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Feedback on the usefulness of this bulletin is very much appreciated, such as whether you find the content useful, if anything is missing, or whether more (or less) detail is needed. Please email any feedback to SocialCareCommissioning@coventry.gov.uk
In this issue:
Book your COVID-19 and Flu vaccines here:
Book a flu jab
Book a Covid-19 or booster jab
Please remember to update the capacity tracker with your latest figures.
In preparation for the new year (it's come around quick - we know!) we wanted to equip you everything you need to kick start your recruitment campaigns in January. We recognise this is an area across the market where support has been requested, and we will continue to develop this offer with the creation of our Provider Support Pack currently under development and due for release in the new year. There are a number of different resources available in the meantime from ourselves, Skills for Care and The Job Shop to support your business however you need.
In addition to recruitment, it is just as important to retain the staff already in place. In this issue we have popped in some links and information to support individuals through these tough financial times, especially in the run up to Christmas where pressures can often peak. There are also some brilliant retention tips, information and webinars available via the Skills for Care website.
If you would like to see and comment on our draft Provider Pack please email Simon.Veasey@coventry.gov.uk
Should you need support on any of the above, don't hesitate to contact us via SocialCareCommissioning@coventry.gov.uk
The Job Shop host a care event once a month where organisations can talk to job seekers regarding care roles, this is a perfect opportunity to advertise any vacancies you have with the job shop customers and promote working in social care.
The dates are:
- Wednesday 1 February – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 1 March – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 5 April – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 3 May – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 7 June – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 5 July – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 2 August – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 6 September – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 4 October – 11am - 1pm
- Wednesday 1 November – 11am - 1pm
If you are interested in attending any of the above please email Lindsey.Hines@coventry.gov.uk
Message from Skills for Care:
These webinars will look at the latest changes to apprenticeships and give you valuable insight into effectively utilising apprenticeships within your organisation at all levels, and within a number of different disciplines.
Nursing apprenticeships
Thursday 12 January 2023, 10.30am - 11.15am
How Apprenticeships can help recruitment, retention and succession planning
Tuesday 07 February 2023, 2pm - 2.45pm
Social Work Degree Apprenticeships and Occupational Therapy Degree apprenticeships
Thursday 16 March 2023, 2pm - 2.45pm
Find out more and book your place
Message from Skills for Care:
We know that many people working in social care ask many of the same questions. Workforce planning can sometimes seem confusing or may mean different things to different people, but we know that many of you are already doing lots of it already, even if you don’t think you are.
During November and December, we’re focusing on workforce planning, highlighting support available to help you with #PlanningForSuccess and sharing examples from the sector of where it’s working well.
Visit our #PlanningForSuccess campaign landing page for links to our workforce planning resources and weekly blogs showcasing best practice from across the sector. Join us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin, to learn about what you can do to plan for success and join the conversation by sharing what you already do to plan for your future workforce needs effectively.
Looking outside of your organisation to discover future workforce trends and benchmarking yourself against other organisations is an important part of workforce planning. Make sure you check our workforce data for your region below or access our workforce intelligence pages to dig deeper.
Based at the flagship Coventry Job Shop, Coventry City Council's Employer Engagement Team provides a free bespoke recruitment, training and wellbeing service.
The Employer Engagement Team can support employer’s recruitment by:
- Supporting with Job Description and advertising creation
- Multi-platform advertising of vacancies
- Sourcing suitable candidates against the Job Description, making use of the Coventry City Council Job Shops pool of over 25,000 registered customers
- Pre-screening to ensure candidate suitability
- Carrying out all required pre-screening activities such as any tests, pre-interview activities and telephone interviews
- Sourcing suitable pre-employment training to meet employer needs
- Arranging final interviews as required
- Supporting with work trials, work experience and general employment opportunities
In addition to recruitment activities, the Employer Engagement Team can support employers to increase their productivity through evaluating their employee wellbeing, with support to sign up to the West Midlands Combined Authority Thrive at Work Charter.
Please contact the Employer Engagement Team for support or to find out more.
The contact details for the Coventry City Council Employer Hub are as follows:
Email: employerhub@coventry.gov.uk
Phone: 02476 978061
As you will be aware it is now a legal requirement to update the Capacity Tracker on at least a monthly basis between the 8th - 14th of every month.
For the October update window, Coventry care homes achieved 100% compliance with all providers updating the tracker as required. For community and home support providers, compliance was also a brilliant 91% compliance.
These are excellent achievements and ensuring your information is updated regularly means:
- Less contact from brokerage and commissioning teams
- Gives local authorities and local government information to influence policy and understand market pressures
- Can assist in us directing support as required
December's compliance window will begin on Tuesday 8 until Wednesday 14 to update. Please be reminded providers who are regularly non-compliant face possible financial penalties.
To assist in ensuring your compliance it is best practice to a minimum of 2 users registered - you will already have been contacted if you have less than 2 users registered.
Should you require any additional training on the capacity tracker please contact SocialCareCommissioning@coventry.gov.uk to arrange.
Across Coventry, more and more people are feeling the pressure from the increasing cost of living. If you’re struggling financially or concerned about the future, getting help early can make a big difference.
Lots of support is available from many different organisations to help you manage cost of living pressures.
A range of support is available on the Coventry City Council Cost of Living and Wellbeing Support page including:
- Help with water bills, broadband bills and energy bills
- Healthy start vouchers
- Help with essentials
- School uniform support
- Household Support Fund
- Social supermarkets, food hubs and foodbanks
- Prepayment meters
Plus much more.
24 Days of Cost of Living Support campaign coming soon
The rising Cost of Living is a very real situation that’s already affecting many families in Coventry, so from 1 December through to 24 December, the campaign will feature advice, support and offers that we believe will be helpful to residents over the festive season and beyond.
One day at a time, everything will be posted both externally on social media and the Council's website. It's a way of reiterating the promotion of already-available resources and assistance which can be found on the Cost of Living pages on the Coventry City Council website.
Everyone will also be able to see all 24 resources on day one if they want to access everything at once too. We will send more information regarding this once released, however please share these resources to ensure we are able to support as many individuals as we can.
Are you a care provider who has a question about NHSmail?
The NHSmail team are now running drop-in sessions every other Wednesday 2-2:30pm to help with any questions you have. There is no need to register, just join the call.
Please note that these sessions are for staff working in social care provider organisations only.
16 November – 16 December marks Disability History Month, an annual event that focuses on awareness raising, the history of disabilities in the UK, and working together to challenge and change perceptions.
This Disability History Month, we will be sharing resources each week which focus on how technology can support people with disabilities. This week, we focus on digital inclusion. Read more about digital inclusion.
Coventry City Council and NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be looking to re-commission it's Short-Term Home Support and Long-Term Home Support services when current contracts end in 2023 and 2024. As such, a Market Engagement event is being held to provide a communication, market shaping and information-gathering exercise. The event will offer an opportunity for current and potential providers to understand our commissioning intentions and for the Council / ICB to understand the market's scope of interest and capabilities as well as share and gather information on some key areas.
Procurement reference IT-208-14985-COV - 14985
Procurement stage Opportunity
Closing 8 December 2022, 1pm
Our new support service for deafblind individuals offering a Communicator Guide will be going live in December 2022.
Deafblindness is a combination of sight and hearing loss that affects the person’s ability to communicate, access information and get around. It may sometimes be referred to as ‘dual sensory loss’ or ‘multi-sensory impairment’.
Deafblindness can be found in all age groups however is most prevalent in older adults. Persons are legally regarded as deafblind ‘if their combined sight and hearing impairment causes difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility.
Everyone with a combined sight and hearing impediment connects, communicates and experiences the world differently. Communicator Guides can therefore work to assist individuals who are deafblind with communication support, guiding skills and practical help. The service will provide a a fully qualified Communicator-Guide who can provide effective communication, safe guiding and essential support to allow deafblind people to actively take part in every day activities, such as accessing information, going shopping, attending social/educational activities in the community with control and choice. The role of the Communicator Guide is to support the individual do the things they want to do – not do things for them.
If you know or are currently supporting a deafblind or dual sensory impaired individual and you think they may benefit from this service, please email Chloe.Elliott@coventry.gov.uk for further information.
Get your 2023 off to a great start by meeting our public health services. Local partners are invited to engage with services commissioned by Public Health on
Thursday 19 January between 9.30am and 12noon. topics covered include:
- Drug and alcohol treatment services
- Sexual health services
- Lifestyles behaviour change support like stop smoking and weight management
- Support for victims of domestic abuse
- Public health services for young people and families
You can drop into a series of short presentations introducing these services
or have an informal 1-2-1 chat with local staff. If you are interested in this event please email adam.langham-dobson@coventry.gov.uk and we will confirm the venue nearer the date.
The Coventry Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme has this year engaged with more children and families than ever before, and is preparing for a busy Christmas. The service offers free activities and food throughout school holidays for children who receive free school meals with organisations across the city delivering exciting sessions and nutritional education for children and families.
Please do spread the word to family, friends, and work contacts about HAF during the Christmas holidays, especially in these challenging times.
Bookings to be available through the website.
Sky Blues in the community is the registered charity of Coventry City Football Club and organises a range of community initiatives around health and wellbeing that local people can access of all ages and abilities can access . SBitC’s weekly mental health time table is:
Monday:
Dementia Active – AT7, Coventry (CV6 7GP): 10am – 12.00pm
MENtalk – New online sessions 1-2pm
Dementia Active – Jubilee Sports Centre, Nuneaton (CV10 7EZ): 2.30pm – 4:30pm
Tuesday:
WOMENtalk – St Nicholas Park, Warwick (CV34 4QY): 10am – 11.30am
MENtalk – St Nicholas Park, Warwick (CV34 4QY): 12noon – 14:00pm
Wednesday:
MENtalk – Rugby School Sports Centre, Rugby (CV22 5DJ): 10am – 12noon
Thursday:
MENtalk – Moat House Leisure Centre, Coventry (CV2 1EA): 12noon – 2pm
Friday:
DEMENTIA Active – St Nicholas Park, Warwick (CV34 4QY): 10am – 11.30am
MENtalk – Jubilee Sports Centre, Nuneaton (CV10 7EZ): 12noon – 2pm
WOMENtalk – Jubilee Sports Centre, Nuneaton (CV10 7EZ): 2pm – 3.30pm
For more information or to book a place on one of the sessions please contact George Heaton, Mental Health Co-Ordinator, George.heaton@sbitc.org.uk Sky Blues in the Community M: 07845 812 639 T: 024 7678 6349
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As Christmas 2022 edges ever closer, please let the Commissioning team know in advance should you have alternative contacts for over this period. Please send any alternative contacts to SocialCareCommissioning@Coventry.gov.uk
Please see key contact information and numbers over the Christmas period for Coventry Adult Social Care:
- It will be business as usual until 4:30pm Friday 23 December 2022.
- From 4.30pm on 25 December until 9am on 28 December 2022 support will be provided by the Council's Emergency Duty Team (EDT).
- From 28 until 30 December 2022 there will be Social Work and Commissioning support available, contactable via normal channels.
- From 4:30pm 30 December to 9am 3 January 2023 support will be provided by EDT.
- The Mental Health Crisis Team will be open throughout
There will be management cover in place to support the services on the closure days and the City Councils Emergency Duty Team (EDT) will be available for out of hours response throughout the Christmas and New Year period.
In addition, the Hospital Social Work Team and Brokerage will be providing cover across the 7-day period with the exception of 25, 26 December and 1 January 2023.
Thank you for your continued support in arranging timely discharges from Hospital and community placements during the pandemic. Please ensure you have staff and management cover in place for prompt discharges back to your services. It is important we work together to maintain flow over this period from the Hospital to ensure bed capacity over what will be a busy time.
After this period (3 January) it will revert to the standard 7 day working week.
Relevant contact information for the services during the closure will be:
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Service
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Contact number
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Community Social Work
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(024) 7683 3003
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Hospital Social Work
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(024) 7696 5600
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EDT
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(024) 7683 2222
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Mental Health: IPU
3-8
10-17
18-21
CBS/Crisis Team
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(024) 76 472662
(024) 76 961242
(024) 76 707968
Public line: 0300 200 0011
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