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Our somewhat wet summer has been replaced by some very hot weather and this issue contains a link to Action Cards which you may find useful.
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.
This months Countywide Strategic Forum has been cancelled, now on 4 December
The next Countywide Strategic Forum will now be on 4 December 1-3pm and no longer on 25 September. We look forward to seeing you there, if you have any questions regarding this please email socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk and we will be happy to help.
The Yellow Heat Health Alert has been elevated to an AMBER Alert.
AMBER Heat-Health Alert - (Enhanced hot weather response) has been updated for the South West and is in effect from 5 September at 12pm and predicted to last until10 September at 9pm.
Here’s the usual useful Advice and information from the UKHSA:
User guide to use of impact based Heat-Health Alerts system
UKHSA Action Cards
Heat-Health Alert Action card for the voluntary and community sector
Heat-Health Alert Action card for commissioners
Heat-Health Alert Action card for providers
Heat-Health Alert Action card for national government
Further Advice and guidance
UKHSA Adverse Weather and Health Plan and supporting evidence
Hot weather and Health: supporting vulnerable people
Find the latest weather forecasts and warnings
Met Office National Severe Weather Warning Service
Flood Alerts and Warnings
DCC Remittance Advice and Care Homes: Shared mailboxes required
Action required to support Remittance advice (including breakdowns) being sent via email to Care Home Providers.
Devon County Council is working to establish a process whereby all remittance breakdowns are emailed to Care Home providers in the future, this requires changes to our ICT systems.
This will mean that a full breakdown can be provided at an earlier stage via email, reducing demand/workload on your finance teams. Please note:
- For this new process to work all providers who require a remittance breakdown are required to set up a shared mailbox that is restricted to those people who manage the remittances only.
Devon County Council will send remittance information (including breakdowns) to this mailbox only in future and not to any other email address. For GDPR purposes we need to ensure all personal data is managed appropriately.
- Where possible, we will require shared mailboxes which start with the following; accounts@, remittances@, finance@. It is important that more than one individual can access the information, but not too many people (see 1 Above). Therefore, we advise that emails with individuals names are not provided unless you can confirm that more than one person who manage the remittances can access the account.
- On receipt of an emailed remittance, providers who do not already use Egress for secure email, will need to create a free Egress account to retrieve their remittance advice. This is necessary to ensure compliance with our information security obligations under data protection laws.
ACTION REQUIRED – ALL CARE HOME PROVIDERS:
Please complete this short form once you have a shared mailbox set up for remittance advice. Once we receive this information will contact you once we are able to set up the automated emails with your remittance breakdowns.
If you have any queries please email socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Flu and COVID autumn vaccine programmes brought forward
The government has recently announced that vaccinations are now set to start on 11 September 2023 in England with adult care home residents and those most at risk to receive vaccines first.
Eligible people are urged to come forward for their jab as soon as they’re invited
This year’s autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccine programmes will start earlier than planned in England as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new COVID-19 variant.
The precautionary measure is being taken as scientists from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) examine the variant BA.2.86, which was first detected in the UK on Friday 18 August 2023.
According to the latest risk assessment by UKHSA, BA.2.86 has a high number of mutations and has appeared in several countries in individuals without travel history.
While BA.2.86 is not currently classified as a variant of concern, advice from UKHSA suggests that speeding up the autumn vaccine programme will deliver greater protection, supporting those at greatest risk of severe illness and reducing the potential impact on the NHS.
The decision means those most at risk from winter illness - including people in care homes for older people, the clinically vulnerable, those aged 65 and over, health and social care staff, and carers - will be able to access a COVID vaccine in September.
The annual flu vaccine will also be made available to these groups at the same time wherever possible, to ensure they are protected ahead of winter.
There is no change to the wider public health advice currently.
For more information, please visit the GOV.UK website.
On the Department of Health and Social Care website, various items can be ordered for free to help you educate your service users and clients. For example, posters, and stickers. To find out more, and to place your free order please visit the Campaign Resources website.
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Learning Disability and Autism LeDeR Review Learning: key workers and Hospital Passport
We have recently received feedback following completion of a LeDeR Review of the deaths of individuals with learning disability and autism to see where we can find areas of learning, opportunities to improve and examples of excellent practice.
The review highlighted areas where support was not effective for supported individuals with clinical health conditions where there was a need to attend regular out-patient appointments. It is possible different outcomes may have been met if alternative mechanisms were in place to support the individual with access to appointments and to share relevant medical and support information with medical professionals in a timely way, in particular using key workers and hospital passports…
Key Workers
When a supported individual requires support with key health appointments, it is important that someone has good oversight of these and that they are co-ordinated and planned for.
The learning therefore is that Providers need a system that works for people, keeps people safe and to have access to services when needed.
There are a number of ways to achieve this with the Key Worker being one example which is more widely in operation.
A key worker is the central point of contact or a named person for the individual with a learning disability, to ensure that services communicate regularly with the person and their family members and carers, in a suitable format.
Quality statement 3: Key worker | Learning disability: identifying and managing mental health problems | Quality standards | NICE
If it is felt that Key Worker would not be a suitable arrangement, then how else can you implement a system which holds oversight. Could you use an electronic care system where alerts can be added for all appointments in a diarised manner with administrative oversight?
Hospital Passports
Completing a Hospital Passport ensures any admission is as person centred as possible with any reasonable adjustments identified to ensure the experience is a positive one. It facilitates the sharing of key pieces of information with clinicians to facilitate delivery of a bespoke package of support, ensuring the dignity and well-being of the supported individual always comes first.
Hospital passport | Patients with a learning disability | Disabled facilities | For patients, carers and visitors | The Royal Free
September Locality Provider Forums reminder! Please see new date for South below
The next round of Operational Locality Forums for all care providers in a particular area will be taking place on:
East - 19 September, 2-3pm
West - 21 September, 1.30-2.30pm
North - 21 September, 3-4pm
New date for South is below:
South - 27 September, 10-11am
Invite links and agenda items have sent out. The theme for this round of forums will be preparing for winter pressures.
Qwell webinar – find out about the local mental health and wellbeing online service
NHS Devon, working in partnership with Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Councils, has commissioned Qwell to provide all adults aged 18 years and over with free, anonymous, confidential digital mental health support.
Join the session on Tuesday 5 September at 2pm to 3pm to find out more about what Qwell can offer, not only for the people you support but also for you and your colleagues.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qwell-information-session-for-businesses-and-employers-tickets-679379932667
Higher Development Award Level 3- Unlocking potential & being the best you can be
The Award provides experienced employees from all Health and Social Care settings with the opportunity to develop core knowledge, skills, behaviours and values required to progress and practice safely. You will have the opportunity to work alongside others within the sector, enhancing your understanding of how your role links to the multidisciplinary team, and meets the needs of your organisation and the wider sector. You will develop your Maths, English and Digital skills and participate in a Workplace Improvement Project. More information available on the Higher Development Award page.
South Devon College- Register your interest, start dates 11th September 2023, 30th October 2023 and 8th January 2024.
- Physiological Measurements
- Sepsis Awareness
- Advanced communication skills
- Mentoring and Coaching Skills
- Maintaining quality standards in Health and Social Care
City College Plymouth- Register your interest by completing this form, start date 25 September.
- Understanding Leadership
- Leading and Motivating a Team Effectively
- Developing Own Leadership Capability Using Action Learning
Understanding and developing relationships in the workplace
Higher Development Award Level 3 at South Devon College
The Award provides experienced employees from all Health and Social Care settings with the opportunity to develop core knowledge, skills, behaviours and values required to progress and practice safely. You will have the opportunity to work alongside others within the sector, enhancing your understanding of how your role links to the multidisciplinary team, and meets the needs of your organisation and the wider sector. You will develop your Maths, English and Digital skills and participate in a Workplace Improvement Project. More information available on the Higher Development Award page.
South Devon College- Register your interest by emailing: nataliecollins@southdevon.ac.uk, start dates 11th September 2023, 30th October 2023 and 8th January 2024.
- Physiological Measurements
- Sepsis Awareness
- Advanced communication skills
- Mentoring and Coaching Skills
- Maintaining quality standards in Health and Social Care
City College Plymouth- Register your interest by completing this form, start date 25 September.
- Understanding Leadership
- Leading and Motivating a Team Effectively
- Developing Own Leadership Capability Using Action Learning
- Understanding and developing relationships in the workplace
Proud to Care
Proud to Care is Devon County Council’s team dedicated to raising the profile of Adult Social Care, and supporting providers with recruiting, retaining, and training staff in the sector. We have several free-to-use tools to help with your recruitment activities, including:
® A self-service Jobs Board: Advertise and manage your vacancies quickly and efficiently.
® Social Media support: To increase the exposure of your vacancies
To find out more, please email Proud to Care.
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