'Jabby' New Year!
Welcome to our first 2021 newsletter, published for adult social care providers, issued on behalf of Devon County Council's Director of Adult Social Care Services and Director of Public Health and NHS Devon’s Chief Nursing Officer.
There were lots of updates to national guidance during the festive break and further changes resulting from the latest lockdown announcement. We are also doing all we can to provide information about the mass vaccination programme, but for now the main message is simply to wait for your turn as vaccinations are rolled out across the sector in line with the nationally agreed priorities.
We are keeping our Provider Engagement Network website as up to date as possible in today’s fast-changing environment so please make use of that online resource.
Vaccinations in care homes
The national programme to roll-out vaccinations to care homes is moving fast and care homes have been sent information packs to help prepare for their turn. Along with the webinar for care homes on Friday 8 January, we have published a set of national Frequently Asked Questions from NHS England.
Care homes vaccination webinar
A webinar specifically to discuss vaccinations in care homes will take place on Friday 8 January between 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Please join using this Link.
Letter from Sally Slade, Lead for Mass Vaccination.
Vaccinating health and care staff
COVID-19 vaccinations are currently being delivered across Devon in phases according to priority groups identified nationally by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation.
NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group is working with local hospital hubs and GP practices on a plan that ensures health and social care staff have access to vaccinations as soon as possible, with vulnerable staff within these groups prioritised.
It’s great that so many staff are keen to get vaccinated and getting this delivered is a priority for the Devon health and care system.
In the next week there should be further information and guidance on how health and care staff will be vaccinated and we will share this as soon as we can. Until then, we are asking staff not to contact their local GP, hospital, or services like NHS 111 to seek a vaccine.
For more information about vaccines, please see:
Who can get the COVID-19 vaccine
Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: advice from the JCVI, 30 December 2020
 Invitation to mass vaccination webinar
All health and social care staff across Devon are invited to a 'whole system' webinar about latest coronavirus vaccine news on Friday 15 January 2021 between 1pm - 2pm.
The webinar will be hosted by senior NHS and social care leaders and clinicians in Devon and will provide national and local updates.
To submit questions and to join the webinar please register prior to the broadcast.
Care home visits: Tier 4 applies
National lockdown: Stay at Home was updated following the announcement on 4 January.
Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed. No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak.
You should check the guidance on visiting care homes during COVID-19 to find out how visits should be conducted. Residents cannot meet people indoors on a visit out (for example, to visit their relatives in the family home).
There is separate guidance for those in Supported Living.
Pausing contact tracing
Healthcare workers are encouraged to download and use the NHS COVID-19 app. However, they are advised to pause contact tracing while they are working in healthcare buildings, including hospitals and GP surgeries. This advice is being given as healthcare workers are working in highly specialised secure environments, trained in infection prevention and control processes, and wearing medical grade PPE as required. Specialist contact tracing controls are in place to understand how staff are moving around the building and when they are at risk of contracting coronavirus.
How and when should I pause contact tracing?
Support groups permitted
Support groups that have to be delivered in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support but they must take place at a premises other than a private home.
Where a group includes someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering), they are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit if they are there for work, and the officiant at a wedding would not count towards the limit.
Please read the section on ‘Where and when you can meet in larger groups’ listed under the subheading 'Support and Childcare bubbles' within the 'National lockdown: Stay at Home' guidance.
Looking after people who lack mental capacity
NEW guidance
Guidance for health and social care staff who are caring for or treating a person who lacks the relevant mental capacity.
The information on 'The Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the deprivation of liberty safeguards during the coronavirus pandemic: additional guidance' has been updated. A new sub-section has been added: ‘Offering a vaccine to someone who lacks the relevant mental capacity’.
Advice for pregnant employees
NEW guidance
Advice for pregnant employees on risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus pandemic.
Vitamin D supplements: how to take them safely
NEW guidance
Guidance for at-risk groups offered free vitamin D supplements by the government this winter. Alternative formats published. This will include many of the recipients of Adult Social Care.
Critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings
NEW guidance.
List of critical workers (key workers) and vulnerable children and young people who can access full-time education provision in the case of future restrictions on education during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The children of Adult Social Care frontline care workers can access education in any staggered return arrangements.
Capacity Tracker update
Please remember that continued completion of the Capacity Tracker is essential in both assisting government to tackle COVID and to secure much needed funding to support social care services during these unprecedented times.
The data you submit is used daily to inform Devon’s support response to COVID and is currently helping to inform the local COVID vaccination programme. Please help us by keeping your data up to date. Thank you.
We have also been informed that following provider feedback, the Department of Health and Social Care, are reducing the number of questions care home providers need to update. The questions that are going to be removed or amended relate to Directly Employed Staff & Agency/Bank Staff. It is anticipated that the changes will happen on the evening of 7 January.
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