What's New Bulletin 312 - 20 August 2026
This is edition 312 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 - Keeping Citizens Safe: Telecare Alarm Upgrades Ahead of the Digital Switch (Information for all Birmingham Home Support Providers)
2. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Safeguarding Portal (Information for all Birmingham and Contracted Providers)
3. Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) – Publication of SAR: Key Learning (Information for all Providers)
4. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) – IPC Champion of Champions Awards 2026 Nominations – DEADLINE 21 August 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
5. Skills for Care - Upcoming Essential FREE Registered Managers Webinars (Information for all Providers)
6. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for August 2026 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
7. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub – Training Dates September 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
8. Skills for Care - Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) - Midlands ASC-WDS workshop on 20 October 2026 (Information for all Midlands Providers)
1. Birmingham City Council - Keeping Citizens Safe: Telecare Alarm Upgrades Ahead of the Digital Switch (Information for all Birmingham Home Support Providers)
The Technology Enabled Care (TEC) team are sending a letter to citizens who have a telecare alarm/emergency pendant. The Team have attempted to make contact with citizens or their next of kin to advise that their device will need to be upgraded as part of digital switch roll out by January 2027. They have given them contact details for Careline to advise if they still need the service or if their circumstances have changed so records can be update to ensure they can get the support they need in an emergency.
If you feel one of the citizens you provide care for needs this information and they have any questions or queries, please contact the team via email: BirminghamTechnologyEnabledCare@birmingham.gov.uk
2. REMINDER Birmingham City Council - Safeguarding Portal (Information for all Birmingham and Contracted Providers)
Care providers are requested to submit safeguarding concerns via the online safeguarding portal wherever possible.
Safeguarding guidance portal | Birmingham City Council
Further information and guidance on using the portal and a practice guide on reporting a concern can be found here:
The following link should always be used to access the portal, and forms should not be saved at risk of not having the updated version if online form is reviewed and amended:
Birmingham CC - Initial Contact
Using the portal:
- Ensures concerns are recorded accurately and promptly
- This will help us triage and respond more effectively
- Provides a clear audit trail for both providers and the local authority
If you experience any difficulties accessing the portal or require support, please contact CSAdultSocialCare@birmingham.gov.uk or call 0121 303 1234 up to 5pm.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and commitment to keeping people safe.
3. Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) – Publication of SAR: Key Learning (Information for all Providers)
In April 2026, the Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough Safeguarding Adults Boards published:
Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) for Sheila Hartman
The SAR identifies a systemic issue relating to bedroom door arrangements at night in residential dementia care.
There is a prevailing practice for bedroom doors to remain open, with decisions not routinely informed by individual risk assessment or best interest decision making. This can create a gap where risks associated with nighttime wandering residents are not fully mitigated. The SAR confirmed that this is not an isolated issue, with other national SARs identifying similar incidents of residents entering others’ rooms and causing harm, often at night.
The recommendations of the SAR include:
- Routinely closing residents’ bedroom doors at night unless they or their families specifically request them to be left open.
- National standards and better resourcing for dementia care in England.
- Tighter registration and inspection procedures.
- More thorough pre-admission checks to ensure potential residents are suitable for open plan care.
- Better cooperation between families, care providers, local authorities and the NHS when risks escalate.
The family have started a campaign called:
Which aims to raise awareness and improve practice in all care homes. The campaign highlights the lived experience of families whose relatives have been placed at risk and promotes awareness of residents’ rights to safety, dignity and privacy at night, including the option for bedroom doors to be closed as well as the use of assistive technology.
We are asking all care home providers to consider the learning from this tragedy including:
- Reviewing current practice around bedroom doors at night and raising awareness of the risks
- Reviewing how decisions on bedroom doors at night are assessed and recorded
- Reviewing how resident-to-resident risks (including night-time wandering) are identified and managed
- Ensuring best interest decision-making where individuals lack capacity
- Considering the extent of family involvement in safety-related decisions
- Considering environmental or technological measures to reduce risk
Area Commissioners will be considering this as part of future Quality Monitoring Visit arrangements and seeking evidence of decision making and review.
4. REMINDER Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust - Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) – IPC Champion of Champions Awards 2026 Nominations – DEADLINE 21 August 2026 (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
IPC Champion of Champions Awards 2026 – Friday, 18 September 2026 - Nominations Now Open until 21 August 2026.
IPC are looking for that person/s who has really taken on the IPC Champion role after completing their IPC Champions Training.
They would like to celebrate excellence and improvement in infection prevention and control (IPC) practice, recognizing new initiatives and champions who consistently promote best IPC standards.
- Nominate a colleague - Do you have an IPC Champion/s colleague who has demonstrated IPC excellence within your care home.
- Nominate yourself - Have you demonstrated IPC excellence within your care home, better still ask your line manager to nominate you
IPC Champions Awards 2026 Information
IPC Champions Awards 2026 Nomination Form
If you have any queries about regarding any of the infection control related events above, please contact the team via bchc.ipcdata1@nhs.net or 0121 466 6550
5. Skills for Care - Upcoming Essential FREE Registered Managers Webinars (Information for all Providers)
Myth busting delegated healthcare: Insurance - getting it right together
Wednesday 16 September 2026 | 2:30 - 3:30 | Online
Join Skills for Care’s latest national learning exchange on delegated healthcare activities. Exploring common myths and misconceptions about insurance and helping you understand the practicalities of managing delegated healthcare activities with confidence.
Book here:
Myth busting delegated healthcare activities: Insurance - getting it right together
Winter pressures - practical advice to refine your contingency plans
Tuesday 22 September 2026 | 11:00 – 12:00 | Online
Get ahead of winter pressures and join this webinar delivered in partnership with The Outstanding Society. Discover how to build an effective contingency plan, confidently manage operational risks and workforce challenges, and maintain high-quality care during periods of increased demand. You’ll learn proven approaches from high-performing services and gain the confidence and tools to be able to action immediately
Book here:
Winter pressures - Practical advice to refine your contingency plans
Help shape the future nursing workforce
Tuesday 29 September 2026 I 2:00 – 3:00 I Online *
Explore how your service can shape the future nursing workforce by joining the Skills for Care Strategy to enable social care placements for student nurses and nursing associates webinar for registered managers. You'll hear how student placements add value to social care nursing, strengthen links with universities, and support future recruitment. The webinar will explore the new placement strategy, practical steps to get involved, and the support available to help your organisation offer rewarding learning experiences. This opportunity will provide you with valuable insights, a space to ask questions, and help position social care as a placement of choice for nursing.
Book here:
6. REMINDER Skills for Care Updates for August 2026 (Information for all Birmingham and Solihull Providers)
Please find attached Skills for Care updates for August 2026.
Headlines include:
- The Training Hub by Skills for Care- NEW courses added
- NEW: Applications now open for the Care Workforce Pathway Care Provider Support Programme
- Birmingham and Solihull Registered Managers Network meeting
- BBCS ICS Social Care & Independent Sector Faculty information
- Skills for Care National and Regional Events in August
- Other Partner News
7. REMINDER Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub – Training Dates September 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 bsol.traininghub@nhs.net
The next sessions are:
7 September 2026 Advance Care Planning 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
7 September 2026 Foundations in adult palliative and end of life care – 4-day programme 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- 23 September 2026 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
- 6 October 2026 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
- 29 October 2026 12:00 pm - 5:15 pm
7 September 2026 Assessment and Care Planning 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
7 September 2026 Care in the Dying Phase 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
16 September 2026 Managing Dysphagia Workshops in 2026 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
17 September 2026 Dysphagia Safety 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
18 September 2026 IPC Champion of Champions Awards 2026 8:00 am - 9:00 am
8. Skills for Care - Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) - Midlands ASC-WDS workshop on 20 October 2026 (Information for all Midlands Providers)
Skills for Care will be hosting a Midlands ASC-WDS workshop on 20 October 2026, 10am-11am on Microsoft Teams. To book please use this link:
Midlands ASC-WDS Webinar - Booking Form
Please also see the link below to the webpage with the benefits of having an account and also key messages from the CQC, Registered Nursing Home Association, an Individual Employer, the National Care Forum, Homecare Association and West Midlands ADASS on why Workforce Data is so important for Adult Social Care
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 this link:
Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set
Eligible training courses and qualifications - GOV.UK
Learning and development funding for adult social care