COVID-19 What's New Bulletin 32 - 11 March 2021
This is the thirty second weekly 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.
- Fee increases 2021/2022 (Information for all care providers contracted with Birmingham City Council)
- Contract Extension – Flexible Contracting Arrangements for care homes and supported living and the Framework Agreements for sensory loss and approved premises (Information for all care providers with Care Homes 2018, Supported Living 2018 & Home Support 2018 Specialism contracts)
- New COVID financial support arrangements April 2021 (Information for all care providers delivering services in Birmingham and for contracted providers outside Birmingham)
- Infection Control Fund 2 – further distribution of grant funding (Information for care homes and community care providers with CQC locations in Birmingham)
- Workforce Capacity Fund – further distribution of grant funding (Information for care homes in Birmingham)
- Department of Health and Social Care webinars re weekly PCR testing for non care home staff (Information for all Home Support, Supported Living, Extra Care Sheltered Housing providers)
- iPad deployment to care homes - support information (Information for all care homes)
- Hospices of Birmingham and Solihull (HoBS) - Guide for Referrers (Information for all care providers in Birmingham and Solihull)
- REMINDER Care Home Visiting – Position Statement 5 March 2021 (Information for all care homes in Birmingham)
- UPDATED GUIDANCE - Arrangements for visiting out of the care home (Information for all care homes)
- NEW GUIDANCE - Coronavirus (COVID-19) lateral flow testing in adult social care settings (Information for all care providers)
- Free lateral flow tests for all businesses for regular workplace testing – register your interest by 31 March 2021 (Information for all care providers)
- REMINDER IPC post vaccination guidance + new NHS England video resource (information for all care providers)
1.Fee increases 2021/2022 (Information for all care providers contracted with Birmingham City Council)
The Council has concluded the process for setting fee increases under the current 2018 care home and supported living contracts, 2019 home support contracts, and for Extra Care Sheltered Housing provision. The fees for 2021/2022 are set out in detail in the Fee Increase Summary document which has been circulated to providers and can be viewed below
2.Contract Extension – Flexible Contracting Arrangements for care homes and supported living and the Framework Agreements for sensory loss and approved premises (Information for all care providers with Care Homes 2018, Supported Living 2018 and Home Support 2018 Specialism contracts)
As you will be aware, the above contracts are due to expire on 30 April 2021. Our intention is to extend these for a further 2 years and we are just working through our final internal sign-off processes. We will of course write to you once decisions are finalised.
3.New COVID financial support arrangements April 2021 (Information for all care providers delivering services in Birmingham and for contracted providers outside Birmingham)
As you will be aware the Council put in place a range of additional financial support measures because of COVID-19. As we move into the new financial year we remain committed to continuing to support the care market. We shall set out in due course the financial support arrangements available to care providers for the coming year, but some measures will end on 31 March. The measures which will end are the ‘Speed of response hospital D2A pathway incentive’ (under which care homes were paid a one-off £1000 to facilitate discharge from hospitals), and the mechanism to allow home support and supported living providers to flex hours of care and invoices by up to 25% without recourse to the Council.
4.Infection Control Fund 2 – further distribution of grant funding (Information for care homes and community care providers with CQC locations in Birmingham)
The Council is distributing a total of £1.59m remaining Infection Control Fund 2 monies to Birmingham located care homes and community care providers which have complied with grant conditions.
Care Homes - 80% of the remaining funding will be distributed to grant compliant care homes at a rate of £180.32 per registered bed.
Community Care providers – 20% of the remaining funding will be distributed to grant compliant community care providers – we shall confirm in separate communication the ‘per service user’ amount the allocations will be based on.
We expect funds to reach bank accounts by 19 March 2021. Funds should be spent in line with the original grant agreement and providers should report how they have spent the funding through the monthly online reporting form. Please see below for the links to the reporting forms for the period 1 October to 28 February (deadline for completion is 24 March 2021):
Community Care Locations spending report
5.Workforce Capacity Fund – further distribution of grant funding (Information for care homes in Birmingham)
The Council is distributing a total of £0.5m remaining Workforce Capacity Fund monies to Birmingham located care homes.
Funding will be distributed to care homes at a rate of £72.15 per registered bed.
We expect funds to reach bank accounts by 19 March 2021. Funds should be spent in line with the original grant agreement. We shall set out the reporting arrangements in due course.
6.Department of Health and Social Care webinars re weekly PCR testing for non care home staff (Information for all Home Support, Supported Living, Extra Care Sheltered Housing providers)
Weekly PCR testing is important for all homecare staff and webinars continue to support domiciliary care agencies and individuals to complete their tests. Managers are encouraged to join these online sessions on 18 and 23 March.
In response to feedback, test kit instructions have been simplified and highlight how to register using a Unique Organisation Number when testing at home.
Correctly registering tests is important, because it means carers receive their results successfully, helping them to better protect the people they care for and the wider community.
Register or log in to book PCR testing webinar
7.iPad deployment to care homes - support information (Information for all care homes)
If you have received an iPad through the NHSX’s iPad offer for care homes, we would encourage you to ensure they are activated and regularly used with your residents. The following support is on offer, if needed;
Support for Care Homes
For technical queries and support relating to how the iPad works, including breakdowns and apps, care homes can contact the Jigsaw24 service desk on: 03332 409 234 or send an email to: carehomesupport@jigsaw24.com. The service desk is open Monday to Friday 8:30am – 6pm (excluding bank holidays).
‘Getting started with your iPad’ guidance (provided by Jigsaw24) can be found in the Books app on the iPad home screen, and a printed copy has been included in the iPad box. This guidance includes instructions for installing additional apps and using features such as Guided Access.
'Getting started with your iPad' guidance
Care homes can access a range of support materials on the Digital Social Care website.
This webpage includes the below resources, and will be updated regularly as more resources are published:
- Weekly support webinars on iPad set-up and troubleshooting. Webinars can be accessed through Teams on Wednesdays, 2-3 pm here. Webinars run through the set up process and guide care homes through using NHSmail, MS Teams and downloading apps. There is also a Q&A opportunity.
- Tips and advice on what care homes can use their iPad for, including useful apps.
- iPad case studies
- Safety and security while using the iPad, including information about completion of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) and the Better Security, Better Care programme
- Guidance on using NHSmail and MS Teams with iPads.
- Information about NHSX’s other offers for care providers, including connectivity deals for care homes.
- Sign up for the newsletter - so care homes can keep updated on new support materials as soon as they are available
Additional training
NHSX has been in contact with Barclays about their Digital Eagles skills support for care homes, which includes an offer of free digital skills training delivered through remote training sessions. The Barclays Digital Eagles team is already working with a number of care homes across the country.
If this is something you would like to find out more about for care homes in your area, please contact the Digital Eagles team
8.Hospices of Birmingham and Solihull (HoBS) - Guide for Referrers (Information for all care providers in Birmingham and Solihull)
Details of the Hospices of Birmingham and Solihull referral pathway have been circulated to providers. If you don;t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
The service is designed to:
- Reduce inappropriate 999 calls and A&E attendances for patients with a palliative diagnosis.
- Expedite transfers from acute care to home for end of life (EOL) patients (aim within 2 hours 8am–8pm, 7 days a week).
- To provide support to all providers (including paramedics, GPs, acute trusts, nursing homes, district nurses and others as required), families and patients.
- Assist current systems to undertake verification of expected deaths where the patient has been seen by a GP within 28 days.
- Ensure end of life care is available to all, albeit at a different standard to the usual hospice provision including.
9.REMINDER Care Home Visiting – Position Statement 5 March 2021 (Information for all care homes in Birmingham)
The latest position statement on care home visiting, issued by Birmingham City Council, following the revised Government guidance issued on 4 March is available below, along with a letter which you can use in your communications with family members and friends of your residents.
Care Home visiting position statement
The full Government guidance on care home visiting can be found below. Please note the addition of a one page overview of the guidance.
Government guidance on care home visiting
10.UPDATED GUIDANCE - Arrangements for visiting out of the care home (Information for all care homes)
The guidance which sets out how care homes can support residents of working age on visits outside of the care home, has been updated to reflect information published in the ‘COVID-19 Response – Spring 2021’ roadmap on 22 February.
The full Government guidance can be found below
Government guidance on visiting out of care homes
11.NEW GUIDANCE - Coronavirus (COVID-19) lateral flow testing in adult social care settings (Information for all care providers)
This guidance explains how adult social care services can prepare and manage on-site lateral flow testing.
This can include testing of:
- people who work in social care
- professionals visiting a social care service for work
- people getting care and support from social care services
people visiting someone who gets care and support
The full Government guidance can be found below
Coronavirus (COVID-19) lateral flow testing in adult social care services
12.Free lateral flow tests for all businesses for regular workplace testing – register your interest by 31 March 2021 (Information for all care providers)
All businesses in England are now able to sign up to the government’s free COVID-19 workplace testing programme, including those with fewer than 50 employees. Businesses are encouraged to register their interest by 31 March 2021 to access free workplace testing until the end of June.
The press release can be found here and we will circulate the guidance once it is available
Free rapid tests for all businesses for regular workplace testing
13.REMINDER IPC post vaccination guidance + New NHS England video resource (information for all care providers)
NHS England has produced a series of animated videos, aimed at anyone who has received their COVID-19 jab, to explain why it remains important to follow current infection prevention guidelines after vaccination.
The videos are available in 17 different languages, including Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog and English. They reflect the diversity of our population, not least the health and care professionals like you, helping to keep our communities, residents and patients safe.
Animated video with post vaccination guidance
Many healthcare staff have now received a first dose of the COVID- 19 vaccine, reducing the chance of them becoming seriously ill. This does not mean that there can be any relaxation in infection prevention practices and the national guidance should continue to be followed. COVID-19 rates are improving but remain high and it is still very important to help stop the spread .
No vaccine is completely effective and it will take a few weeks for your body to build up protection and it is unclear yet on whether having the vaccination prevents you passing it on to others. So, you will still need to follow the guidance in your workplace, including wearing the correct personal protection equipment and taking part in any screening programmes.
To continue to protect yourself, your patients, your family, friends and colleagues you should follow the general advice at work, at home and when you are out and about:
- practice social distancing
- wear a face mask
- wash your hands carefully and frequently