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National guidance continues to be updated as more pandemic restrictions are eased, but messages and advice remain in place about caution in social care settings, along with various staff support offers.
We do our best to keep the content and structure of our PEN website up-to-date in these fast-changing times and your suggestions on how to improve the website are always welcome.
Announcement on revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment in health and social care
In the light of consultation responses, the government is proceeding with revocation and the regulations revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment in all health and social care settings and the required regulations will come into force on 15 March 2022.
Vaccination of workers in social care settings other than care homes: operational guidance
COVID-19 vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes: operational guidance
Government response to the consultation
Latest national guidance updates
All of the guidance below was updated on Thursday 24 or Friday 25 February in line with changes to self-isolation requirements. The phrase ‘must legally’ isolate in the advice for anyone testing positive has been changed to ‘should’...
Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing home care
Visiting arrangements in care homes
Supported living services during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronavirus (COVID-19): admission and care of people in care homes
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for people receiving direct payments
Coronavirus (COVID-19): testing in adult care homes
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing in extra care and supported living settings
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for adult day care centre workers and service users
COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings
COVID-19 and Statutory Sick Pay
Check if you can claim back Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to coronavirus (COVID-19). If you're an employer, find out if you can use the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees' Statutory Sick Pay related to COVID-19. This guidance now has added information on the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme for coronavirus related absences because the scheme closes after 17 March 2022.
Claim back Statutory Sick Pay paid to your employees due to coronavirus (COVID-19). How to use the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees' coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). This guidance now has added information on the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme for coronavirus related absences because the scheme closes after 17 March 2022.
Reducing contact between staff
From 24 February 2022, the requirement to self-isolate following a positive test has been removed. To limit the spread of the virus in the future, it will be important that people adapt their behaviour. You can mitigate this risk by reducing the number of people your staff come into contact with, for example:
- holding supervision and team meetings remotely, wherever possible, or in small groups in well-ventilated rooms
- not conducting information sharing (for example at the end of a shift) through face to face meetings unless necessary
- staggering times at which staff access designated locations from which PPE and other equipment are collected
- minimising the risks of transmission of the virus in locations visited by multiple people through good infection control (for example, regular cleaning of touch points and surfaces)
- minimising vehicle sharing
- making use of secure means of sharing information remotely between agencies such as NHSmail or other secure email systems.
 Government's support for Ukrainian care workers
On Tuesday 1 March Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced that the government recognises wholeheartedly the vital role Ukrainian nationals and those of Ukrainian origin play in the health and care sector. Building on immediate support provided in recent weeks to assist British Nationals to leave Ukraine, the Home Secretary recently confirmed Ukrainians who are on work, study or visit visas in the UK will have their visas temporarily extended or be able to switch onto different visa routes. Please read further information.
Care Workers' Charity support
Struggling financially or needing wellbeing support? The Care Workers’ Charity is here to help you.
If you’ve experienced a change in circumstance in the last year that has left you in financial need, please apply for their Crisis Grant. All criteria and information is available on the application.
Having trouble sleeping? Worried about things? Feeling that you can’t cope? The charity offers a series of up to ten support sessions with a qualified therapist. The service is free, confidential and easy to access. Details on the criteria and how to apply are on the application page.
Posters for you to share with your teams: Crisis grant and wellbeing support.
Devon’s Chief Nurse advises routine temperature checks for care home residents.
Devon’s Chief Nurse, Darryn Allcorn, has advised care homes providers to regularly monitor residents temperatures as part of ongoing routine care arrangements. Darryn said:
“Following the release of the Government's ‘Living with COVID Plan’ we know there will be significant changes in the weeks ahead to national guidance for care homes.”
“Twice-daily temperature checks of residents in care homes has already been removed from national guidance. However, I want to recommend to all care home providers that they continue to regularly monitor residents temperatures as part of routine care arrangements. Monitoring will support trends over time that can help to identify the early signs of infection. Early identification enables early treatment, which helps prevent hospital admissions and reduces the risk of an infection spreading.”
 Free courses for personal assistants and individual care employers
Living Options Devon are currently offering free online and in-person training for personal assistants and individual care employers in:
- Emergency First Aid
- Moving and Handling of People
- PA Peer Support Groups
- Disability Awareness
- Level 2 Food Safety Certificate
- Level 3 Care Certificate
- Deaf Awareness
- Autism Essentials.
To register please go to Eventbrite and if you have any questions about the courses, please call them on 01392 459222 or email.
Two day supervision course
The Devon County Council Mental Health Programme offers a two day supervision training course on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 March from 9.30am to 4.30 pm.
The course will provide the opportunity for individuals to develop their own individual style of practicing as a supervisor. It is aimed at staff working within the helping professions of mental health and learning disability. The course will provide the opportunity to consider many of the challenges that emerge in practice within current supervision practice. To gain the certificate you will need to fully participate in both days.
The course aims to cover the following:
- What is supervision
- Roles and responsibilities of supervision
- Models of Supervision
- Tasks of supervision
- Barriers to supervision
- Benefits of good supervision
- Listening Skills
- Transference & Countertransference
- Ego states
- Challenging conversations
- Issues for discussion
- Supervision skills practice
- Setting up peer groups.
For more information and to sign up please contact the organiser.
Integrated Care System (ICS) Clinical and Professional Leadership Survey
The Integrated Care System (ICS) for Devon is engaging with stakeholders to identify the key actions we need to take to strengthen our clinical and care professional leadership from July 2022.
To shape this work we would like to invite you to participate in a short online survey.
The survey is targeted at clinicians and care professionals who are currently in system leadership positions and will help us to understand our baseline and identify areas for development.
If you have any questions about the survey or would like to find out more, please contact Jon Taylor.
Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD)
ICSD is a partnership of health and social care organisations working together with local communities across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay to improve people’s health, wellbeing and care. Their website contains general information on vaccination including FAQs.
Remember to share your good news stories in this newsletter
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Revisit previous good news stories
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