This week we have a range of Care Provider Locality meeting dates and other training opportunities.

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.

Care Provider Locality Meetings

The next round of locality meetings for all care providers will be taking place on:

South - 18 September, 1.30-2.30pm

East - 19 September, 2-3pm

West - 21 September, 1.30-2.30pm

North - 21 September, 3-4pm

Invite links and agenda items will be sent out closer to the time.

Coming Soon - The New Web-based Care OBRA Tool 

Due to its success, this Care OBRA Tool has been developed further from the UKHSA to allow you to report ARI outbreaks directly online via a new web-based Care OBRA Tool without the need to call or email the HPT first, thus saving valuable time. Originally this was set to start this week but has been delayed slightly, so further updates will follow.

Care settings will enter information about their outbreak via a designated webpage.

More details are on our PEN website Managing and reporting COVID-19 - Provider Engagement Network (devon.gov.uk)

Next Steps

Once the new process is launched, further information, including the link to the new webpage and a poster, will be made available.

Learn Devon – courses for people whose first language is not English

Learn Devon is hosting free sessions for people who do not speak English as a first language.  For further details please follow this link: Courses - Learn Devon

FREE LIVE Oral Health Virtual Education Webinar

Thursday 7 September 2-4pm

In collaboration with Oral Health Improvement Practitioner Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and hosted by the Northern Devon Care Homes Team.

Agenda Items include:

• Why oral health is important

• Toothbrushing

• Identifying tooth decay and gum disease

• The signs and symptoms of gum disease

• Tooth decay and oral cancer

• Diet

• End of life and oral care

• Oral care plans and CQC requirements and accessing dental care.

For more information and to book a place please see the Flyer attached.

Cyber resilience video

This useful short film has been produced by the Welsh Government on Cyber Resilience: A social care impact

Cyber Resilience: A social care impact - YouTube

Did you know, you can advertise and manage your vacancies for FREE using Proud to Care’s self-service Jobs Board? By doing so, you can benefit from:

• Direct applicants from your adverts, with email alerts when applications are received.
• Suitable candidates being matched to your vacancies through our Job Matching Service.
• Top tips on how to attract the best candidates to your job adverts.
• Your own account and dashboard where you can easily post, update, or relist your vacancies.
• Social media posts on Proud to Care’s accounts and on local Facebook Community Pages to increase the exposure and reach of your vacancies.

To find out more, please email Proud to Care.

Agency contact list

Dear Providers,  you can find the Agency Contact List on the PEN Website here  should you need to find additional staff.

C19 Cases have been increasing recently so this is a timely reminder in case you require additional staffing.

Good news story - The Eastern Care Services Team were proud to host The Enhancing Health Event

On July 25 at Newcourt Community Centre, Exeter, The Eastern Care Services Team were proud to host The Enhancing Health Event.

We would like to thank all of you who attended the day, we were grateful for your input, your enthusiasm and your feedback. We hope that you found it of benefit and that you will share any knowledge gained with your colleagues and your residents/ clients.

Presenters on the day described who they were and what they did and, very importantly, what they can do for you and how to contact them. In addition, a couple of our presenters gave a snapshot of the training they could provide to you if requested. We were extremely grateful that they also remained as long as they could after their presentations to answer individual questions. Thank you to: 

• Eastern Care Services Team
• Bladder & Bowel Team
• Speech & Language Therapy Team
• Infection Prevention & Control Team
• Oral Health Practitioners
• Falls Practitioner
• Tissue Viability Team
• Community Dietitians

Thank you to Bard, Essity, Medicareplus, Smith & Nephew, Dermal UK, Manger, for also giving their time on the day, to demonstrate and give advice on their products and to make links with Care Providers.

Some of the Comments we received from the feedback forms:-

• In depth talks, questions & answers, samples of products
• everything was well organised
• I liked the fact it was short and informative
• 10/10 I gave this score as the delivery of presentations was excellent, new information learnt

They will be offering future events next yea

For further information of any of the areas mentioned above please email rduh.careservices@nhs.net

Affordable, Devon Based, Quality Assured Healthcare Training from Life Lessons

Are you looking for regulated, accredited, cost effective, quality Healthcare Training delivered by an experienced, knowledgeable and personable trainer? Training that your staff will engage with and enjoy?

Life Lessons Training offers over 35 different Healthcare courses including mandatory training, induction training and update training. We can come to you and do some in house training or you can come to us, the choice is yours!

Contact Rosie by leaving a message on 07543 678002 or emailing rosie@lifelessonstraining.com or visit www.lifelessonstraining.com

Webinars, online training and forums in one place

Make sure you have the opportunity to participate in local and national webinars, online forums and training by visiting our website.

Self-Neglect Provider Training

Here is the full list of all the training offers with Grey Matter Learning and details on how providers can access below.  

A selection of eLearning that might be suitable for Self-Neglect:

• Mental health first aid
• Oral health care
• Sepsis Awareness
• Skin integrity and pressure ulcers
• Safeguarding (contains a section on self-neglect)

How to access Grey Matter Learning

To sign up for an account, all providers and personal assistants contact the Grey Matter Learning team. Select access training and then complete the contact us page that you would like an account under the Devon County Council funding. A member of the Grey Matter Learning team will then be in touch with you to set up an account.

‘Pinpoint’ – the Devon Community Directory

PinPoint is Devon's community directory, used by the public, GP’s, health sector, DCC staff in order to find suitable services and support in their local area. Please can providers ensure you have your company/ service details registered on here and ensure the information is always up to date. It is populated by providers through setting up an account. If you need help or see any errors please email pinpoint@devon.gov.uk

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

Issue 138, 10 August

Are your colleagues missing out? Ask them to sign-up to this PEN newsletter here!

Introducing the new Eastern Training & Education Opportunities page

A page full of funded training in collaboration with the Eastern Care Services Team and others. Including Restore2, oral health, prevention & control of infections and more! Available for Registered Care Homes and Care Providers in Mid Devon, East Devon and Exeter.

NHS and Care Volunteer Responders

The Volunteer Responders programme – now named NHS and Care Volunteer Responders - is being expanded to support adult social care providers in England. You can now arrange volunteer support for recipients of social care, including domiciliary care and people living in care homes. The volunteer services on offer include:

• Check in and Chat – short-term telephone support consisting of friendly conversations to improve mental health and wellbeing.
• Pick up and deliver – transportation of medication to people’s homes from NHS sites.
• Community Response (coming soon) – help with activities including collecting and delivering food shopping and essential items and / or prescriptions and medications.

For more information, please visit the NHS Care Volunteer Responders website. 

Social media support for Adult Social Care vacancies

If you are a provider with vacancies you are struggling to fill, Proud to Care can help increase your job’s exposure through their social media accounts.

Once your advert is live on Proud to Care’s Jobs Board, not only can they can share your job advert through Proud to Care’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, but can also post in local Community Facebook Groups to reach potential applicants at a more local level.

To find out more and request social media support, please email Proud to Care.

DCC COVID-19 updates

Coronavirus advice to the public

PEN events calendar

Check the calendar for future events.

National COVID-19 guidance updates

The GOV.UK website

The NHS.UK website

National vaccination publication collection

The national government page contains vaccination guidance, training resources, consent forms, letters, leaflets, posters and more.

NHS Devon vaccination stakeholder briefings

Read the latest weekly briefing and view previous ones.

Get involved in Provider Engagement Network activities

There are a variety of ways for you to engage with us. These include regular emails, newsletters, webinars and engagement meetings. 

PEN participation - Provider Engagement Network (devon.gov.uk)

PEN newsletter archive

View previous issues

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.

Are your contact details up-to-date?

We encourage providers to update their contact details (especially email addresses) with the Procurement team. We use these details to communicate with providers. It is very important that we reach the correct person in your organisation to receive appropriate referrals and timely updates from DCC, and that you do not miss out on any opportunities. Please ensure we have your most recent email address.

NICE newsletters and alerts sign up

Keep up to date with the latest news and guidance that may impact on your service and clients via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

Sign up to receive NICE newsletters here.

Remember that the Devon COVID 19 Vaccination Support Team are here to help!

If you have an enquiry regarding your COVID 19 Vaccination, please contact the Vaccination Support Team Email:d-icb.devonvaccinationsupport@nhs.net Telephone: 01752 398 836 Check your eligibility here.

Want to work for Yourself offering care and support? Community Catalyst can help!

Benefit from free professional advice to help you get set up!  

Too find out more please contact Simon Tickner, Devon Community Catalyst by calling or texting 07741 260 674, or emailing simon.tickner@communitycatalysts.co.uk  - or you can leave your details on the website to get a call back.

Are you struggling with the cost of living? Reminder!

There's some useful advice on our website for residents and businesses in Devon who are struggling to afford to pay for their energy, water, food or other essential items. It includes information about support for low-income families via the Household Support Fund, such as free school meal holiday vouchers, the holiday activities and food programme and 'Fuel, Food and More' grants.

There's also help for those using pre-payment meters, and who are struggling to meet their energy needs, via Citizens Advice Devon.

The Warm Spaces website has a map of places in the community that are free to go and be comfortable and warm with no judgement. They include places such community centres, churches and libraries. 

If you can't afford the food you need, you can contact one of Devon's foodbanks listed on our PinPoint website. There are a number of supermarkets, cafés and restaurants offering free or £1 meals for children during the school holidays.