CQC weekly coronavirus update for adult social care providers

This bulletin was sent at 26-06-2020 05:02 PM BST

The independent regulator of health and social care in England

COVID-19 Update

26 June 2020

A regular update for providers and professionals working in adult social care, sharing the latest guidance on COVID-19 and CQC's approach during this period.

Message from Debbie Ivanova, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care

Dear colleagues,

I wanted to talk about the issue of deaths in care homes. Providers are having to have difficult conversations regularly, and we know that is stressful. However, it is essential you are as open as possible in keeping family members informed about the situation in your service. A lack of openness and transparency naturally leads to anxiety and worry among the families of people using services, often unnecessarily. Put yourself in their shoes: what would you need, and expect, to hear if your loved one was in a care home during this pandemic?

We are frequently asked to provide the number of deaths at individual services, but we currently don’t share information on deaths at location level. This decision was taken in part because we believe that this information would be better shared directly by the provider with families, where important context and support can be given. However, given the volume of requests for this data we are keeping our decision under review. It is likely that we will be revisiting this approach in July to test whether it remains in the public interest.

We recently supported a statement issued by the Relatives and Residents Association and the National Care Forum, which talked about the importance of open and transparent communications between care providers and the families of people using their services.

The statement outlines a number of communication asks, which provide useful prompts to help facilitate open, honest conversations with people using your services and their families. We also signpost to the Making It Real statements form TLAP, which can be used to help guide conversations. We know there are lots of examples of services using innovative ways to enable people to stay in touch with their families and loved ones, some of which we have shared on our website.

Remember that our inspectors are there to support you and offer constructive challenge through the tough decisions you face. So, if you’re unsure about whether you should be disclosing certain information, please do call upon them to talk it through.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment and dedication as we continue working through this pandemic.

Best wishes,

Debbie

New webinars: sign up now!

Help shape our future strategy

We're developing a new strategy to help achieve our ambition of being a world-class regulator, and are currently exploring five themes

Meeting people’s needs
Smarter regulation
Promoting safe care for people
Driving and supporting improvement
Working across systems

We want to hear your views to help us develop these further. We are running a series of webinars to introduce each of these themes, answer your questions and signpost to where you can share more feedback.

Death in service guidance

New guidance has been published setting out the steps you may need to take following a coronavirus related death of an employee or volunteer working in adult social care.

Actions to take may include contacting the family, telling others at work, reporting to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and informing the Department of Health and Social Care.

There are also a number of bereavement resources available for the social care workforce. Visit the GOV.UK website for more information.

Reducing risk in adult social care

A framework for how adult social care employers should assess and reduce risk to their workforce during the coronavirus pandemic has been published.

It covers the risk assessment process; having conversations with workers who are identified as being at increased risk; measures you could put in place; useful guidance and resources. Access the framework on the GOV.UK website.

CQC podcast: new episode

Listen to the latest episode of our podcast, CQC Connect. We hear from an inspector and provider on their experiences of the Emergency Support Framework and how it's been supportive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Listen now on Soundcloud and your favourite podcast provider.

Innovation and inspiration: providers responding to coronavirus

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to the examples of innovation and inspiration we published recently. We've had a fantastic response and will continue to share and celebrate examples of the new and more effective way of working that have helped providers meet the challenges in delivering health and care during the pandemic.

We are particularly interested in how you as providers are connecting within local systems and working with others to improve the way care and treatment is delivered and in changes that will be sustained after the pandemic. Please send your examples to C19innovation@cqc.org.uk.

CARE Workforce platform

If you work in adult social care in England you can now receive the latest coronavirus information, guidance, wellbeing support and discounts direct to your smartphone or inbox.

Download on the App Store, get it on Google Play or sign up to view content online.

Share your feedback

We're currently seeking feedback from people who work in health and social care services on a variety of topics, you can let us know your thoughts on:

Strategy 2021: Smarter regulation for a safer future

We are developing a new strategy and your feedback will help shape our strategic themes

COVID-19 feedback from providers

Our transitional regulatory approach

Currently our programme of routine inspections are paused. We are now developing plans for a managed return to routine inspection of some services in the autumn.

To help us develop these plans we would like your feedback through this short survey, and will communicate more on these plans and other opportunities to feedback in the coming weeks.

Your experience of the Emergency Support Framework assessment

CQC researchers would like to talk to primary care and adult social care providers who have had ESF assessment calls with inspectors

We'd like to know what your experience has been. This would involve around 30 minutes at a time that is convenient for you.

You can find all of these opportunities and more on our digital engagement platform.

All CQC offices are closed - please do not send post

Useful guidance

NEW: Updated guidance on admissions in care homes
Visit CQC's website for guidance on the Emergency Support Framework including a webinar, updated FAQs and provider guidance.
Updated guidance on the provision of home care has been published on GOV.UK
We have updated our equality and human rights impact assessments
We have published guidance on working within the Mental Capacity Act during the coronavirus pandemic
The British Psychological Society has issued guidance on meeting the psychological needs of people with learning disabilities and their carers
The Central Alerting System (CAS) is an online cascading system for issuing patient safety alerts, important public health messages and other safety critical information and guidance to the NHS and others, including independent providers of health and social care. Providers can register to receive these alerts through the MHRA website
Guidance on exemption from health charges for care and treatment of COVID-19
Updated interim guidance on DBS and other recruitment checks
Visit the GOV.UK website to apply for coronavirus tests for your service
Skills for Care: advice and support for frontline managers
Managing a fall that may require an ambulance during the COVID-19 pandemic
Guidance clarifying existing practice for verifying deaths outside of hospitals and providing a framework for safe verification of death
CQC guidance for providers delivering antibody tests or blood tests
DHSC guidance for care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults during COVID-19
DHSC guidance on running a medicines re-use scheme in a care home or hospice setting
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has an area on their website dedicated to information about COVID-19
The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance on RIDDOR reporting of COVID-19
COVID-19: our action plan for adult social care from the Department of Health and Social Care
Community health services standard operating procedure (SOP)
The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) have jointly produced a protocol that can be used by various groups of professionals to verify death remotely with a clinician
The Enhanced health in care homes framework has been expanded to include oral health; falls, strength and balance; mental health; wound care; continence promotion and management; and flu prevention and management. The framework can be used to support your engagement with your aligned primary care network
NICE COVID-19 rapid guidelines
Advice and information on looking after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak from NHS England and the Mental Health Foundation
Investigation and initial clinical management of possible cases
Ethical framework for adult social care
Guidance for residential care, supported living and home care
Infection prevention and control

Accessibility resources to help you communicate about COVID-19

NEW: Guidelines for organisations booking communication professionals in healthcare settings during COVID-19
Beyond Words is providing free picture stories and illustrated guides to support people with learning disabilities and autism through the coronavirus pandemic
Imperial College London, in partnership with the BME Health Forum and the North West London Clinical Commissioning Groups have produced a series of videos aimed at encouraging people to continue to use health services if they are unwell. They are available in English, Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish and Sylheti.
Resources from Learning Disability England
Signhealth has made their InterpreterNow remote BSL interpretation service available for free across all healthcare services
Signhealth is providing a videos of summaries of key coronavirus guidance in BSL
Public Health England stay at home guidance, translated and in easy read
Public Health England guidance on social distancing, translated
NHS guidelines translated into up to 50 languages by Doctors of the World and find video advice here
Easy read information on COVID-19 from Mencap
Public Health England resources in accessible formats
COVID-19 guidance for providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping
The handwashing rap, produced to help people who have a learning disability

Further information

Public Health Matters blog from Public Health England
Number of COVID-19 cases in the UK

Follow us on Twitter!

Keep up with our work with professionals and provider organisations in England by following us on Twitter @CQCProf.