 Latest message from the Chief Executive
Please make sure you watch the latest video from DCC Chief Executive Phil Norrey
When you visit a Devon County Council site
In line with the latest Government guidance, we are still asking staff to work from home wherever possible and avoid coming into our buildings unless absolutely necessary
If it is vital for you to visit one of our buildings, you must check-in at all DCC sites where the QR posters are displayed
Annual Leave
It is important that all staff are taking annual leave. Managers need to support staff to ensure they are not accumulating leave to the end of the leave year, unless absolutely necessary.
Although you may not be able to or want to travel very far, shutting the computer down and taking an extended break away from work to properly relax and recharge is something we all should be doing.
Do you use our Care and Health Worker Parking Permit?
Do you use current care and health worker parking permit when visiting people in their homes? If so, please give us your feedback
Update from DeL regarding your Corporate ‘must do’ training
Clarity has been provided on DeL mandatory training.
We hope you find the new Corporate ‘Must do’ training helpful. The email states you have one week to complete the training, but please disregard this timescale.
For new staff we recommend completing in the first four weeks of employment. Existing staff may wish to complete over the next few months
Easy Read version of media consent form now available
If you are using members of the public to appear in photography, video or interview material being used to promote the work of Devon County Council then you must ask them to complete the following consent form
ICT Roadmap Strategy
ICT are seeking further feedback to ensure we have the right Digital and Technology Services in place for the next few years
Update on home working and use of Display Screen Equipment
Make sure that you’re comfortable and have the equipment you need to work effectively.
The use of display screen equipment (IT equipment and computer workstations) is one of the topics covered in our health and safety guidance during COVID-19 pages.
You can also find information and advice to support your health and wellbeing.
DCC is looking for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) volunteers to take part in a new mentoring programme
Find out about the programme and what mentoring would involve.
If you are interested, please email Leadership Learning and let them know that you are interested in the Let's Explore Race Mentoring. Make sure to specify if you are interested in being a BAME mentor, or a mentee.
Signing-up to newsletters
We have changed the way new people will access the newsletter – so new starters to adult social care will need to actively sign up. Managers will need to highlight this to new starters during their induction. On reSOURCE, just go to the 'Communicating with you' page.
If you know of a colleague who isn’t getting the newsletter please forward the newsletter to them and get them to sign up.
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 Over the last six months you will have received newsletters more frequently than before the COVID-19 pandemic because we have tried to ensure everyone is kept up to speed with developments nationally and locally that have taken place so quickly.
Going forward we have a new approach to our newsletters across Adult Care and Health. This newsletter will be monthly and aimed at all staff across Commissioning and Operations setting out any key messages from our Heads of Service meetings and the Senior Leadership Group.
The newsletter will also be where we will communicate the key messages from health and care locally and nationally and re-cap other broader corporate messages you may have missed.
There will be a continued and regular practice update newsletter sent from Tina Ramage, Principal Social Worker (Operations) and Carolyne Hague, Principal Occupational Therapist and you may have received the latest update today, but if not you can sign-up to receive this if you do not already.
with best wishes,
Jennie, Keri, Tim and Solveig
Jennie Stephens, Chief Officer for Adult Care and Health
Tim Golby, Associate Director of Adult Commissioning (Care and Health)
Keri Storey, Head of Adult Care Operations and Health
Solveig Sansom, Deputy Head of Service: Adult Commissioning and Health
Earlier this month the Adult Social Care Winter Plan was published. The plan has been developed by the Adult Social Care Taskforce led by David Pearson, former President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
The plan is focussed on support to those who provide and receive adult social care and it sets out actions required of local authorities, NHS partners and providers of adult social care.
A commitment within the plan is that care providers will have access to free PPE required to response to COVID-19 until the end of March 2021, and an extension to the Infection Control Fund means there will be c£9.6M available to further support care homes.
Work is taking place to update our local winter plans to reflect the recommendations and actions set out in the national plan.
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It's been a challenging time and will continue to be so over the next few months and we want to again put our thanks on record for all the work that is taking place.
We have previously asked both commissioning and operational teams across Adult Care and Health to share their experiences of working during the pandemic to showcase the work that has been happening, we have published the stories received so far on Inside Devon.
We have been told that some of the stories will be published on the Social Worker of the Year Awards website. We hope that these stories will be showcased during a virtual ‘Thank You Social Workers’ event hosted by the Social Worker of the Year Awards taking place on Friday evening 26 November 2020.
There's still time for you to share your experiences, so please do get in touch so we can capture the great work that has been happening. For more information on documenting your stories please contact James Martin or Tracy Grant to see what support might be available.
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The risk assessment tool for ASC staff visiting social care providers has been amended.
This document will need to be used to support decision making and any subsequent action for staff who may be required to visit any provider setting.
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Working has begun on a workforce strategy plan for ‘20/21 titled ‘Unleashing the potential of the workforce’.
This programme of work is informed by national health and social care workforce ambitions and policy.
The work will also draw on the experience and feedback from staff across Adult Care and Health. There is a wealth on information collected to inform this work such as the 'Healthcheck' that operational staff will have contributed to and also the recent Health and Wellbeing Survey.
The headlines of this workforce strategy are about how we invest in you and your career and skills development. You will increasingly be hearing about this exciting workforce programme and how you can get involved.
This programme has three work streams:
- Attract and recruit
- Scope, grow and invest
- Right knowledge, right skills
We anticipate that this work will be carried out over a 12-month period, with a flexible approach as we do not know how priorities might change in the context of Covid-19.
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Don't forget you can now thank colleagues and recognise their
achievements – no matter how big or small through #DCCShoutOuts
All #DCCShoutOuts relating to
staff in adult social care are listed alongside news on the 'Adult' tab Inside Devon.
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