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As guidance is updated to reflect ‘Living with Covid’, the main guidance collections are now up to date as well as the individual documents, with links to two such links given below. Devon County Council Integrated Adult Care are also now moving back to 'business as usual' rather than our previous 'business important' status and we are hoping to resume market support accordingly.
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.
Government Guidance updated with useful flowchart
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for adult social care services
Outlines the COVID-19 testing available for staff, residents and visitors for all adult social care services.
Added care home outbreak testing flowchart: staff and residents (PDF and HTML versions).
Care home outbreak testing flowchart: staff and residents (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Updated: 9 May 2022
Vaccination support in care homes for non-older adults
To help support the rollout we would be grateful if those running care homes for 'non-older' adults who have not yet been contacted by the NHS and have residents with severely weakened immune system could please contact d-ccg.devonvaccinationsupport@nhs.net to arrange vaccination.
Care homes and over 75s spring vaccination guide
The Joint Committee of Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) has advised that people who fall into the following categories should be offered a spring booster vaccination and published a helpful guide.
- those aged 75 years old and over
- residents in older adult care homes
- anyone who has a severely weakened immune system
Staff declaration of vaccination status and risk assed visits
In response to provider feedback, we can confirm that providers can advise their staff that they do not have to disclose their vaccination status with people they are visiting. They can instead state that they are following government testing and infection control guidance to keep everyone they are visiting safe.
Reminder to providers of government guidance to continue to risk assess visits, in particular for those individuals at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 infection, to manage and reduce any risks as far as reasonably possible. This would mean deploying vaccinated staff if they are available.
Please note that the definition of people at higher risk of severe illness has recently been revised.
Updated estimates of coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by disability status, England
Estimates of COVID-19 mortality rates by disability status using linked data from the 2011 Census, death registrations, primary care and hospital records, and National Immunisation Management System has been published at: Updated estimates of coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by disability status, England
Updated: 9 May 2022
Care Provider Alliance - Fair Cost of Care
The Care Provider Alliance, comprising of ten national associations which represent independent and voluntary adult social care providers in England, is working with the DHSC on the Fair Cost of Care exercise for home care and care homes. This exercise represents a one-off chance to evidence the cost of care to the government.
You may be aware of Home Care Cost of Care Toolkit produced by LGA/ADAS. They have also commissioned a Care Home Cost of Care Tool which will be free for all councils and providers to use from mid-May. Care providers are invited to book and join a free information event in May by clicking here.
If you have any questions about the Fair Cost of Care process, or would like to sign up for regular updates, materials, guidance and FAQs, please email the CPA.
 Mental Health Awareness Week
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and one in four adults feel lonely some or all of the time. There’s no single cause and there’s no one solution. After all, we’re all different! But, the longer we feel lonely, the more we are at risk of mental health problems. Some people are also at higher risk of feeling lonely than others. Help and advice on how to cope with loneliness and improve your mental health.
Take a look at our Wellbeing for Staff page with lots of resources from the Wellbeing Hub, Talkworks and our Employee Assistant Programme.
VIVALDI study (COVID-19 in care homes) participation opportunity
Researchers at University College London are leading the national VIVALDI study (COVID-19 in care homes) and would like to partner with providers in England and find new ways of reducing infection in care homes. Information on the Vivaldi study, which is running in 330 care homes in England is available here. If you are interested in taking part please email Professor Laura Shallcross at: covid19@ucl.ac.uk.
Smiling Matters - Oral Health in Care Homes report, which investigated the state of oral health in care homes.
In June 2019 CQC published their Smiling Matters: Oral Health in Care Homes report, which investigated the state of oral health in care homes.
Key findings from the report were:
- Nearly half (47%) of care homes were not providing any staff training to support people's daily oral healthcare.
- 17% of care homes visited said they did not assess people's oral health on admission.
- The majority (52%) of the care homes visited had no policy to promote and protect people's oral health.
CQC made a commitment to follow up on the recommendations made in the report to see how much progress has been made and what areas need further support.
On future inspections CQC will be focusing on this issue and hope to see improvements on how oral health is provided for care home residents. Findings will be published in a follow-up report this year.
Reminder! Living with COVID-19: guidance and resources for the care sector
The Government recently released guidance which outlines the measures that should continue to be followed by the adult social care sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To support its implementation and answer any queries care colleagues may have, webinars chaired by the Chief Nurse for Social Care, Deborah Sturdy have been added to Skills for Care's guidance pages. Slides and transcripts are also available.
Personal Assistant and Micro-enterprise development opportunities
Devon County Council is working with a national social enterprise called Community Catalysts to support the development of the community micro-enterprises (under 8 staff/volunteers) and use of Personal Assistants. This work will take place over the next two years and will initially focus on the area covering Teignmouth, Dawlish, Starcross, Exminster, southern Exeter, across to Pathfinder village and as far as Tedburn St Mary.
For further information please contact Lucie Spiers, lucie.spiers@devon.gov.uk or visit www.communitycatalysts.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter @commcats and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/commcatsdevon
Make sure you get involved!
There are a variety of ways for you to engage with us. These include regular emails, newsletters, webinars and engagement meetings.
Get involved - Provider Engagement Network (devon.gov.uk)
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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