What's New Bulletin 277 - 04 December 2025
This is edition 277 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 Quality Commission (CQC) - Improvement Plans for 2026 (Information for all Providers)
2 REMINDER Birmingham City Council - The Health and Safety Executive Care (HSE) and Support Worker Health and Safety at Work Reminder (Information for all Providers)
3 REMINDER Birmingham City Council - CareMatch Portal Key Messages – Keeping User Accounts Up to Date (Information for Contracted Providers)
4 REMINDER CONSULTATION Care Quality Commission (CQC) Consultation on Improving How CQC Assess and Rate Providers – DEADLINE 11 December 2025 (Information for all Providers)
5 REMINDER CONSULTATION Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Fair Pay Agreement Process in Adult Social Care – DEADLINE 16 January 2026 (Information for all Providers)
6 REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for December 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
7 REMINDER NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Training Hub December 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Providers)
8 REMINDER Midlands Skills for Care – Webinar Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) Claims 8 December 2025 (Information for all East and West Midlands Care Providers)
9 REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Champions Forum 11 December 2025 (Information for all Care Home Providers)
1 Care Quality Commission (CQC) - Improvement Plans for 2026 (Information for all Providers)
The CQC are sharing their latest update on the changes they’re making to improve the way they work. This includes progress on simplifying registration, reducing backlogs, and moving to sector-focused inspectorates.
They also set out longer-term plans to strengthen regulation, enhance digital platforms, and respond to recommendations from external reviews. These changes aim to make processes clearer and more efficient for providers.
You can about read more below on what’s changing and how you can help shape the future of regulation by sharing your feedback.
2 REMINDER Birmingham City Council - The Health and Safety Executive Care (HSE) and Support Worker Health and Safety at Work Reminder (Information for all Providers)
As winter approaches, days become shorter and the weather generally becomes poorer, it is a good time consider and revisit everyone’s responsibilities around health and safety in the workplace, and particularly the responsibilities of employers to their employees.
Birmingham City Council want to take the opportunity to remind all care and support organisations of the need to take proactive and practical steps to ensure the welfare and safety of workers, particularly those working alone and/or in the local community or in people’s homes. While this is not an exhaustive list, we intend the following to act as a reminder to review some practical requirements:
- Risk assessments are carried out, documented and regularly reviewed with full employee involvement and input. This includes ensuring that risk mitigation and elimination measures, and action plans are regularly reviewed, up to date, appropriate, and agreed.
- Lone and community working is risk assessed, and appropriate risk mitigation and support measures are in place – key areas for consideration will include travel, environment, pets, preventing and managing violent situations, safe systems of work, means of contact, and reporting/monitoring mechanisms.
- Employees receive health and safety training, and access to information and guidance.
- Reporting and monitoring systems are in place.
- Practice is regularly monitored, reviewed, and learning taken and actioned.
Further information and guidance in relation to safety in social care is available from The Health and Safety Executive on its website -
3 REMINDER Birmingham City Council - CareMatch Portal Key Messages – Keeping User Accounts Up to Date (Information for Contracted Providers)
Commissioning request providers to check that their CareMatch Portal Users are up to date Section 8.7 of the User Guide for providers using Care Match Portal explains how to do this.(see link below)
User Guide for providers using Care Match Portal | Birmingham City Council
If Users have left your organisation and no longer need access to the system, please contact marketintellingence@birmingham.gov.uk This message would need to come from either a registered manager, owner, or staff that have the permission to Manage Users. If you are not sure after reviewing the guidance how to check which Users are assigned to your organisation please contact marketintellingence@birmingham.gov.uk who can assist with this.
4 REMINDER CONSULTATION Care Quality Commission (CQC) Consultation on Improving How CQC Assess and Rate Providers – DEADLINE 11 December 2025 (Information for all Providers)
This is your opportunity to share your views and help the CQC to improve how they assess and rate health and care providers. They would really value your input, please use the link below to take part.
Better regulation, better care - Care Quality Commission
The consultation closes at 5pm on 11 December 2025.
5 REMINDER CONSULTATION Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Fair Pay Agreement Process in Adult Social Care – DEADLINE 16 January 2026 (Information for all Providers)
As part of the Employment Rights Bill, the government intends to implement an Adult Social Care Fair Pay Agreement negotiating body and process. The Department of Health and Social Care has opened a consultation about the process which will close on 16 January 2026.
You can access further details about the consultation including how to respond to it using this link-
Fair pay agreement process in adult social care - GOV.UK
6 REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for December 2025 (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
7 REMINDER NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Training Hub December 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Providers)
The Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub Website is for those working in a primary or social care role in the Solihull / Birmingham area. The information is for students looking for support with career development or a visitor wanting to find out more.
Please use this link for training, further information and booking:
Social Care – BSol Training hub
All training events are listed in the calendar section. You can also contact the training hub by email bsol.traininghub@nhs.net.
The next sessions are:
8 December 2025 Midlands Skills for Care team is pleased to invite you to a webinar with NHSBSA, focusing on LDSS claims 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
8 December 2025 Webinar 4 – More Than Skin Deep: Mastering Regimens to Prevent MASD and IAD 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
9 December 2025 Safeguarding adults – for managers and newly appointed safeguarding leads @ 9:30 am - December 10 @ 5:00 pm
9 December 2025 The DSPT and Data Protection in General – Home Care 10:00 am - 11:00 am
9 December 2025 Managing meds with confidence 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
11 December 2025 Positive Behaviour Support 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
11 December 2025 Culture change, co-production, and sustainable transformation 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
11 December 2025 Dysphagia safety 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
15 December 2025 Stoma Care Training 9:00 am - 10:00 am
8 REMINDER Midlands Skills for Care – Webinar Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) Claims 8 December 2025 (Information for all East and West Midlands Care Providers)
The Midlands Skills for Care team are pleased to invite you to a webinar with NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), focusing on Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) claims.
Date: Monday 8 December 2025
Time: 13:00pm – 13:45pm
Platform: MS Teams
Please register by clicking the link below:
LDSS Webinar - 8th December 1pm on MS Teams
Once registered, you will receive a Teams invite.
Please note: You will need an Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) account to claim funding.
9 REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Champions Forum 11 December 2025 (Information for all Care Home Providers)
Thursday, 11 December 2025 is the date of next IPC Champions Forum; Infection Prevention and Control would like to invite all our IPC Care Home Champions to join us between 10:30am – 11:45am for your quarterly catchup
Please click here to join this meeting
If you have any comments/queries, require infection control advice, outbreak support, training, etc please contact the team via bchc.ipcdata1@nhs.net or 0121 466 6550
IPC wish to thank you all for your continued engagement and support.