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The Fair Cost of Care is coming and we want to make sure all providers are able to have their say on Devon County Council implementation of this important national initiative. We have therefore repeated the opportunities for participation we circulated with a Newsflash last week.
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.
Testing guidance expanded
Government guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for adult social care services, has been expanded to include additional resources for providers.
Flowcharts show the process for staff and resident testing in the event of an outbreak. Expectations around testing remain the same as when the guidance came into effect on 1 April 2022.
Guidance update: Health and wellbeing of the adult social care workforce
This revised guidance is for anyone who works in adult social care. It provides advice on how you can manage your personal mental health. It also provides adult social care employers with guidance, tools and advice on how to take care of the wellbeing of staff at work.
A suite of wellbeing and mental health resources is still available to social care colleagues, seven days a week, at Our Frontline. Help is always at hand.
Changes to Devon County Council mailboxes
Please note that all Covid-19 related issues should be now sent to the following mailboxes as we move into the ‘Living with COVID’ phase:
tacticalprovidersupportteam@devon.gov.uk
This mailbox is for any issue pertaining to a Covid-19 testing, outbreaks, clusters and single cases, or any other Covid-19 (non-DCC procured agency care workers) issue.
adultsc.covid19agencystaffsupport-mailbox@devon.gov.uk This mailbox is for issues related to the DCC procured agency care workers supporting staffing related issues due to Covid-19.
qualityimprovement-mailbox@devon.gov.uk will revert to its pre-pandemic role of receiving issues requiring the attention of the Quality Assurance Improvement Team
The following mailboxes should not be used:
adultsc.adultcarehealthcovid19-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
adultsc.covid19workforcetesting-mailbox@devon.gov.uk .
Fair Cost of Care – we need your participation!
Background
The Local Government Financial Settlement on 16 December set out additional funding available for councils to support reform and “move towards paying providers a fair cost of care“.
Devon County Council is required to meet the Conditions for access to Fair Cost of Care funding for our area. We must submit a return to the Department of Health & Social Care HSC by 30 September 2022 that includes Cost of care exercise results for Residential and Nursing Care for people aged 65+ and Home Care for people aged 18+, and we have local discretion on whether to use this approach for other markets.
The Cost of Care exercise means we will be surveying local providers to determine a sustainable fee rate and the results need to be comprehensive, accurately reflect local costs and appear in the public domain. There is no prescribed tool for this exercise, but we expect to be provided with some national guidance.
Devon County Council is also required to produce a Market Sustainability Plan. This is a three year (2022-25) strategic plan on how councils will meet local need which should consider current challenges and future circumstances, new models of care, existing fees, the cost of care exercise and the move to sustainable fee rates.
Your participation
Devon County Council is committed to getting this right for Devon as it will impact people who access services, independent providers, and the social care workforce. We need your help to achieve this.
We aim to establish task and finish groups on specific issues so there will be plenty of opportunities to engage not only in the Fair Cost of Care exercise itself, but also in the planning and outcomes.
To express interest, please email socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Further information
The ‘People at the Heart of Care’ adult social care reform White Paper includes information on funded proposals the Government will implement over the next three years:
The Government has published this Policy on Market Sustainability and the Fair Cost of Care Fund:
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For all the latest Provider Engagement Network information, visit the website
Autumn Vaccination programme national advice
JCVI provides interim advice on an autumn COVID-19 booster programme
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has provided interim advice to government regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) booster doses this autumn.
The JCVI’s current view is that in autumn 2022, a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to:
- residents in a care home for older adults and staff
- frontline health and social care workers
- all those 65 years of age and over
- adults aged 16 to 64 years who are in a clinical risk group
CQC’s upgraded website is now live
An ambition of our new strategy is to make our public information more accessible and easier to use. To support this, we have made some changes to CQC's website:
- A new design makes it easier to use on mobiles and tablets.
- We've simplified our navigation menu.
- We've improved search, so it's easier for you to gather insights for best practice and benchmarking.
- Providers can download widgets and posters direct from the overview section of their profile page.
Care England survey on the impact of rising agency costs
Care England are looking for views from social care providers on how rising agency costs for nurses and carers are specifically impacting their services.
Please spend a few minutes responding to the survey.
It’s never too late to come forward for your vaccination, says Director of Public Health
Eighty two per cent of people eligible for their spring booster have received theirs, according to the latest government figures, but more can still be done.
Steve Brown, Devon's Director of Public Health, says:
“Living with coronavirus in our communities is the new norm, and with it there is an onus on us all to do everything we can to protect ourselves from becoming seriously ill should we catch it.
“As the government announces new booster programmes, it’s important that those invited come forward. However, it is never too late for anyone to come forward for their vaccination, if you have missed any.”
Acquired brain injury call for evidence reminder
Remember that people whose lives have been affected by acquired brain injuries (ABI), and those who support them, are being invited to share their experiences and offer ideas on how to improve the care and support available. The call for evidence closes on 6 June.
Care home visit provides valuable insights to pandemic response
Michelle Dyson, Director General for Adult Social Care at the Department of Health and Social Care, Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency and Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, paid a recent visit to Four Seasons Health Care's Lansdowne Care Home in Cricklewood.
The home was previously one of around 340 taking part in a national VIVALDI study investigating COVID-19 infections in care homes, including antibody and cellular immune responses to the virus.
National Fair Cost of Care Tool reminder
We have previously updated you regarding the Fair Cost of Care tool for care home providers which is available for services supporting people over the age of 65. This has been developed by iese (CareCubed) for the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services supported by the Care Provider Alliance (CPA).
Providers are invited to register one person as a primary user of the tool and need to use their CQC provider ID.
You can see a timeline for the project and an overview on how to register. The CPA will be co-producing further guidance and an FAQ. 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.
CQC Recruitment Guidance and Resources
We would like to remind providers of CQC guidance, good practice and resources relevant for recruiting staff.
Registered providers are expected to apply the same processes for staff recruited from abroad (including refugees) as they would for staff recruited in England.
Regulation 19 – Fit and proper persons employed
To meet Regulation 19, providers must operate robust recruitment procedures, including undertaking any relevant checks.
CQC recruitment checks - Frequently Asked Questions
Our FAQs help providers understand what is required to meet Regulation 19.
Guidance on Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks – Section 23
Providers must do all they can to ensure that people they appoint from overseas are suitable to work with adults who use care services and/or children.
The DBS cannot access criminal records held overseas. However, it is still recommended that you undertake DBS checks for workers from overseas in case a person is barred, has a criminal record in the UK, or comes from a country where the DBS does have information sharing agreements. If you wish to check their overseas criminal record, contact the relevant foreign embassy.
Guide to safe staffing
Skills for Care’s Guide to safe staffing uses an analysis of CQC inspection reports to help you understand what ‘good’ looks like so you can learn from best practice
Ten Year Dementia Plan announced
Dementia action week took place last week (16-22 May and it included announcement, of a 10 year Dementia Plan, to be launched later this year.
PAs and Microproviders Cost of Care survey
In September 2021 the Prime Minister confirmed the government will be providing funding to support local authorities move towards paying providers a fair rate of care. As such, it is requirement that local authorities provide reports on their markets as part of the national Fair Cost of Care exercise.
It is not mandatory to do so for the PA market, but Devon County Council wants to hear your feedback. The results from this survey will better represent your market and enables us to learn and shape our future work to better support your sector. All responses will be anonymous. Survey closes at 5pm on Tuesday 31st May 2022.
To take the survey click here. If you have any questions, please contact socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Skills for Care focusing on creating a #HappyHealthyWorkplace
Skills for Care are sharing information and resources below can help with creating and maintaining a happy and healthy workplace. Keep an eye out for our blogs and articles that share advice and real life examples.
Care Home iPad project survey reminder
In winter 2020, to support the pandemic response, NHSX procured and gifted 11,000 iPads to care homes across the country. Central funding for mobile device management support is due to end in June 2022 and the NHS and partners Jigsaw 24 have launched a survey to collect the views of care homes with NHSX iPads. We have extended this survey (link) for two weeks and it will now close on Friday 20th May.
Remember to share your good news stories in this newsletter
Has your support helped transform 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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