What's New Bulletin 303 - 18 June 2026
This is edition 303 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 – Changes to the Definition of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguardings (Information for all Care Providers)
2. Birmingham City Council - Home Support Packages from Hospital or Via the Pathway 2 Discharge Process (Information for all Contracted Home Support Providers)
3. Birmingham City Council - Skilled Worker Sponsorship - Home Office SCAM Emails (Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence holders)
4. Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) - Newsletter June 2026 (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
5. Birmingham City Council, Health Protection Team - Heat-health Alert Service and Summer Preparedness (Information for all Providers)
6. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Business Continuity Arrangements (Information for all Care Providers)
7. REMINDER Skills for Care – Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
8. The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing - Community Learning Disability Nursing Network – (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Car Homes with Nursing)
9. Mates in Mind - Men’s Health Week 15 to 21 June 2026: you don’t need to ‘just get on with it’ anymore! (Information for all Providers)
10. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub – Training Dates in June and July 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
1. Birmingham City Council – Changes to the Definition of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguardings (Information for all Care Providers)
Providers will be aware of the Supreme Court Judgement of 2 June 2026 regarding changes to the definition of deprivation of liberty across the UK.
The guidance sets out the actions for care providers (and others) and takes immediate effect:
Changes to the definition of deprivation of liberty - GOV.UK
2. Birmingham City Council - Home Support Packages from Hospital or Via the Pathway 2 Discharge Process (Information for all Contracted Home Support Providers)
Where a citizen is returning home from Hospital or a Pathway 2 bed (also called interim bed or enhanced assessment bed) and a home support package was previously in place, the aim is to restart these with the provider that was delivering care before the hospital stay. These will be marked as urgent in the CareMatch Portal. These packages will require urgent action to assist with the flow of people out of hospital and relieve pressure in the system.
For citizens coming out of the Quick Discharge Service or coming home from a Pathway 2 bed, these will be marked as urgent in the CareMatch Portal. If you are successful, the service will need to start within 24 hours, as stated in the referral, and the risk assessment must be carried out on the first care call. By making an offer, you are agreeing to be able to meet these conditions. If you can’t meet these conditions, you should not make an offer. If it transpires after winning the package the conditions can’t be met, the package will be awarded to the second provider that made an offer.
3. Birmingham City Council - Skilled Worker Sponsorship - Home Office SCAM Emails (Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence Holders)
It has been brought to our attention by DHSC that a scam email regarding Home Office sponsorship accounts has been received by a number of care providers.
Overview:
- These types of e-mails are often sent to shared mailboxes however they may also be sent to personal work e-mail address.
- The Home Office will never contact you to ask you for, or to verify your SMS user ID or password.
What to do:
If you have received an email or telephone call that doesn’t seem genuine, or you have concerns that your SMS account has been compromised, you must report it to the Home Office as soon as possible so that action can be taken to secure your account.
You must provide the following details:
- Your organisation name
- The user(s) who may have had their account compromised
- Copies of correspondence received (e.g. the phishing e-mail) and action taken relating to this (e.g. whether links have been clicked and/or user details provided) including the date this action happened
- These details must be sent to:
businesshelpdesk@homeoffice.gov.uk
Business Helpline – 0300 123 4699
- Further information on data security and best practice can be found at this link:
SCAM ALERT: Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration - Digital Care Hub
4. Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) - Newsletter June 2026 (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
Please see below a link to the June 2026 edition of BSAB newsletter, bringing together vital learning, key updates, and practical guidance to support frontline practice across Birmingham.
This month’s issue shines a spotlight on lessons from Safeguarding Adult Reviews, with a strong focus on recognising and responding to self-neglect. It reinforces the importance of using local guidance, making safeguarding personal (MSP) and coordinated multi-agency working to reduce risk and improve outcomes.
It also includes important national developments on Baroness Casey’s review, awareness of emerging risks such as cuckooing and practical updates on Safe and Well checks and Residential PEEPs, helping practitioners stay informed and confident in their approach to risk management and prevention.
BSAB Newsletter - June 2026 | Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board
5. Birmingham City Council, Health Protection Team - Heat-health Alert Service and Summer Preparedness (Information for all Providers)
The heat-health alert service was activated on June 1, this forms part of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England. This plan aims to protect individuals and communities from the health effects of adverse weather by raising awareness and sharing guidance. You can sign up to receive heat-health alerts via email (See links below)
Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England
Paying attention to hot weather is essential. Whilst it is a significant health risk for many, simple preventative actions can avoid many deaths, illnesses and injuries associated with the heat.
Key Information:
Alerts range from Green to Red, with associated guidance.
They will be issued between 1 June and 30 September.
Alerts and guidance can be accessed at:
Heat-health Alert service - Met Office
We encourage all partners, to:
Familiarise themselves with the Heat-Health Alert levels and actions
Review local heatwave response plans
Ensure business continuity arrangements are in place.
You’ll get emails from our team to let you know about any future Heat-health Alerts, with details about how long the alert will last, what that means for your organisation, and any helpful advice/guidance. These also be will be shared with the market by the Market Intelligence Team weekly bulletin distribution list.
Please share the following resources usingthe links below with your staff, service users and partner networks to help ensure that there is ongoing awareness and preparedness during this time:
Canal and River Trust guidance
UKHSA keep cool at home checklist
Translated UKHSA ‘ Beat the Heat’ Guidance
6. 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:
Compliance Guide – IR West Midlands.
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.
7. REMINDER Skills for Care – Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) (Information for all Birmingham Providers)
The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set is a free service commissioned and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The service helps care providers run their business and manage their staff training needs. It can also provide access to funding for staff training.
Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS)
Your service will gain access to:
- Funding for staff training access eligibility for funding opportunities through the:
Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS)
- Safe and free storage of staff and training records. Define mandatory training for each role and receive alerts when training is expires.
- Easy inspection readiness – securely share data with CQC and your Local Authority ready for inspections.
- Benchmarking tools to benchmark your service against similar providers, help you stay competitive on pay, retention, and workforce planning.
- Exclusive ASC-WDS Benefits Bundle to support your service further (including discounts on CQC focused seminars and eLearning modules from Skills for Care)
- An ASC-WDS support team, available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. You can reach them by calling 0113 241 0969 or emailing:
ascwds-support@skillsforcare.org.uk
Useful links below:
Video to find out more and read case studies from other enrolled care providers, as well as register and set up an account, using the below link:
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/ASCWDS
Eligible training courses and qualifications - GOV.UK
Learning and development funding for adult social care
8. The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing - Community Learning Disability Nursing Network – (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Car Homes with Nursing)
A new national Community Learning Disability Nursing Network has launched to support professional development, peer learning, and influence in community learning disability nursing. The network is open to nurses, AHPs and professionals across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There will be free quarterly network meetings and summaries, quarterly newsletter with updates and resources.
The first meeting is Monday, 22 June 2026, 10:00 am – 12:00pm Theme: Looking to the Future for Community Learning Disability Nursing. Sign up to receive updates and invitations by selecting:
Community Learning Disability Nursing Network:
Note: network sign-up and webinar registration must be completed separately via:
9. Mates in Mind - Men’s Health Week 15 to 21 June 2026: you don’t need to ‘just get on with it’ anymore! (Information for all Providers)
Men are often more likely to ‘push through’ or put things off when something doesn’t feel right. Men’s Health Week – from15 to 21 June 2026 – is a reminder to take things seriously: and act sooner.
According to the BUPA Wellbeing Index, half of all men have experienced mental health challenges, yet many don’t seek support. Stigma, low awareness, or simply ‘putting things off’ can mean concerns go unaddressed until they become more serious.
Men’s Health Week is an opportunity to:
- Encourage earlier conversations about men’s health
- Challenge stigma around asking for help
- Make support easier to access
- Promote small, preventative actions.
For many men, the first step can be the hardest – but it often makes the biggest difference.
Find out more about Men’s Health Week HERE
Accessing support
- Speak to your GP or call NHS 111 (option 2 for mental health support)
- FREE peer support groups for men:
- local spaces for connection, practical activity and reducing isolation:
- local support for men’s mental health and wider wellbeing:
Please REMEMBER: no matter what you are going through, you’re not alone. Support is always available. Please share this information with anyone you feel needs it.
10. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub – Training Dates in June and July 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
Have you visited the Birmingham and Solihull training hub website yet? You can view information as someone working in a primary or social care role in the Solihull / Birmingham area, as a student looking for support with career development or as a visitor wanting to find out more.
Social Care – BSol Training hub
All training events are listed in the calendar section. You can also contact the training hub by email:
The next sessions are:
19 June 2026 Managing Dysphagia Workshops in 2026 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
24 June 2026 Palliative Care Emergencies 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
24 June 2026 Introduction to Loss and Grief 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
24 June 2026 Wellbeing/Caring for Each Other 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
3 July 2026 IPC Champions Forum (Quarterly) 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
24 July 2026 IPC Champions Training Day 9:00 am - 5:00 pm