What's New Bulletin 230 - 9 January 2025
This is edition 230 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. Care Homes Market Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) – January 2025 – DEADLINE 24 January 2025 (information for all Birmingham and contracted care homes)
2. REMINDER Amber Cold Health Alert from 12:00 PM on 06 January 2025 until 12:00 PM on 12 January 2025 across the West Midlands (Information for all providers)
3. NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL ICB) - Urgent Community Response (UCR) Birmingham and Solihull and Virtual Wards - Latest Information and Resources and Training Events (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
4. Capacity Tracker Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates (Information for all Providers)
5. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - New Reforms and an Independent Commission to Transform Social Care (Information for all Providers)
6. NHS England Free Oliver McGowan Training to End 31 March 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
7. Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Nursing Homes and Domiciliary Care Providing Nursing Care)
8. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Commissioning Board (BSOL ICB) - Wellbeing Resources (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
9. Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub Training Events 14 and 16 January 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
10. Skills for Care - East and West Midlands Regional Conference – Moving Forwards 5 February 2025 (Information for all East and West Midlands Care Providers)
1. Care Homes Market Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) – January 2025 – DEADLINE 24 January 2025 (information for all Birmingham and contracted care homes)
Please click this link to access the questionnaire:
The deadline for completion is Friday 24 January 2025
This questionnaire is issued quarterly.Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Completion of the questionnaire is part of the terms of the Care Homes 2023 contract, for contracted providers, but we ask all Birmingham care homes to take part in the process to help us meet our responsibilities to all Birmingham citizens.
Many thanks to staff at the care homes who completed the previous questionnaires. If this did not include your care home, please ensure that you complete the October and subsequent editions.
The purpose of the questionnaire is to collect information to assist our market shaping and development role, the production of our Market Position Statements, fulfil our Care Act duties around ensuring a quality and sustainable market, to help us direct resources, identify areas of risk, and monitor progress towards our strategic aims. It has been co-produced with health colleagues to reduce duplication in data collection, and has been streamlined so that we are only collecting information that is not available to us from elsewhere e.g. the Capacity Tracker.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
2. REMINDER Amber Cold Health Alert from 12:00 PM on 06 January 2025 until 12:00 PM on 12 January 2025 across the West Midlands (Information for all providers)
An Amber Cold Health Alert has been issued by the Met Office (see link below) for the West Midlands and is in effect between 12PM on 06/01/2025 until 12PM on 12/01/2025 across the West Midlands.
Amber alerts are triggered as soon as the weather described following a Yellow alert has occurred. It indicates that severe winter weather is now happening and an impact on health and health services is expected. The Met Office forecasts a 60% chance of severe winter weather (a mean temperature of 2°C or less and/or heavy snow and widespread ice), in one or more defined geographical areas for a period of at least 48 hours in the next 5 days.
This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Please share the following information and guidance 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 |
Matrix score 12 (Amber) |
Forecast weather is likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including: a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. We may also see impacts on younger age groups a likely increase in demand for health services temperatures inside places like hospitals, care homes, and clinics dropping below the levels recommended for assessing health risks challenges keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended 18°C leading to more risk to vulnerable people staffing issues due to external factors (such as travel delays) other sectors starting to observe impacts (such as transport and energy) |
Additional useful links to guidance include:
BCC guidance on
staying safe during severe weather
NHS
Vaccination and Winter Heath Guidance
Age UK guidance on
3. NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL ICB) - Urgent Community Response (UCR) Birmingham and Solihull and Virtual Wards - Latest Information and Resources and Training Events (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
Care Homes in Birmingham and Solihull are advised to contact the UCR in the first instance for receiving urgent care. The team can provide a rapid response service within two hours of your call. This referral service offers an alternative to calling an ambulance and helps to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions or readmissions. This service has highly skilled and dedicated clinicians who can deliver a rapid response to the urgent care needs of your residents or refer to the ambulance service if emergency hospital care is needed. Training events on UCR & Virtual Wards have been scheduled for 14 January 2025, 13 February 2025 and 13 March 2025. Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
For further information, see the following video and attachment:
Urgent Community Response service for referrers across Birmingham and Solihull
For latest information and resources, please see links below.
Urgent Community Response | Website
4. Capacity Tracker Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates (Information for all Providers)
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk. This includesDepartment of Health and Social Care approved communications that have been shared with the Care Associations.
For support with the Capacity Tracker, please see details below:
- For system support and guidance - please contact NECS Capacity Tracker Support Centre - 0191 691 3729 or necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net (We are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, excluding public holidays)
- Changing registration, closing, change of ownership – please contact the CQC - T: 03000 616161, E: enquiries@cqc.org.uk, CQC Provider Portal (They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding public holidays)
If you receive an enforcement notice – please contact the NHS Business Services Authority Enforcement Team (NHSBSA) – T: 0300 330 2088, E: enforcement@nhsbsa.nhs.uk (They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm
5. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - New Reforms and an Independent Commission to Transform Social Care (Information for all Providers)
The Government has set out plans for immediate investment and reforms to improve adult social care and support the workforce.
Baroness Louise Casey is to chair an independent commission into adult social care.
Please use this following link for further information
New reforms and independent commission to transform social care - GOV.UK
6. NHS England Free Oliver McGowan Training to End 31 March 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
Until 31 March 2025, The Oliver McGowan Training is funded by NHS England and is available free to all CQC registered health and social care providers delivering services in the Birmingham and Solihull area.
From April 2025, new arrangements will apply so we strongly recommend that you take advantage of training while it is free and book onto one of the 300+ sessions running between January and March 2025.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disabilities and Autism is for all staff in a CQC registered organisation. Staff must complete Part 1 (The e-Learning) followed by Part 2 (as per the requirements of their job role). Part 2 of the training is divided into Tier 1 (one-hour online learning) or Tier 2 (one day’s face to face training)
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System are running Oliver McGown Mandatory Training for Tier 2. Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
7. Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Nursing Homes and Domiciliary Care Providing Nursing Care)
The Birmingham and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in social care met on 26 November 2024 and had a very informative meeting.
There were many interesting presentations delivered at the meeting including End of Life, Gold Standards Framework, benefits of ICB assessment, Urgent Care Resources, All Our Health Programme, Continence training dates, Tissue Viability Training, an update from the Social Care Nursing Advisory Council.
The recording is available on the link below:
The presentation slides are in the link below:
The network is a unique platform that brings together nurses working in social care across Birmingham and Solihull. It provides 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 dates for the 2025 meetings are Thursday 20 March 2025, Thursday 15 May 2025, Tuesday 16 September 2025, Tuesday 25 November 2025. Use tjhelink below to register for and join the meetings.
8. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Commissioning Board (BSOL ICB) - Wellbeing Resources (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
getUBetter is a self-recovery app for people with common musculoskeletal injuries or conditions.
getUBetter is a safe and effective way to help you self-manage your injury or condition at home, work, and on the move. The app covers a range of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. You will get:
• Instant and 24/7 access to a personalised programme
• Easy-to-follow self-progression exercises
• Daily tips and local guidance from day one
•; Advice on where to seek help when needed
• Access to local treatments and services
For further information click this link
getUBetter :: Birmingham and Solihull ICS
9. Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub Training Events 14 and 16 January 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
Have you visited the Birmingham and Solihull training hub wesite yet (see link below).
Birmingham and Solihull training hub website
As someone working in a social care role in the Birmingham/Solihull area, or as a student looking for support with career development or as a visitor wanting to find out more.
All training events are listed in the calendar section. Many of the training events in the bulletin are included on this valuable web page.
Up-coming training events this week are;
- 14 January 2025Intermediate Care Group Services: Urgent Community Response Virtual Wards 9:30 am - 10:30 am
- 14 January 2025 Evidencing CQC safe and effective staffing through workforce planning 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
- 14 January 2025Sepsis 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- 16 January 2025 Take a virtual tour of the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) 10:30 am - 11:30 am
You can also contact the training hub by email or phone: bsol.traininghub@nhs.net, 0121 483 2128.
10. Skills for Care - East and West Midlands Regional Conference – Moving Forwards 5 February 2025 (Information for all East and West Midlands Care Providers)
Moving Forwards - Skills for Care Midlands regional conference, Millenium Point Birmingham: 9:30 am - 16:30 pm Wednesday 5 February 2025
This is an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in adult social care, including the Department of Health and Social Care workforce related priorities and the newly launched Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care. They will take the time to look at what changes mean for care providers and how you and your service can be supported with recruitment, retention, training and transforming service delivery.
Numbers are limited to one delegate per organisation.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk