1. Care home testing update: Lateral Flow Device (LFDs) approval for self-test granted (Information for all Care Homes)
2. Update to the length of time that staff and residents shouldn’t be included in retesting (Information for all providers)
3. NHS BAME Covid-19 and the Vaccine seminar 11 February 2021 (Information for all providers)
4. End of Life Support to Care Homes (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)
5. Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund 2 Grant – Care Homes 2nd allocation (Information for Birmingham Care Homes)
6. Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund 2 Grant – Community Care Providers 2nd allocations (Information for non-care home providers with CQC registered locations in Birmingham)
7. ACTION NEEDED Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Priority Group 2 - Frontline Social Care Workers (Information for Birmingham homes support, supported living and Extra Care Sheltered Housing providers)
8. Reporting of vaccination take up (Information for all Birmingham providers)

1.Care home testing update: Lateral Flow Device (LFDs) approval for self-test granted (Information for all Care Homes)

The Department of Health and Social Care have announced approval for care home staff to conduct self-test LFDs at home, further information has been sent directly to providers from the Department.

The updated guidance can be found below

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - getting tested

2.Update to the length of time that staff and residents shouldn’t be included in retesting (Information for all providers)

Under ‘What care homes and other social care settings must do during an outbreak’ and ‘Repeat testing’, the length of time that staff or residents who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 should not be included in testing has been updated to 90 days after either their initial onset of symptoms or their positive test result (if they were asymptomatic when tested). The update guidance can be found below;

Overview of adult social care guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19)

3.NHS BAME Covid-19 and the Vaccine seminar 11 February 2021 (Information for all providers)

NHS Race and Health Observatory are inviting social care staff to a BAME seminar on Covid-19 and the Vaccine. The online event takes place on 11 February 2021 5pm to 7pm. More details from marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

4.End of Life Support to Care Homes (Information for Birmingham and Solihull Care Homes)

Details of the end of life support service provided by Hospices of Birmingham and Solihull (HoBS) available by emailing hobs.referrals@nhs.net or ringing 0121 809 1900.

5.Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund 2 Grant – Care Homes 2nd allocation (Information for Birmingham Care Homes)

The Council has now made the 2nd allocations of the grant to Registered Care Home Locations within the Birmingham City Council boundary, which have demonstrated compliance with the grant conditions.

Payments have been processed and we expect the funding to reach bank accounts by 1 February 2020.

The Grant Conditions letter sent to providers forms the Grant Agreement and sets out further details of the administration of the Grant, its purpose, conditions and reporting arrangements. Please read this carefully ensure that you comply with the conditions, reporting requirements and instructions contained within.

It is important that the fund is used for the measures outlined in the agreement, and specifically we want to draw your attention to the need to use the fund for additional staff to ensure appropriate safe cohorting in order to reduce the risk of transmission, and also to pay staff full wages if they are sick or isolating because of COVID-19.

You should complete the Appendix 2 – ICF Round 2 Provider Assurance Statement that has been sent to you, and return this not later than 12 February 2021 by email to marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk Failure to return the Assurance Statement will immediately disqualify the home from receiving the Grant and any funds distributed in the 2nd allocation must be returned to the Council.

Infection Control Fund

6.Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund 2 Grant – Community Care Providers 2nd allocations (Information for non-care home providers with CQC registered locations in Birmingham)

We are working through the process of making the 2nd allocations and we shall update you once they are confirmed and payments have been made.

7.ACTION NEEDED Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Priority Group 2 - Frontline Social Care Workers (Information for Birmingham homes support, supported living and Extra Care Sheltered Housing providers)

As of 20 January 21 local arrangements have been put in place in Birmingham to enable frontline social care and health staff to book and receive their vaccinations. Details of the vaccination booking process are below

Vaccination booking process

We understand that some workers have reported unavailability of vaccination appointments when they have used the booking link for their preferred vaccination hub. If this occurs workers are advised to use a different vaccination hub or to keep trying for their preferred hub – we are advised that the situation is dynamic and new additional appointments are added as and when these become available.

Appointments can be booked at the following locations – Please note the addition of Millennium Point:

• Millennium Point, Birmingham City Centre
• Solihull Hospital
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital, ITM Building
• Heartlands Hospital, Hawthorn House
• Good Hope Hospital, Clinical Skills
• Birmingham Children’s Hospital

8.Reporting of vaccination take up (Information for all Birmingham providers)

The Council has a responsibility to report on the roll out and take up of the Immunisation Programme.

Home Support, Supported Living, and Extra Care Sheltered Housing Providers

New vaccination questions were added to the weekly “COVID 19 Capacity and Business Continuity questionnaire” via Birmingham Be Heard. Please ensure these questionnaires are updated and returned weekly. If you are unsure who in your organisation receives this then please contact marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

Care Homes

Please ensure you update the NECSU Capacity Tracker regularly, including the questions around vaccinations. Please see the following guidance on answering these questions;

• Vaccine data should be updated on a daily basis – this information is reviewed daily at national and regional levels to ensure effective planning and prioritisation of the vaccines.
• Vaccine data should be added for any resident/patient who is registered as living within the provider setting – this includes those individuals who have moved temporarily elsewhere (such as to a hospital).
• The total number of residents entered should correspond with the 'total number of residents/patients today'. Any variance will prevent the information updated from saving.
• Similarly, the ‘Total number employed’ entered in the Workforce section must correspond with the totals entered in the Covid-19 vaccination table.
• ‘Known to receive the first dose’ indicates that that an individual has received their vaccine only.
• ‘Known NOT to have received the first dose’ indicates that an individual has not yet received their vaccine. This may be due to a number of reasons, such as the individual has declined the vaccine or is waiting to have the vaccine.
• ‘First vaccine dose is not yet known or undisclosed’ indicates that the status of the vaccine is unknown – for example, a provider may be awaiting confirmation of consent status, if the vaccine has been given, etc.

  To help support the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, Care Homes are asked to complete up to three simple questions alongside the Covid-19 vaccination data collection relating to visits of the Covid-19 Vaccination Team to the Care Home. These additional questions provide information directly to the Vaccination team and feeds directly to the planning, monitoring and prioritisation reviews taking place daily. Enquiries in relation to the wording or interpretation of the questions should be directed to necsu.ctcarehomenewvaccinationcovid-19question@nhs.net