|
The national vaccination booking system opened this week and we are encouraging as many frontline staff as possible to take up the offer of an autumn booster jab.
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.
National booking system open for frontline staff boosters
Please remember that the National Booking Service is now open for frontline workers to book at local vaccination centres with appointments available from Monday 12 September. Please do everything you can to protect yourself and those you care for by booking in. For more information please refer to the government guidance.
Care Homes booster preparations reminder
The NHS has begun to contact care homes about autumn booster vaccinations and We are reminding all care homes to start the vaccination booster consent process. Relevant consent forms and supporting information can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Supported Living Tender Opportunity Workshops
DCC proposes to launch a tender for Supported Living services in Spring 2023.
Supported Living providers are therefore invited to a series of workshops over the course of the coming few months to help us shape the new service delivery model. The workshops will take place virtually via Microsoft Teams and will each last no more than 1 ½ hours.
Each workshop will focus on 1 or 2 key aspects of service delivery and providers can choose to attend some or all of the workshops depending on their area of particular interest.
Each workshop will be led by senior commissioners and operational managers as appropriate with the intention of encouraging full participation from workshop attendees. Because the workshops are intended to be interactive we may need to limit the number of people in the workshop. But we also want to ensure that as many providers as possible have an opportunity to participate.
Notes of the each workshop will be circulated to all Supported Living providers with an opportunity to comment by email for those providers unable to participate. A summary of engagement messages will also be circulated via the PEN newsletter.
Once the workshops have been completed and before the tender goes live there will be a separate event which will be open to all providers.
If you would like to work with us in these workshops, please reply to socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk indicating the workshops you would like to attend and also indicating your first and second preferred choice of workshop(s).
12 September, 2pm - Market Challenges including needs assessment and supply analysis to inform mutual understanding, including the information providers wish to receive.
3 October, 2pm – Service Model including complexity of need, workforce issues and co-production opportunities.
31 October, 1.30pm – Referral and vacancy management including care support planning and reviews, with co-production opportunities.
31 October, 3pm – Quality and performance monitoring including sustainable quality assurance and contract management processes.
15 November, 2pm – Transitions including challenges, opportunities and options.
29 November, 3pm- Pricing including impacts for DCC and providers of pricing options.
Royal Mail update on Deliveries during the Royal Mail strike - for care homes and respite
Royal Mail will go on a scheduled strike for two days in September. It is anticipated the strike will not affect the delivery of your test kits so you should receive your order as per normal. The dates of the strike are as follows,
- Thursday 8 September
- Friday 9 September
If your service has not received your expected delivery after 48 hours (excluding weekends) please contact 119 for assistance.
Apprenticeships to upskill the social care workforce
Trainee Nursing Associate and Assistant Practitioner roles have been implemented in England to bridge the gap between support workers and Registered Nurses and Allied Health Professionals to deliver hands-on, person-centred care within multidisciplinary settings.
Health Education England (HEE) is funding 2-year, Level 5 apprenticeships for appropriately skilled care assistants or support workers.
The apprenticeship levy can be used to fund trainee Nursing Associate and Assistant Practitioner programmes and will cover the cost of the training and assessment (including end-point assessment) up to the maximum of the assigned funding band. HEE also provides funding of £4000 per apprentice per year to employers, which rises to £15,000 per apprentice per year for those working in the Learning Disability and Autism fields for at least 50% of the time.
Although Assistant Practitioners usually follow a therapy or nursing training pathway, this may be available as an apprenticeship programme and would qualify for funding under the above levy scheme. Please see the HEE website for more information about this apprenticeship levy.
Embracing Apprenticeships Webinars
Skills for Care are also running a series of webinars with the theme of “Embracing Apprenticeships” running from 28 September. These are aimed at social care employers to support them to understand how social care apprenticeships can make a positive contribution to their organisation and includes the Nursing Associate apprenticeship. For further information and to book please follow these links.
To find out more and or to connect with others who have introduced Nursing Associates and Assistant Practitioners into their teams – contact nursingassociates.sw@hee.nhs.uk
Smart Home training event in Newton Abbot
The Interactive Smart Home Event is free training offered by the Independent Living Centre which includes a demonstration of assistive technology including telecare, apps, and smart technology with representatives from different providers in Devon.
The training is on Tuesday 18 October 2022 at the Independent Living Centre, Brunel Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 4PB.
There will be 5 tours running throughout the day, each lasting 2 hours with limited spaces available, so please book now to avoid disappointment.
To find out more about the Independent Living Centre email or call on 01392 38018.
Help for Households - cost of living communication toolkit
The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) stakeholder toolkit contains resources to help communicate to your customers the Cost Of Living payment that many disability benefit claimants will be receiving, as well as wider support for households. They help signpost to what the different payments are and when they will start being paid, and who is eligible for the payments.
Free carbon monoxide checking training for voluntary and community organisations
The risks of carbon monoxide poisoning increase as we move towards Autumn and Winter. The Gas Safe Charity continues to offer more of their popular and free carbon monoxide awareness workshops. Aimed at front line staff and volunteers, they help people who work in the homes of vulnerable people to be more aware of the risks and to help prevent poisoning taking place. The interactive workshop lasts an hour. The next sessions are:
- Thursday 15 September at 9:30am
- Tuesday 18 October at 9.30am
To find out more and to book, please follow this link.
South West Care Home Network September event
The next South West Academic Health Science Network (SWAHSN) South West Care Home Network event will be held on Wednesday 14 September from 10am to 12.30pm. The event will bring together care home managers, staff, leaders, CCGs, local authorities and experts from across the sector to look at improvements, examples of good practice and interventions that will support and develop care homes.
The event will provide opportunities to hear from care homes specifically around managing deterioration. As well as celebrating the networks achievements over the last 12 months and discussing next steps. You can sign up for the event online.
Fully funded training opportunities for PAs
If you are interested in learning something new, refreshing your skills or developing your career, there is a variety of training available for you. Check out the funded training offers on our PA Training page by visiting the Provider Engagement Network. Here you can access and sign up to a range of flexible training opportunities, available in person or online.
New measures in place to control bird flu
On 31 August, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was declared across Devon, Cornwall and parts of Somerset due to an increase of cases of bird flu in both wild and captive birds in the region.
There are several measures that everyone must now follow to help prevent the spread.
If you find dead or visibly sick wild birds, please do not touch or pick them up. Dead birds should be reported to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. Defra will then advise if they will collect birds, or if they will need to be disposed of by the landowner.
Further information is available on the GOV.UK website.
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 will help share good practice.
Revisit previous good news stories
|
