COVID-19 What's New Bulletin 33 - 18 March 2021
This is the thirty third 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.
- COVID 19 Vaccinations (information for all care providers operating in Birmingham)
- Getting and maintaining an NHS mail secure email account (information for all care homes and community care locations in Birmingham)
- National letter re DNACPR in LD/autism (information for all care providers supporting people with a learning disability or autism)
- Supported Living/ECSH providers registration for regular COVID-19 testing (information for providers of supported living and extra care accommodation in Birmingham)
- Care fees and invoice/payment schedules for 2021 to 2022 now available (information for all contracted providers)
- Infection Control Fund 2 – monthly spend reporting (Information for all Birmingham Care Homes)
- Infection Control Fund 2 – monthly spend reporting (Information for all care providers with CQC Registered Community Care Locations in Birmingham)
- Rapid Testing Fund – monthly spend reporting (Information for all Care Homes in Birmingham)
- Birmingham Clear Air Zone (for all care providers operating in Birmingham)
1.COVID 19 Vaccinations & financial support (Information for all care providers operating in Birmingham)
Vaccination appointments are still available for frontline workers via the National booking site
National COVID-19 vaccination bookings
We ask that you continue to have conversations with staff that have reservation about having the vaccination and have collated below a number of useful materials that have been published to assist with providing accurate information to your staff regarding the Covid vaccine:
Please see Bulletin 30, Item 6 for details of resources previously circulated
Additional resources are below:
The Catholic Church in England and Wales vaccination information
Humanist UK vaccination information
We are aware that for some social care staff, there is a barrier to taking up the Covid vaccine as they are unable to do so in work time and are therefore not being paid for their time. To ensure our invaluable workforce have the maximum opportunity to take up this essential vaccine to protect; themselves; their families; their services users; and our community, details of financial support available were set out in item 7 of Bulletin 30 (see link above)
2.Getting and maintaining an NHS mail secure email account (Information for all care homes and community care locations in Birmingham)
The West Midlands Care Association have been working with Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) since October 2019 to support care providers set up an NHS Mail account. The majority of BSOL care homes and some non-residential care providers now have an NHS Mail account and are finding it hugely beneficial. Having an NHS Mail account allows the safe transfer of confidential personal data & information between care providers and staff in the NHS and Local Authorities. It also gives access to Microsoft Teams which is an online conferencing facility to enable ‘virtual consultations and meetings’. The NHS expects all care homes to have secure email facilities by June 2021 and all other CQC registered social care services to have them by October 2021. Details of how to get your account and how to maintain it are available on the West Midlands Care Association website
WMCA information on secure NHS email accounts for care providers
3.National letter re DNACPR in LD/autism (Information for all care providers supporting people with a learning disability or autism)
A letter (attached) from NHS England about ‘Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ decision making with people who have a learning disability or autism has been circulated to all care providers. If you have not received a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
4.Supported Living/ECSH providers registration for regular COVID-19 testing (Information for providers of supported living and extra care accommodation in Birmingham)
Rapid Lateral Flow Testing for High Risk Extra Care and Supported Living settings
High-risk settings are those which are most similar to care homes and have similar risk factors leading to an increased risk of outbreak. The staff testing regime is being brought into line with that of care homes.
In addition to the existing PCR testing regime, guidance has been updated to include:
a. An additional two LFD tests per week for staff:
• One LFD test on the same day as the PCR test.
• One LFD test midweek between PCR tests.
b. Daily LFD testing for all staff on duty for 7 days if there are any positive cases found in the setting, (including where the positive case is a resident or found through a PCR test). This would not replace any period of isolation for contacts of positive cases.
c. A confirmatory PCR after any positive LFD tests.
Expansion of testing to Wider Extra Care and Supported Living settings
It has been announced that there will be an expansion of testing to wider Extra Care and Supported Living settings in England who meet one of the following risk-based criteria.
- A closed community with substantial facilities shared by multiple people, and
- Where most residents receive the kind of personal care that is CQC regulated (rather then help with cooking, cleaning and shopping)
- This includes staff working with individuals who live alone and receive personal care
These settings will have access to weekly PCR testing for staff
Please click the following link for complete guidance on the testing service for Extra Care and Supported Living settings:
COVID-19 testing service for Extra Care and Supported Living settings
If you are an Extra Care or Supported Living setting and you meet the criteria for either the High Risk or Wider testing regime please contact chris.macadams@birmingham.gov.uk in order to arrange for the testing arrangements appropriate for your setting to be put into place.
5.Care fees and invoice/payment schedules for 2021 to 2022 now available (for all contracted providers)
The revised care fees and the invoice and payment schedules for 2021 to 2022 are now available below:
Care fees and invoice and payment schedules for 2021 to 2022
6. Infection Control Fund 2 - monthly spend reporting (Information for all Birmingham care homes)
Further to the allocation of the Infection Control Fund 2 grants, all Birmingham located care homes in receipt of the funding must complete the online form detailing the measures on which the funding has been spent. We remind you that completion of the form is a condition of the grant funding and that failure to do so will result in the Council seeking return of any funds distributed. The deadline for completion of the form is 24 March 2021. Please click on the link below.
Care Home Infection Control Fund spending report
7.Infection Control Fund 2 – monthly spend reporting (Information for all care providers with CQC Registered Community Care Locations in Birmingham)
Further to the allocation of the Infection Control Fund 2 grants, all Birmingham located CQC registered community care providers in receipt of the funding must complete the online form detailing the measures on which the funding has been spent. We remind you that completion of the form is a condition of the grant funding and that failure to do so will result in the Council seeking return of any funds distributed. The deadline for completion of the form is 24 March 2021. Please click on the link below.
Community Care Infection Control Fund spending report
8.Rapid Testing Fund – monthly spend reporting (Information for all Care Homes in Birmingham)
Further to the allocation of the Rapid Testing Fund grants, all Birmingham located care homes in receipt of the funding must complete the online form detailing the measures on which the funding has been spent. We remind you that completion of the form is a condition of the grant funding and that failure to do so will result in the Council seeking return of any funds distributed. The deadline for completion of the form is 24 March 2021. Please click on the link below.
Care Home Rapid Testing Fund spending report
9.Birmingham Clear Air Zone (Information for all care providers operating in Birmingham)
Birmingham's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will go live on 1 June 2021 and will charge owners of the most high polluting vehicles to drive within the A4540 Middleway (but not the Middleway itself) – this may impact care providers staff if vehicles are non-compliant and properties are located within City Centre Clean Air Zone. Further information was included in item 9 of Bulletin 31