CQC and ADASS joint statement on CQC's Emergency Support Framework
Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS) are committed to continuing to work collaboratively to keep people safe and to give providers and their staff the support they need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Visit our website to see our joint statement setting out what that will mean in practice.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) during COVID-19
We have published an update on how we are monitoring the Mental Capacity Act and people who are subject to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full update.
Working within the Mental Capacity Act during the coronavirus pandemic
We have published guidance on working within the Mental Capacity Act during the coronavirus pandemic. The guidance sets out:
- issues that should be considered when thinking about care and treatment that might involve restrictions because of coronavirus
- cases where DoLS authorisations have already been granted
- impacts of the Coronavirus Act 2020
- notifying CQC.
Visit our website for more information.
Medicines: information for adult social care services
We have made a number of updates an additions to our medicines FAQs for adult social care services. These cover:
Visit our website for more, and to find medicines information by type of care setting.
£600m fund – extra support for care homes
The Government has announced a new support package for care homes, backed by a £600m Infection Control and Workforce Resilience Fund.
This new money will go towards a series of measures aimed at helping adult social care providers reduce the rate of transmission in, and between, care homes. It will be used to meet the additional costs of restricting staff to work in one care home only and pay the wages of those self-isolating.
In addition, the new measures increase clinical support, by giving each care home a named clinical contact and asks all councils to make sure they have a care home support plan in place.
Social care staff will also be able to access two new mental health and wellbeing helplines run by Samaritans and Hospice UK through the CARE app.
The Government has now published a template to be completed by local authorities for care home support planning. They are being asked to submit their plans by 29 May. The capacity tracker has been updated to reflect the categories in the template. Care home providers are asked to complete the new information on the capacity tracker by 26 May to allow local authorities to consider that information alongside their wider engagement with care homes in their area.
All those in United Kingdom with symptoms now eligible for coronavirus tests
The Government has announced that anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is now eligible to book a test, ahead of the rollout of the test and trace service. Anyone experiencing a new, continuous cough; high temperature; and now also a loss or change in your normal sense of smell or taste can book a test by visiting www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
Visit the GOV.UK for more information, including how to apply for a test if you are an essential worker and how to apply for tests for a care home.
Arrange volunteer help to support people to self-isolate
Social care staff in England can refer anyone who needs to self-isolate to NHS Volunteer Responders.
The scheme was originally set up to support the shielded population, however the recruitment of almost 600,000 volunteers means it has now been widened to support people who are self-isolating for any reason (for instance, you are disabled, pregnant, over 70, have Parkinson's, Epilepsy or are vulnerable due to a mental health condition).
Services available
Volunteers can provide the following to individuals:
- Friendly ‘check-in and chat’ phone calls.
- Collection service for food, medication and essentials.
- Transport to medical appointments. Note: this is only available where the organisation hosting the appointment can provide PPE to the volunteer driver.
In addition, organisations can arrange for volunteers to deliver supplies between sites by car.
How to refer
You can make direct referrals through the NHS Volunteer Responders referrers’ portal or by calling 0808 196 3382 between 8am and 8pm. Alternatively you can pass on the following self-referral phone number to people using your services: 0808 196 3646 between 8am and 8pm.
More information is available at www.nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk.
Updating CQC on the impact of COVID-19
Thank you for your continued effort in completing the ‘Updating CQC on the impact of COVID-19’ online form for homecare providers. We are asking for all homecare providers to continue to complete the form from Monday-Friday, rather than seven days a week as may have previously been requested.
The information you provide helps us understand the impact of coronavirus on the people you care for, your workforce, and on your ability to deliver services.
Registered managers will receive a daily update to remind them to complete the form. The reminder emails include a link which is unique to your location ID – this link can be bookmarked so you don’t have to wait for the reminder and can complete the tracker at a time that suits you.
Visit our website for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including what we’re asking for, why we’re collecting the data, and how the data will be used. You can also contact us if you have any queries or concerns.
Give feedback on care
It is more vital than ever that we hear people’s experiences of care during the COVID-19 emergency, and we have seen a significant drop in people using our Give feedback on care service.
From June, we’ll be launching a public campaign as part of our Emergency Support Framework to encourage people to feedback on care, working with Healthwatch, Experts by Experience, people who use services and voluntary and community organisations.
We want to encourage people who use services and those working in health and care to report poor care to give us their insight into what people are actually experiencing during this time. We want to hear about good care too so we can celebrate it and share good practice.
In Mid-May we will be testing some small-scale digital advertising to encourage people to feed back.
Ahead of the campaign starting, please encourage people working in and using your care to share their feedback. We want to hear about all types of experience – whether they’re to do with coronavirus or not.
How to check the identity of a CQC inspector
Only a CQC inspector will carry out an Emergency Support Framework conversation.
If you are concerned that someone contacting you if not who they say they are you should:
- consider whether they are asking you for information we should already have (such as the name of your registered manager)
- bear in mind that we won't ask you for staff details such as names and qualifications over the phone.
To check the authenticity of an inspector, please contact our enquiries team. Our team can check the inspector's name against our records while you're on the phone. Visit our website for further information.
All CQC offices are closed - please do not send post
Accessibility resources to help you communicate about COVID-19
Further information
Follow us on Twitter!
Keep up with our work with professionals and provider organisations in England by following us on Twitter @CQCProf.
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