1. Care Home Market Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) – Additional Questions in January 2026 Edition (Information for all Contracted Care Homes and all Care Homes in Birmingham)

2. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Contractual Requirement to Use Secure Email (Information for all Contracted Providers)

3. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - CareMatch Portal Key Messages – Password Resets (Information for contracted Providers)

4. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Business Continuity Arrangements (Information for all care providers)

5. REMINDER Department of Health and Social Care: Building Winter Resilience in Local Systems (Information for all Providers)

6. REMINDER Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) The Winter 25/26 Flu Campaign (Information for all Providers)

7. REMINDER Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)

8. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for December 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)

9. REMINDER NHS Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Training Hub December 2025 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Providers)

1. Care Home Market Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) – Additional Questions in January 2026 Edition (Information for all Contracted Care Homes and all Care Homes in Birmingham)

Some additional questions are being added to the January 2026 edition of the Care Home MIQ, which will be issued in the bulletin on 8 January 2026, for completion by 23 January. We will now be asking for information on the funding source for residents’ care (BCC, BCC with top-up, other Local Authority, NHS, self-funder).

2. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Contractual Requirement to Use Secure Email (Information for all Contracted Providers)

All care providers holding contracts with Birmingham City Council are required to use NHS-approved secure email accounts for all correspondence which includes citizens’ personal data. NHS mail accounts are available free of charge to all CQC registered providers. As an alternative, please use the link below:

providers can apply to NHS to have their mail systems approved as secure.

Use of any other email account is not compliant with Birmingham City Council contracts.

More information on NHS mail accounts for care providers is available here: WMCA NHS Mail

If you already have an NHS mail account but are experiencing difficulties with it, you can use the NHS Mail Contact form usimg the link below:

NHS Mail Contact Form

This doesn’t in itself resolve the matter, but by using the drop-down menus, it identifies the issue you are experiencing, and provides guidance. You then receive an email with the required information to send to the NHS mail helpdesk for resolution. More information about how to use the Contact Form can be found here: 

NAS contact form – NHSmail Support.

You can also phone the NHS mail helpdesk on 0333 200 1133.

Please note that if you don’t use your NHS mail account for 90 days it stops working.

3. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - CareMatch Portal Key Messages – Password Resets (Information for contracted Providers)

For security reasons, users will be asked to periodically update their passwords for access to CareMatch Portal. Below are some tips to assist with this.

Tip One - For updating passwords that are due for renewal – CareMatch Portal will now ask Users to reset their passwords every 90 days Please be aware that individual browser settings may auto-populate new password fields with passwords saved for other sites To avoid difficulty logging in following a password reset, please delete all auto filled password fields and type in your new password from scratch.

Tip Two - If you are logging in but receive the message below, please contact the Market Intelligence Team for your account to be unlocked before using a new password If the account is locked before you requested a new password, it will remain locked Once unlocked, you can use your new password.

“You have been locked out due, as your logon credentials have been repeatedly entered incorrectly. Please contact marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk”.

4. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Business Continuity Arrangements (Information for all care providers)

Local authorities have specific duties in relation to business continuity management (BCM). This BCM duty applies to all services that the local authority carries out (including services that are provided by a third party). This means that the local authority needs to ensure all services have appropriate business continuity arrangements in place and will be seeking assurances that this is the case. The requirement for Business Continuity Plans is written into the Councils’ care contracts and plans must be reviewed by care providers annually or after any event that questions or challenges the continuity of their service. Any incident, whether large or small, accident or deliberate, can cause major disruption to your business. Examples of disruptions that can occur during winter pressures include; flooding, heavy snow, or pandemics.

The following links outline key business continuity arrangements that need to be in place and example templates, which can be tweaked to suit the needs of the service being delivered;

Business continuity | Is your business ready? | Birmingham City Council  

Business continuity plan for care providers | Birmingham City Council

International Recruitment is a key concern when looking at Business Continuity Management. WM-ADASS and West Midlands Employers have launched a guide, published by Lester Aldridge Solicitors, which is available on the West Midlands Social Care International Recruitment Hub.

This guide includes:

• An overview of your obligations under UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations.
• Guidance on meeting Right to Work requirements and preparing for UKVI compliance audits.

You can download a copy of the guide here:

http://irwestmids.co.uk/compliance-guide/.

Birmingham City Council has Displaced Worker Support arrangements in place and details can be found here:

Displaced worker support | Birmingham City Council

Should contracted Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care providers holding Skilled Worker Visa Sponsorship Licences want to be added (or removed) from the Recruitment Opportunities section (this section lists care providers who have indicated to Birmingham City Council that they will consider employing displaced workers if they have employment vacancies) please email Market Intelligence at marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk.

5. REMINDER Department of Health and Social Care: Building Winter Resilience in Local Systems (Information for all Providers)

The winter letter from Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, can be found here;

Winter letter 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK

It focuses on building winter resilience in local systems and sets out the priorities for adult social care this winter.

6. REMINDER Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) The Winter 25/26 Flu Campaign (Information for all Providers)

Flu season has started earlier than usual. It’s important that all Adult Social Care staff get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Please read the following letter for key information on the vaccine, who’s eligible, and how to book. Please ensure this is disseminated to all your staff and colleagues;

2025.11.17 Flu Uptake Letter.pdf

7. REMINDER Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)

Healthwatch Birmingham & Solihull is here to make sure patients’ voices are heard by the services they use. By supporting citizens to share their feedback, using Healthwatch’s online feedback centre you can help Healthwatch ensure services listen, respond, and improve care for everyone. 

Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

The online feedback centre is available here; 

Share Your Views - Healthwatch Birmingham & Solihull

8. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for December 2025 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)

Information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

9. 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:

15 December 2025 Stoma Care Training 9:00 am - 10:00 am

16 December 2025 The DSPT and Data Protection in General – Home Care 10:00 am - 11:00 am

16 December 2025 BSOL Bladder & Bowel Health TENA training session (December 2025) 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

18 December 2025 Continuing Health Care Fast Track Pathway Training (December 2025) 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

8 January 2026 Mouth Care Matters Training 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

12 January 2026 Safeguarding adults – for managers and newly appointed safeguarding leads 9:30 am - 13th January 2026 @ 5:00 pm

15 January 2026 Continuing Health Care Fast Track Pathway Training (January 2026) 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm