing providers who were unsuccessful/did not apply:
We appreciate this may be a difficult time for yourself and your staff, however, it is important for us all that you continue to provide care at this time. If for any reason you are unable to continue, notify your Area Commissioner or email operationalcommissioning@birmingham.gov.uk
The Council has agreed a period of up to 2 years for all existing providers who are unsuccessful/did not apply. Area Commissioners will be in touch after 19 August 2024 to provide further details about this and to discuss your business plans.
You will not receive any new referrals via the CareMatch Portal from 12 August 2024
All referrals already started in the CareMatch Portal before midnight on 11 August 2024, will be processed and concluded under the current Home Support 2019 contracts, so continue to check your CareMatch Portal referrals over the coming weeks.
Check your CareMatch Portal referrals after this date, as you may receive changes to existing packages of care (part of the agreed transition period)
We thank all providers for their support at this time.
2. Community Unrest and Potential Further Protests – Review of Business Continuity Plans (information for all providers)
You may already be aware of the current community unrest across the UK, Please see the message from the Leader of the Council in relation to this;
Message from Cllr John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council | Birmingham City Council
We are asking providers to urgently review your business continuity plans to ensure staff and residents are safe.
You may find the following considerations useful:
- Ensure staff are hypervigilant and know how to get support/report any concerns
- Consider if you may need to implement your Business Continuity Plans to ensure the safety of citizens and your staff
- Urgently review your risk assessments for staff e.g. lone workers
- Urgently review your risk assessments for individual citizens e.g. who must receive a call, who might have family support available, who may need care prioritising
- Close offices or lock doors early
- Consider if staff can avoid travelling to the above areas, whilst ensuring residents care needs are met
- Consider alternative travel routes to avoid the above areas or if additional travel time may be needed by carers
- For any care homes in the above areas, staff must be briefed on lockdown and emergency procedures
- Ensure you have plans in place if staff are unable to travel to work this evening
Stay safe and contact your Area Commissioners if you require any general support or advice on these issues.
3. Yellow Heat-Health Alert (information for all providers)
A Yellow Met Office Heat Alert has been issued for the West Midlands and is in effect between 9:00am on 11 August 2024 and 9:00am on 13 August 2024:
This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. To request a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk. Share this with your staff, service users, communities, and partner networks to help ensure that citizens – particularly those who are most vulnerable - are adequately prepared.
Region |
Overall Risk Score |
Expected Impacts at Regional Level |
West Midlands |
Yellow (10) |
Significant impacts are possible across the health and social care sector due to the high temperatures, including: observed increase in mortality across the population likely, particularly in the 65+ age group or those with health conditions, but impacts may also be seen in younger age groups; increased demand for remote healthcare services likely; internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment; impact on ability of services to be delivered due to heat effects on workforce possible and many indoor environments likely to be overheating, leading to increased risk to vulnerable people living independently in the community as well as in care settings. |
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
4. REMINDER Cost of Care Exercise 2024: Action required 18 August 2024 deadline AMENDED CARE HOME TEMPLATE – (Younger adult (18-64 yrs) care homes and supported living services located in Birmingham and the West Midlands region, and which are contracted to Birmingham City Council and Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System)
It has recently been brought to our attention that there were a couple of issues with the Care Home Cost of Care template that was sent out previously. These problems have now been fixed, and we are attaching an updated version to this special bulletin. These issues only affected the Care Home template. They did not affect the Supported Living template.
If you have already submitted a completed Care Home Cost of Care template, you do not need to take any action, unless we contact you directly to clarify any of the data you have supplied.
If you are a Care Home Provider and have not yet submitted a Cost of Care template, see further information about this subject that has been circulated to providers. To request a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
On 8 July we launched our 2024 cost of care exercise. This year’s exercise is being carried out jointly by Birmingham City Council (BCC) and our NHS partners Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS).
This year’s exercise will focus on gathering cost data in relation to supported living services and younger adult care homes located in Birmingham and the West Midlands region, and which are contracted to the BCC and BSol ICS. Please note that for care providers contracted to Birmingham City Council completion of the exercise is a requirement of the contract and therefore mandatory.
As in previous years the exercise requires you to submit a range of data in relation to the costs of delivering care and support services. The data we gather will help the Council and NHS understand costs across the care market and inform the fees we pay. We will not share your individual data without your permission, but we will aggregate the data received and will publish the outputs of the analysis ensuring anonymity.
Submit your cost of care templates to costofcare@birmingham.gov.uk in advance of the deadline – 11:59pm Sunday 18 August 2024.
If you need to ask a question, email costofcare@birmingham.gov.uk
- Supported Living services:
- You are required to complete the Supported Living Costing Tool 2024 Tab I. – Standard (Cost +) only.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. To request a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Submission deadline - 11:59pm Sunday 18 August 2024.
- You are required to complete the Supported Living Costing Tool 2024 Tab I. – Standard (Cost +) only.
- Younger Adult Care homes (18-64 years old):
- You are required to complete the Care Home Costing Tool 2024.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. To request a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Submission deadline - 11:59pm Sunday 18 August 2024.
- You are required to complete the Care Home Costing Tool 2024.
Thank you in advance for your participation and timely submissions.
5. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Notifications under Regulation 18 (information for all providers)
Registered providers must notify the CQC about certain changes, events and incidents that affect their service or the people who use it. Incidents which must be notified to the CQC are defined in the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. Regulations and associated guidance can be found on their website
This means, for example, the recent IT outage would require a notification if you were not able to continue to deliver regulated activities safely. If there are contingency arrangements which mean a notifiable incident has not occurred (there is no evidence of impact or risk of impact on safely providing a Regulated Activity) then a notification isnotrequired as the threshold for what constitutes a notifiable incident will not be met.
If a notification is made using the Learning from Patient Safety Events service (see below) a separate notification to CQC is not required. Find out more on on the LFPSE website.
6. REMINDER CONSULTATION Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together: Shaping and informing the Council’s Corporate Plan - Deadline 18 August 2024 (information for all Birmingham providers)
The Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together Strategic Partnership was announced by the Leader of the Council in March 2024. The partnership is supported by a network of individual citizens, community contacts, voluntary and community sector organisations and organisations that operate in Birmingham.
Itsfirst task is to inform the future vision, mission and priorities of Birmingham City Council. This will help us design the City Council’s Corporate Plan so that it helps improve the lives of our citizens. Initial discussions with citizens, communities and partners have identified 7 policy themes: Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Health, Housing, Transport.
This survey will help us test and develop the initial list of policy themes through gathering a wide range of opinions on what the future priorities for the City Council should be. We also want to know what we should prioritise for each of these themes and whether you think there are other important themes missing.
There are a number of face to face and online meetings that are taking place, if you would like to come and share your thoughts in person with us.
We would be grateful if you could spend 5 to 10 minutes completing the Shaping Birmingham’s Future Together: Shaping and informing the Council’s Corporate Plan survey.
7 Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in social care 5 September 2024 (Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
The Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in social care is a unique platform that brings together nurses working in social care across Birmingham and Solihull, providing a valuable opportunity for nurses to connect, share ideas and knowledge, and receive support and guidance from peers. In addition to providing a space for peer-to-peer support and best practice sharing, our forum offers both national and regional updates, ensuring nurses stay up-to-date with the latest developments.
The network also provides a platform for Continuing Professional Development (CPD), helping our members to enhance their skills, knowledge, and expertise, and take their careers to the next level.
The date for the next virtual meeting is Thursday 5 September 2024 and booking details can be found on the Nurses and Clinical Leads Network website.
The meeting agenda will include relevant clinical nursing issues
- Update from Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse For Social Care, Department of Health
- Pressure Ulcer Risk, Tissue Viabilty Lead Nurse, BCHC
- Learning from Skin Tears at Selly Wood House
- SPACE Tools for improving quality withing Care Homes
- ‘We haven’t used a bed rail in 6 Years’, Home Manager at Edgbaston Manor, Care UK.
There will be an update from BSOL Integrated Care Board, Skills for Care and West Midlands Care Association on support/resources for nurses.
8. Infection Prevention & Control Champions Forum 13 September 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
The forum for existing and new champions will be take place online via Microsoft Teams, from 9:30am to 11:00am on 13 September 2024.
Meeting ID: 361 512 473 552
Passcode: GA9Gyr
View photographs of the previous IPC Champions Forum / IPC Champion of Champions Awards.