Welcome to this week's newsletter, published for adult social care providers.
Over the last 18 months we have all pulled together like never before to ensure that people and families across Devon get the vital care and support they need. It continues to be a testing time as we are all under increasing and severe pressure trying to cope with unprecedented requests for care. The requests could be people wanting to get back to their homes, or to know they will get the care or the respite they desperately need.
As social care providers you have been at the centre of the on-going response working side by side with each other and making a difference to so many through your innovation, problem solving and sheer determination. It’s this and our collaborative desire to support those in our communities that will see us all through these challenging times.
In the immediate and short term in order to weather the current challenge and level of escalation, we ask that we are able to think about doing the following things:
- pick up packages of care for people who are awaiting discharge from hospital
- free up backfill of Social Care Reablement / RIC provision so that they can focus on admission avoidance and effective discharge
- provide additional admission resource in to residential and nursing homes
- work with Care Managers to reassess provision to release capacity. Please notify us urgently of anyone who you think may no longer need so much care.
Further to this if there is anything else that you are doing that can help the current situation that others could benefit from, or any further innovations or ideas please to get in touch with your local Arranging Support Team:
- The West and South Teams can be reached on 01392 381211
- The North Team can be reached on 01392 381208
- The East Team can be reached on 01392 381206.
Remember that we keep the content and structure of our PEN website up-to-date and your suggestions on how to improve the website are always welcome.
Additional funding to help adult social care this winter
Government has announced an extension of the Infection Control and Testing Fund. An additional £388M will prevent infections and provide for testing and vaccinations in social care settings. This includes £25M for care workers to access COVID-19 and flu vaccines over the winter months. That grant conditions will be published in due course.
Hospital Discharge funding allocations
NHS England and NHS Improvement have confirmed the integrated care system funding allocations for the national hospital discharge fund for Q3 and Q4 of 2021/22 (1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022). The conditions of the fund remain the same as for Q2, that the fund is to help cover the cost of up to four weeks’ post-discharge recovery and support services for new or extended packages of care delivered on or before 31 March 2022. The money also supports designated care settings for those discharged from acute care who are COVID-19 positive and cannot return directly to their own care home until they have undergone 14 days of isolation.
Vaccination guidance updates
COVID-19 vaccination guidance for women of childbearing age, currently pregnant or breastfeeding has been updated with: a guide on pregnancy and breastfeeding, links to translated versions in various languages, British Sign Language, braille, large print versions, and social media cards.
New regulations on care home double vaccination entry requirements
New government regulations come into force on Thursday 11 November 2021 requiring care home staff to refuse entry to anyone who cannot provide evidence that they have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or that are medically exempt. The regulation applies to all CQC regulated care homes in England. Ambulance clinicians and first responders are however exempt from these requirements.
Answers to FAQs issued by the Department of Health and Social Care regarding exemptions have been updated.
COVID Pass medical exemptions: proving you are unable to get vaccinated or tested
The government has published guidance on how people can apply for official proof that, for medical reasons, they are unable to be vaccinated and / or tested for COVID-19. The possible reasons for exemptions are limited and include:
- people receiving end of life care where vaccination is not in the person’s best interests
- people with learning disabilities or autistic individuals or people with a combination of impairments where vaccination cannot be provided through reasonable adjustments
- a person with severe allergies to all currently available vaccines
- those who have had an adverse reaction to the first dose (for example - myocarditis).
Short-term exemptions will also be available for those with short-term medical conditions.
All exemptions will be confirmed by a doctor, specialist clinician or midwife and, if approved, your NHS COVID Pass can then be used wherever you need to prove your COVID-19 status within England.
The domestic NHS COVID Pass will look and work the same for people with medical exemptions as it will for people who are fully vaccinated. The pass will not show that you have a medical exemption.
To apply for a COVID Pass medical exemption, you need to phone 119 and ask for an application form. If you’re eligible to apply, you’ll get an application form by post. Find out more about COVID Pass medical exemptions on the government's website.
DHSC guidance on the exemption from COVID-19 vaccination details the process and the clinical criteria.
Frontline health and social care workers can also book a booster appointment via the National Booking Service or by contacting 119, provided that six months (182 days) have passed since the date of their second vaccination.
New collect code needed for rapid lateral flow device COVID-19 tests from pharmacies
The way you collect your free box of lateral flow tests from your pharmacy has changed. Now you need a 'collect code', to give to the pharmacist in exchange for the tests. The collect codes are simple and instant to get, either online or by calling 119. Take that code with you and you can collect a box of tests like normal. They'll just ask you for your code. Don't forget to record your test result once you've done it. A reminder about how to do that will be sent to you with the collect code.
Capacity Tracker - reporting PPE supplies correctly
Some care providers are reporting PPE supplies as ‘red’ on the Tracker, but are not actually short of stock. Please update the tracker if you are no longer experiencing PPE shortages.
It is also vitally important that care managers update all vaccination information daily, including flu and booster jabs for their staff.
Please contact the Capacity Tracker team for help if you have problems updating.
PPE provision to health and social care - consultation
The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting on whether to extend the provision of free PPE to the health and care sector beyond 31 March 2022.
NHS and social care colleagues can provide feedback online until Sunday 31 October.
Response to the government's social care plan
The LGA’s new briefing sets out their response to different parts of the government's plan for health and social care. It is recognised councils will have their own concerns and questions following the publication of the Plan. If there are points you wish to raise then please email the LGA.
Living good lives webinar series
The series aims to support health and social care professionals to enable adults with learning disabilities and / or autistic adults to live good lives along the 'homes not hospitals' pathway.
Mindfulness courses
Free mindfulness courses are now available to help improve health and wellbeing and reduce stress. You’ll learn ways to bring mindfulness and awareness into your daily life, both within work and at home, through regular meditation and gentle movement.
The sessions are run as weekly or monthly courses by the Devon Wellbeing Hub and the University of Exeter.
Weekly course starts on Wednesday 20 October, 5.00pm - 7.00pm and runs until 8 December.
Monthly skills class starts on Tuesday 19 October, 6.00pm - 8.00pm and runs until 24 March 2022.
For further information and to register please email the organiser.
For some quick tips on getting started with mindfulness, visit the Mindful website.
Every Mind Matters campaign to improve people's mental health
A new campaign has been launched to help people with their mental wellbeing.
Mental health: a decade of change in just 2 years
Sajid Javid, the Health and Social Care Secretary, spoke at the Global Mental Health Summit 2021 about mental health.
Research
Personalisation in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
This report from Think Local Act Personal aims to find good examples of personalised care and community-based support for people from ethnically diverse communities.
Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities Study Wave 3 Results
The Warwick University's report describes the main results of the third Wave of the Coronavirus and People with Learning Disabilities Study.
Devon Infection Prevention Festival
Join us in celebrating the importance of infection prevention as part of International Infection Prevention Week from Monday 18 to Friday 22 October.
Devon County Council will be running a number of events and activities throughout the week that are FREE to join, suitable for all settings e.g.
IMPACT co-production database
IMProving Adult Care Together (IMPACT) is a new UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care. IMPACT is committed to co-production and want to engage with the experts: user and carer-led groups and community groups working with seldom heard people. To do this, they are getting together a database of organisations and groups. You can register to be on this database, enabling you to be involved with shaping and understanding their work as it develops.
Remember to share your good news stories in this newsletter
Has your support helped transformed someone’s life? Have you got innovative practice to share? Send us your celebratory photos and words and we’ll help share good practice.
Revisit previous good news stories
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