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Please make sure you take advantage of the webinars Devon County Council is hosting about our strength-based approach to adult social care.
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.
Strengths-based working: training opportunities reminder
Come and join us in piloting a new suite of learning and development for providers. If you are a care worker who is keen to learn more about how we can all work together to deliver Strengths-based approaches in Devon, let us have your expression of interest now.
Tandra Forster, Director of Integrated Adult Social Care, Devon County Council said: “It’s important that we progress our strengths-based workforce development strategy with both parts of our workforce: internal and external. Providers are key partners in building our collaborative approach to strengths-based working”
Come and be part of this exciting new initiative designed to see how we can develop a shared approach to strengths-based working in Devon.
Get further information about this important opportunity at: Provider workforce development - Strengths based approaches - Provider Engagement Network (devon.gov.uk)
Sign up to participate at: Provider Strengths Based Approach Training Pilot - Expression of Interest (office.com)
Learning and Development Support Scheme 2024-2025
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is offering financial support for the professional development of non-regulated care staff through the Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) for the 2024-2025 financial year. Eligible Adult Social Care (ASC) employers in England can claim funding for training courses and qualifications started and paid for between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. The scheme is managed by NHSBSA via an online claims service. Employers must complete the ASC Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) to qualify. This initiative aims to enhance the skills of deputy managers, CQC-registered managers, and agency staff.
Applicable Employers/Employees:
- Adult residential care services (with/without nursing, sheltered housing, etc.).
- Adult day care services.
- Adult domiciliary care services (home help, live-in care, supported living, etc.).
- Adult community care services (carers support, community support, respite care, etc.).
For further information on the scheme and a list of eligible training courses and qualifications please go to Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you have questions about the Learning and Development Support Scheme you can get in touch with the team by emailing ascreimbursement@dhsc.gov.uk
Autumn 2024 Vaccinations Programme
The Autumn winter vaccination program for Covid -19 and Flu is fast approaching with the campaign start date scheduled for 3 October. The National booking system opened on 23 September to support eligible cohorts to book and manage their vaccination appointment.
Covid 19 Eligible cohorts
Vaccinations will be available from 3 October for:
- adults aged 65 years and over
- residents in a care home for older adults
- residents living in non-older adult care homes should also be vaccinated, only if they meet the following criteria:
- individuals aged 65 years and over, (including those due to turn 65 years on or before 31 March 2025)
- persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group (as defined in tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book)
- individuals aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group (as defined in tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book)
- frontline NHS and social care workers, and those working in care homes for older people
Existing cohorts for the Flu vaccination
Vaccinations have been available since 1 September for:
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2024
- primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
New Flu Eligible cohorts
Vaccinations will be available from 3 October 2024 for:
- those aged 65 years and over
- those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza Chapter 19)
- those in long-stay residential care homes
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants
RSV Vaccination
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs, it often causes symptoms similar to a cold including coughs, sore throat, sneezing and runny or blocked nose.
Vaccinations have been available from 1 September in this all year programme for:
- Those aged between 75 – 79 (turning 75 on or after 1t September 2024)
- Those that are pregnant
Please note that RSV vaccination is not able to be co-administered with the Covid-19 nor the Flu vaccinations. It is expected that not all the RSV vaccinations will be administered during the Autumn / Winter period due to NHS capacity needed for Covid-19 and Flu. RSV vaccinations will be available throughout this year and next.
Accessing vaccinations
NHS Primary Care Networks will link directly with older person care homes to arrange a visit to administer vaccinations, Covid-19 and Flu vaccinations can be and will be co-administered where possible.
Eligible residents in non-older adult care homes will receive an invitation from the NHS with instructions on how to arrange a vaccination.
Frontline health and social carers can book their Covid-19 vaccination via the National Booking Service, a participating walk in centre, pop up vaccination site or participating pharmacies.
Frontline health and social carers can book their Flu vaccination via the NBS via participating pharmacies.
Frontline care staff can self-declare eligibility for Covid and Flu vaccinations, it is recommended that they take their identification badge with them or a letter from their employer.
Reminder to report ARI outbreaks to UKHSA
Outbreaks of acute respiratory infections (ARI) including Covid-19 and Influenza need to be reported through to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Care settings should report confirmed or suspected ARI outbreaks via the OBRA Tool: https://forms.ukhsa.gov.uk/ReportAnOutbreak
The system will perform an initial triage to assess whether the report concerns:
- a single case or an outbreak
- a residential/nursing care home or another type of ASC setting
- a low-risk, medium risk, or high priority outbreak according to the combination of red and amber flags
The provider reporting via the OBRA tool will receive two automated emails:
- An “acknowledgment email” with a Care OBRA reference number and a copy of your data
- An “advice email” providing immediate information/advice on how to manage the situation reported.
Please note that providers may receive an additional “advice email” if, for example, they are reporting a COVID-19 outbreak AND a single case of Flu.
UKHSA will assess the data (within 1-2 working days) and take further action if specialist advice is required. For example, call the provider, send a follow-up email with specific advice, inform relevant partners, such as, LA PH team, IPC, & ICB.
The OBRA Tool allows adult social care settings to:
- Report suspected / confirmed ARI’s without the need to ring or email the HPT beforehand.
- Collect all the relevant information and enter it into an electronic platform at a time that suits them.
- Receive a summary of the data entered in the Care OBRA Tool
- Receive immediate email advice on how to manage their situation and automatically identify the higher risk situations.
Completed OBRA’s allow the Health Protection Team (HPT) to:
- Identify and prioritise incidents requiring specialist HPT input.
- Focus on interventions that will achieve the greatest public health impact.
Provide local system partners with timely and accurate information
Care Home survey - Are you Ready for Winter?
NHS Devon are working out the best information to support and empower care homes through this coming winter. We have designed a short survey to ask our care home colleagues about what they would prefer. Would you mind sending this out to all your care home contacts and ask them to spend five mins to complete this on our behalf? Deadline is Friday 4 October 2024.
This is the link to the survey form - Care Home survey - Are You Ready for Winter?
Northam Care trust celebrates Carers Week with cream tea - Good News Story
To celebrate National Professional carers week 16-20 September, The Northam Care trust delivered a cream tea to all services to say thank you for all the hard work our carers do each and every day. We are very proud of our care teams who work in residential care, supported living and day services and we wanted to make sure their efforts were celebrated in some way. And who doesn’t love a cream tea?! Other treats were of course available for those who wished something different.
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