What's New Bulletin 237 - 27 February 2025
This is edition 237 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. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Update – The Annual Flu Letter (Information for all Providers)
2. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Guidance - Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce: a guide for employers – Deadline 21 March 2025 (Information for all Providers)
3. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates Capacity Tracker and Provider Training Dates (Information for all Providers)
4. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Share for Better Care Week ending 2 March 2025 (Information for all Providers)
5. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Response to the Care Provider Alliance's Review of the Single Assessment Framework (Information for all Providers)
6. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Cancer Champions Programme - Webinar 4 March 2025 (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
7. Clouds End – Free Multi Agency Hoarding Awareness Training 5 March 2025 (Information for all Providers)
8. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) Presentation on the Assessment and Management of Skin Tears - 6 March 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
9. LIVE WEBINARs – West Midlands-Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and West Midlands Employers - International Recruitment 20 March and 24 April 2025 (Information for all West Midlands Care Providers)
10. NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSol) Support to Care Homes Training March and April 2025 (Information for all Care Homes)
11. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) – Skills for Care Updates (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
1. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Update – The Annual Flu Letter (Information for all Providers)
The annual flu letter describes the national flu immunisation programme and outlines which groups are eligible for flu vaccination for Winter 2025/26.
Please use link below to access the letter:
National flu immunisation programme plan 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
2. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Guidance - Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce: a guide for employers – Deadline 21 March 2025 (Information for all Providers)
This guidance outlines the Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) for the adult social care workforce offered by DHSC for financial year 2024 to 2025.
This guidance also contains information on eligibility and how to claim, including information on how adult social care (ASC) employers can sign up to express interest in the new fund and be invited to use the new online digital claims service.
The deadline for claiming from the LDSS in financial year 2024 to 2025 is 21 March 2025 (inclusive).
Please use this link for further information
3. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates Capacity Tracker and Provider Training Dates (Information for all Providers)
As part of their continuous improvement programme, the Capacity Tracker Team are making some changes to Capacity Tracker. These changes took place on Wednesday 26 February 2025. Please use the link below for an update of these changes.
20250221 final february whats coming.pdf
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk. The sessions are aimed at Adult Social Care CQC regulated Providers. The next training dates are:
Care Home: 5 March 2025
Home Care: 4 March 2025
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
4. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Share for Better Care Week ending 2 March 2025 (Information for all Providers)
This week is Share for Better Care Week. Your feedback about health and social care matters. It helps services to spot and identify what’s working well, and what areas need to improve.
You can help make a difference by supporting Share for Better Care Week, which runs until 2 March 2025. Whether you work in health and social care or receive support from these services, you can play your part by encouraging others to give a few minutes of their time to share feedback about their care.
Find out more about Share for Better Care Week and how you can get involved
5. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Response to the Care Provider Alliance's Review of the Single Assessment Framework (Information for all Providers)
The CQC have given their response to the Care Provider Alliance's review of their single assessment framework, which was commissioned last autumn to gather the views of adult social care providers about the assessment framework and ask what they want from regulation.
This work sits alongside the review by Professor Sir Mike Richards. The Care Provider Alliance's report is built on feedback from over 1,200 survey respondents and the views of more than 100 providers shared through 5 workshops.
The report includes 11 recommendations and key messages from the survey, which will now be review in more detail to consider their implementation. This report provides a good agenda for shared work over the coming months.
Please see the following for further information:
News: Our response to the Care Provider Alliance's review of the single assessment framework
The Care Provider Alliance's review of the single assessment framework
Professor Sir Mike Richards' review of the single assessment framework
6. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Cancer Champions Programme - Webinar 4 March 2025 (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
Do you support people with learning and/or physical disabilities or those with a mental health diagnosis? The prevalence of late cancer diagnosis in the Birmingham area is leading to poor health outcomes for a vulnerable population. To address these health inequalities, a Cancer Champions initiative has been launched. To find out more, please join us for a webinar on 4 March 2025 at 2:00pm.
The webinar is scheduled to last one hour and will be delivered by Kafilla Munir (Cancer Partnership Improvement Manager & NHSE Health Inequalities Ambassador). Kafilla will share the aims of the Cancer Champions initiative and details of ways you can become involved. Care providers are our greatest resource when it comes to the health and well-being of people with support needs, so we are also keen to hear your experiences.
Please see joining details below.
Meeting ID: 390 641 759 675
Passcode: UJ3g2N3G
7. Clouds End – Free Multi Agency Hoarding Awareness Training 5 March 2025 (Information for all Providers)
Free online training for staff on hoarding is available. The full day sessions (10.00am to 4.00pm) cover understanding hoarding and an overview of the C20 project (module 1), supportive engagement techniques (module 2) and supportive interventions for successful multi agency working (module 3). The next training day is 5 March 2025.
All sessions are on Zoom.
To book, please email help@cloudsend.org.uk stating the date you are interested in, and the meeting link will be shared with you.
8. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) Presentation on the Assessment and Management of Skin Tears - 6 March 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
A Teams online Educational Presentation on the Assessment and Management of Skin Tears. Followed by a refresher on Allevyn Gentle Border. No registration required. Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Thursday 6 March 2025 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Learning objectives
Recall Skin Anatomy and Physiology
Recall the functions of the Skin
Recognise the effects of aging on the skin
Assessment & Management of Skin Tears (ISTAP/STAR)
9. LIVE WEBINARs – West Midlands-Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and West Midlands Employers - International Recruitment 20 March and 24 April 2025 (Information for all West Midlands Care Providers)
WM-ADASS and West Midlands Employers are working in partnership with Lester Aldridge to hold regular live legal & HR webinars, focusing on themes relating to international recruitment. You can now register to attend the next two in the webinar series:
1. LIVE International Recruitment Legal & HR Webinar: Applying for Certificates of Sponsorship
Date: 20 March 2025
Time: 11:00am-12:15pm
Edward O'Brien, Senior Associate at Lester Aldridge, will be joined by Rachael Crook, CEO and Co-Founder of Lifted to provide tops on applying for Certificate of Sponsorships.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end.
Please register now to attend this webinar:
2. LIVE International Recruitment Legal & HR Webinar: Performance Management of International Care Workers
Date: 24April 2025
Time: 11:00am-12:15pm
Edward O'Brien, Senior Associate at Lester Aldridge, will provide advice on dealing with performance and sickness management processes when it comes to international recruits.
There will also be the opportunity to ask questions.
Please register now to attend this webinar:
10. NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSol) Support to Care Homes Training March and April 2025 (Information for all Care Homes)
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk. This includes details of the Support to Care Homes Team virtual training for all Care Home staff across Birmingham and Solihull Care homes.
There are valuable informative training sessions on:
Recognising Deterioration
End of Life
Infection prevention
Pressure Ulcer classification
Falls prevention
Introduction to dementia
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. Or contact Supportto.carehomeservice@uhb.nhs.uk
Instructions on how to download the BSol Healthzone Care Home App have also been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
11. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) – Skills for Care Updates (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk