What's New Bulletin 292 - 2 April 2026
This is edition 292 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. Birmingham City Council - Care Home and Home Support/Supported Living Market Intelligence Questionnaires (MIQs) (Information for all Care Homes in Birmingham and all Contracted Care Homes, Home Support and Supported Living Providers)
2. Birmingham City Council - Home Support and Supported Living Providers Online Forum (Information for Home Support and Supported Living Providers)
3. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Guide to the Spring 2026 COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign (Information for all Providers)
4. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Update for Adult Social Care Providers (Information for all Providers)
5. Care Quality Commission (CQC) - Draft Assessment Frameworks (Information for all Providers)
6. Capacity Tracker Engagement North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS)Launch of Capacity Tracker Reforms - Reducing Data Duplication (Information for all Providers)
7. Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) - Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) Risk assessment and Guidance Sheet (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
8. Skills for Care – Celebrating Social Care (Information for all Providers)
9. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for April 2026 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
10. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) IPC Champions Training Day 9 April 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
11. REMINDER Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) Practitioner Forum - Cultural Barriers in Health and Social Care 21 April 2026 (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
12. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) - WHO World Hygiene Day Event – 5 May 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
13. REMINDER British Geriatrics Society - Free eLearning Course on Frailty (Information for all Providers)
1. Birmingham City Council - Care Home and Home Support/Supported Living Market Intelligence Questionnaires (MIQs) (Information for all Care Homes in Birmingham and all Contracted Care Homes, Home Support and Supported Living Providers)
The April MIQs would normally have been issued in this week’s bulletin (for Care Homes) and in next week’s bulletin (for Home Support and Supported Living providers). Because of the Easter Bank Holidays, the Care Home MIQ will be issued in next week’s bulletin, Thursday 9 April 2026, and the Home Support & Supported Living MIQ in the bulletin on 16 April 2026.
2. Birmingham City Council - Home Support and Supported Living Providers Online Forum (Information for Home Support and Supported Living Providers)
You are invited to join our next online forum for Home Support and Supported Living providers. This session will be an opportunity to share updates, raise any issues, and continue working together to strengthen support for people across the city.
When: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Where: Microsoft Teams
Click the link below to join the meeting on the day
Home Support and Supported Living Provider Forum - 13 May 2026 1.30pm-3.00pm
Meeting ID: 384 039 178 653 8 - Passcode: ru7xC6vj
Agenda:
- Service and commissioning updates
- How commissioners evaluate risk and assess quality
- Space for providers to raise questions and suggest items for the next forum
Your insight and participation are very much valued, and we hope you can join us.
3. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Guide to the Spring 2026 COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign (Information for all Providers)
The DHSC have published information on the spring 2026 COVID-19 vaccination campaign. People aged 75 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, and those aged 6 months and over with a weakened immune system will be offered a dose of COVID-19 vaccine this spring.The full guidance can be found below;
A guide to the spring 2026 COVID-19 vaccination campaign - GOV.UK
4. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Update for Adult Social Care Providers (Information for all Providers)
Please use the link below for the regular CQC update for providers working in adult social care.
CQC update for adult social care providers
This update includes information on the following:
- Research on good practice for dementia care
- Government publish review of CQC Regulation 9A: visiting and accompanying in care homes, hospitals and hospices
- DHSC continues funding of up to £13.3 million for adult social care learning and development in financial year 2026/27
- CQC at the Care Show London
- From experience to impact: why people’s feedback on care matters
5. Care Quality Commission (CQC) - Draft Assessment Frameworks (Information for all Providers)
The CQC’s proposals in their consultation ‘Better regulation, better care’ included moving away from a single assessment framework to separate frameworks that are more specific and relevant to the health and care sectors that they regulate. They have now developed an initial 4 draft sector-specific assessment frameworks for:
- adult social care
- mental health care
- primary care and community services
- secondary and specialist services (hospitals)
They would now like to hear your views about the draft frameworks. Your feedback will be used to further refine each framework ahead of testing this summer. Please use the links below to read the proposals and give your view.
Give your views on draft sector-specific assessment frameworks
6. Capacity Tracker Engagement North of England Commissioning Support Unit (NECS) Launch of Capacity Tracker Reforms - Reducing Data Duplication (Information for all Providers)
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recognise that care providers are frequently asked to submit the same information multiple times, creating unnecessary administrative burdens. They are working to streamline data collection and reduce duplication, ensuring that information already provided via the Capacity Tracker is not repeatedly requested. To address these challenges, DHSC will work with NECS to deliver a set of reforms to Capacity Tracker, co-designed with users.
They will engage with volunteer users to co-design improvements to the Capacity Tracker, ensuring engagement is focused, relevant and flexible. Where possible, they will use approaches that allow responses outside core working hours, rather than requiring attendance on calls. They will share updates as this work progresses.
If you would like to be part of shaping the future of Capacity Tracker please express your interest in joining the user research sessions by emailing your contact details to:necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net
7. Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) - Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) Risk assessment and Guidance Sheet (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
Enterobacterales are a large family of bacteria that usually live harmlessly in the gut. These bacteria are common causes of infections, including urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. Carbapenemase-producing enterobacterales (CPE) are bacteria that are resistant to the carbapenem class of antibiotics, which are often considered the antibiotic of last resort for such infections. This resistance inevitably leads to an increase in difficult-to-treat infections.
Most of the time CPE are harmless with no signs or symptoms, this is called ‘colonisation’. Residents colonised with CPE do not usually pose a risk to healthy people but may be a risk to those who are vulnerable such as the immunocompromised individuals or those with other risk factors such as chronic wounds, invasive devices/complex care needs.
Care home settings should not refuse admission or readmission of service users on the grounds that they are colonised with CPE. However, it is essential that care homes understand the potential risks associated with CPE.
A CPE guidance sheet and CPE risk assessment has been agreed for use within the Birmingham and Solihull Adult Social Care sector to enable assessors to understand if any additional requirements/precautions are required. These documents have been circulated to providers. If you don't have copies, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Using the risk assessment tool will hopefully support the assessment process thereby helping to ensure patient/resident flow across our acute and community settings.If you require further advice or support, you can contact the IPC team via email bchc.ipcdata1@nhs.net or telephone 0121 466 6550.
8. Skills for Care – Celebrating Social Care (Information for all Providers)
This April, #CelebratingSocialCare returns and Skills for Care would like you to get involved. They are showcasing and supporting the great work happening across social care year-round, but since 2022 they’ve been dedicating the month of April to shouting that little bit louder about how amazing social care is and encouraging everyone to join in the celebrations. Please use the link below to find out how you can participate.
9. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for April 2026 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
Skills for Care updates for April 2026.have been circulated to providers. If you don't have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
10. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) IPC Champions Training Day 9 April 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
IPC Champions Training Day for Infection Control Training on Thursday, 9 April 2026 between 9:00am – 5:00pm at Moseley Hall Hospital
*Staff who have previously attended infection control training and are IPC Champions do not need to attend.
Places at this training event are limited, and preference may be given to homes that do not currently have an IPC Champion.
Please use the link below to reserve yourself and/or your colleagues a place at this fully funded training event.
IPC Champions Training Day - 9 April 2026
If you have comments/queries for the IPC team, please contact bchc.ipcdata1@nhs.net or 0121 466 6550.
11. REMINDER Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) Practitioner Forum - Cultural Barriers in Health and Social Care 21 April 2026 (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
Booking is now available for our next Safeguarding Adults Practitioner Forum.
- Date: Tuesday 21 April 2026
- Location: West Midlands Fire Service HQ, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham B7 4HW
- Time: 12:00 – 15:30
- Cost: Free
The Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board are holding a frontline Practitioner Forum about Cultural Barriers in Health and Social Care and obstacles front line Practitioners may face in Birmingham when working with adults with care and support needs, with a particular focus on prevention and safeguarding.
Places are limited and we ask that you only book if you are committed to attending. You can book your ticket below:
BSAB Practitioner Forum - Cultural barriers in health and social care
If you book and are no longer able to attend, please cancel the booking on Eventbrite. The BSAB reserve the right to prioritise and cancel bookings.
12. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) - WHO World Hygiene Day Event – 5 May 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
Tuesday, 5 May 2026 is WHO World Hygiene Day, IPC are looking for volunteers from care homes to take part in this year’s event. Please contact bchc.ipcdata1@nhs.net to register your interest.
If you have comments/queries or require infection control advice/support, training, etc please contact the team via bchc.ipcdata1@nhs.net or 0121 466 6550
13. REMINDER British Geriatrics Society - Free eLearning Course on Frailty (Information for all Providers)
The link below takes you to a comprehensive in-depth resource on frailty in older people. It is aimed at health and social care professionals who provide care and services for older people living with frailty. This e-learning course is funded by NHS England and is free until the end of June 2026.
Frailty - Identification and Interventions | British Geriatrics Society [bgs.org.uk]