What's New Bulletin 55 - 19 August 2021
This is the fifty-fifth 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 RELATED INFORMATION
- UPDATED GUIDANCE COVID-19: Adult social care guidance update - changes to self-isolation rules (Information for all providers)
- REMINDER Compulsory vaccination of people working/deployed in care homes: guidance/resources (information for all Care Homes)
- ACTION REQUIRED: Infection Control and Testing Fund Extension (July to September 2021) spend reporting DEADLINE 23 AUGUST (information for all Birmingham providers)
- iPads and Support Offers to Care Homes – support offered to increase usage or re-allocate (Information for all Care Homes)
- Test and Trace Statistics available within Capacity Tracker from Monday 16 August 2021 (Information for all providers)
IN OTHER NEWS
- Care Quality Commission (CQC): How we will use people's experiences of care in our new regulatory model (information for all providers)
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) Dementia, Care and Nursing Home Expo and Home Care Expo 15 and 16 September NEC (information for all providers)
COVID RELATED INFORMATION
1. UPDATED GUIDANCE COVID-19: Adult social care guidance update - changes to self-isolation rules (Information for all providers)
Since 16 August 2021 the rules in relation to self isolation for contacts have changed. With clear evidence that vaccination reduces transmission of the virus, self-isolation rules have been removed, subject to mitigations, for fully vaccinated people who are:
- A contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19;
- Returning to their care home following a planned hospital stay; or,
- Transferring from another care facility.
Self-isolation is still required for staff and residents while awaiting PCR test results. Staff should receive full pay whilst waiting for the results of their PCR test.
A letter from the Department of Health and Social Care and a Questions and Answers document with further information have been circulated to all care providers. If you don't have copies, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
. The following guidance has been updated to reflect these changes;
COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings
COVID-19: how to work safely in care homes
Coronavirus (COVID-19): admission and care of people in care homes
Visiting arrangements in care homes
Arrangements for visiting out of the care home
COVID-19: how to work safely in domiciliary care in England
Supported living services during coronavirus (COVID-19)
2. REMINDER Compulsory vaccination of people working/deployed in care homes: guidance/resources (information for all Care Homes)
DHSC has now published operational guidance to support the regulations that come into force on 11 November. The 16-week grace period for all care home workers began on 22 July. This means that to meet the date the regulations come into force, workers have to have their first vaccinations no later than 16 September. The Government have produced two posters for care staff and visiting professionals, which you may wish to display in your care home. Electronic copies of the posters have been circulated to care homes. If you don't have copies, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
The following resources are also available to assist with planning:
Dr. Pete Calveley, CEO of Barchester Healthcare, has also written a blog on their experiences of implementing a similar policy this year which may be of interest.
CQC has also published a statement on their role in relation to mandatory vaccination of people working/deployed in care homes. CQC says the requirement for vaccination will become part of the fundamental standards and be enforced in appropriate cases. They will not begin monitoring until it becomes a duty in November. They will continue to use their existing assessment and enforcement policies and take a proportionate approach. The statement outlines CQC’s approach to registration, monitoring and inspection, and enforcement.
CQC statement about COVID-19 vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes
3. ACTION REQUIRED: Infection Control and Testing Fund Extension (July to September 2021) spend reporting DEADLINE 23 AUGUST (information for all Birmingham providers)
Further to the distribution of the Infection Control and Testing Fund Extension (July to September 2021) grant allocations, the Council is required to report to the Department of Health and Social Care how care homes and CQC registered community care locations have spent the funding up to 31 July 2021. The Department uses the information submitted to predict requirements for future grant funding.
In order to enable as comprehensive a report as possible, please complete and submit the appropriate spend return form using the links below. Please note the change in the format of the forms and that we are asking you to report percentage spend figures for each measure as opposed to a monetary value.
The deadline for submission is 11:59 pm on 23 August 2021.
Community Care spend return form
4. iPads and Support Offers to Care Homes – support offered to increase usage or re-allocate (Information for all Care Homes)
You may be aware that a national offer was made last Autumn by NHSX which involved the roll-out of 11,000 iPads to care homes across the country. A significant number of iPads in the Midlands are not being used regularly. A document has been circulated to all care homes providing information about the support offers available to increase usage so that you can maximise the benefits of the iPads within your care home; or, if you no longer have a use for the iPad, to re-allocate it to a care home which may have missed out on the initial roll-out. If you don't have a copy of this document, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
5. Test and Trace Statistics available within Capacity Tracker from Monday 16 August 2021 (Information for all providers)
Following provider feedback and a recent DHSC pilot, from the evening of Monday 16 August 2021, Care Homes and Home Care providers will be able to view their own testing data within the Capacity Tracker.
The DHSC pilot provided Adult Social Care managers with visibility of their testing. This resulted in 92% of managers taking meaningful action to encourage staff testing, leading to an increase in the number of registrations for both PCR and LFTs across the pilot settings. It is hoped that sharing this information wider with all Care Home and Home Care providers will help build on this success.
The Test and Trace data imported into Capacity Tracker is based on the number of registrations that have been recorded within the NHS Test and Trace system that have also included a Unique Organisation Number (UON). To ensure all information is accurately captured and aligned to a provider, Care Home and Home Care staff are asked to continue supplying their UON details when registering test kits for their organisations via 'Register test kits for your organisation - GOV.UK (test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk)' (PCR tests) or 'Report a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test result' (lateral flow tests)
Report a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test result
Capacity Tracker registered users will also be able to view aggregate Test and Trace statistics on either a National, Regional, or more localised level via the Capacity Tracker reports function.
Further guidance on how to use the Capacity Tracker Test and Trace Statistics report will be posted on the Resource Centre on the evening of Monday 16 August 2021. This can be accessed by registered users once you have logged in to the National Capacity Tracker website
Capacity Tracker users who have any Test and Trace data queries should review the help and guidance within the Test and Trace Statistics report before telephoning the National Coronavirus Contact Centre on 119 for further assistance.
IN OTHER NEWS…………
6. Care Quality Commission (CQC): How we will use people's experiences of care in our new regulatory model (information for all providers)
CQC have launched their strategy which aims to put people and communities at the heart of everything they do. They’ve started to share early thinking about how to better use people’s experiences of care in their regulatory model. You can read more about this work and share your thoughts on our digital engagement platform, CitizenLab (you will need to log in to access this).
CQC digital engagement platform
The CQC want to make sure they bring people’s voices into every aspect of their work. Now is the time to shape and influence their thinking on this and other strategy themes. Find out more about this work by watching a short video and listening to our latest podcast.
You can complete a short survey to share your view on this topic with CQC below;
Peoples experience of care - Providers (typeform.com)
7. Care Quality Commission (CQC) Dementia, Care & Nursing Home Expo and Home Care Expo 15 and 16 September NEC (information for all providers)
On the 15 and 16 September the CQC will be exhibiting at the Dementia, Care and Nursing Home Expo and Home Care Expo at the NEC Birmingham.
Dementia, Care & Nursing Home Expo
They will be running a two-day inspector hub from their exhibition stand to answer all your registration and inspection questions. You'll be able to book a free appointment and chat to a member of the inspection team at a time that suits you.
Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector of Adult Social care will be holding a keynote at the event where she'll discuss our new strategy and how we're changing.
You can register for the event below