Make sure you take advantage of the Flourish training Devon County Council is supporting and the apprenticeship opportunities made possible by the Levy Pledge, both described below…

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.

Community Service Providers Inflationary Uplift

Please note that the Devon County Council inflationary uplift for Community Service Providers 2025/26 has been agreed at 4% effective from 31 March 2025.

This includes provider who deliver:

• Personal Care
• Supported Living
• Day Services
• Enabling
• Shared Lives
• Individual Service Funds

Letters were issued to the provider market on 20 March 2025

All queries relating to inflation should be directed to the @social care business relations - mailbox

Please note- this does not include Residential and Nursing Care home providers

Provider Engagement Closure Announcement: Older Persons’ (65+) Care Homes Fee Model and 2025 Fees Uplift 

Devon County Council would like to inform all providers that the period of provider engagement on the proposed new fee model for Older Persons’ (65+) care home placements and the 2025 fees uplift has now closed.  The council is considering that the uplift will be bought forward to support immediate challenges and will be back dated to 31 March 2025 (not 7 April as per the engagement report). Some providers have flagged further analysis may also be helpful to support the final fee setting under a new Older Persons contract. This is currently being considered and may impact the proposed June commencement.
The council’s final decision will be communicated here on the PEN website and via the PEN newsletter and direct email to care home providers.

Devon County Council Extends Partnership with Flourish to Support Social Care Training 

Devon County Council has announced the extension of its partnership with Flourish's ‘Click’ eLearning platform (previously known as Grey Matter Learning), providing part-funded social care courses for all adult care providers in the region until 31 March 2026. 

How to get involved 

'Click' can be accessed for £1 per learner, per month, plus VAT, specifically for our Adult Social Care online course bundle. This is subsidised by Devon County Council who will be covering two thirds of the cost of 'Click'. To access the platform, use the form below and the team will get you setup in no time. https://flourish.co.uk/partner/devon-council   

Key Benefits 

• Training matrix
• 134 eLearning courses
• Accessibility tools for all

Quote from Flourish user “This training platform has enabled us as a small new company to train our staff to a much higher level in a broader range of subjects that we could have afforded on our own. The accessibility features are also unique and ensure understanding regardless of language, dyslexia etc.” 

Don't Miss Out! Get started today and be part of this initiative! 

Rowcroft Education’s Upcoming Learning Events for Spring and Summer

Rowcroft are offering various training sessions for Adult Social Care professionals - for more information on each session please click on the link provided below.

Please note that some of these sessions require payment to attend. 

April 2025

- 29 April 2025: An introduction to spiritual care at end of life (free online learning event) – Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

May 2025

- 6 May 2025: Digital legacy planning: Helping others to plan/prepare (free online learning event) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

- 20 May 2025: Palliative care in end stage liver disease (free online learning event)  Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

June 2025

- 3 June 2025: Managing nausea, vomiting & bowel obstruction in palliative care (free online learning event) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

- 4 & 5 June 2025: Advanced Level Communication Skills in Palliative & End of Life Care (two day classroom course - £750 per person) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

-11 June 2025: Managing swallowing difficulties in palliative care (free online learning event)Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

-24 June 2025:  Promoting skin integrity in end of life care  (free online learning event) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

-26 June 2025: BodyGuard syringe pump training (classroom learning event - £50 per person) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

July 2025

- 2 & 3 July 2025: Advanced Level Communication Skills in Palliative & End of Life Care (two day classroom course - £750 per person) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

- 10 July 2025: Spiritual care at end of life (classroom learning event - £25 per person) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

-  16 July 2025: Artificial nutrition and hydration at end of life: An exploration of the ethicolegal issues (free online learning event)  Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

- 16 & 23 July 2025: Fundamentals of end of life care (2 full classroom days - £150 per person) Course details | Rowcroft Hospice

Good News Story - Heanton Nursing Home celebrates three Spectacular Days!

Heanton Nursing Home in Barnstaple recently came alive with three unforgettable days of celebrations, bringing together residents the vibrant local community and dedicated team members, both past and present. At the centre of the celebrations was the much-anticipated Spring Day of Happiness on 20 March —an exciting day that captured the warmth and the true spirit of life at Heanton.

Celebrations began on the 19 March with the grand opening of the pod ‘Heanton Retreat’—a heartfelt transformation of a former PPE storage space used during the pandemic. Now a beautifully designed retreat, the space offers bathroom and kitchen facilities, a cozy mock-up bedroom, and a peaceful meeting area. It provides relatives and visiting professionals a welcoming place to rest or connect, especially during the most sensitive moments.

‘Heanton Retreat’ stands as a symbol of resilience and care, embodying Heanton’s commitment to creating a comforting and welcoming environment for all.

The following day, Heanton’s Spring Day of Happiness welcomed lots of visitors including relatives, past team members, local councillor Graham Bell, church representatives including Caroline Raby, and Devon County Council’s adult social care team, and many friends.

The warm weather made it a perfect day for the outdoor celebrations and entertainment, including live music from local musician Roger Colome, Chair Zumba with Roberto, and a DJ set from Robin of RBM Entertainment.

After two lively days, 21 March a calmer change of pace, with a tea with soft background music, cakes, and sandwiches, giving families more time to connect in a peaceful setting.

Across all three days, the emphasis remained on community, celebration, and creating familiar, welcoming experiences. Find out more at: www.heantonnursinghome.com

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 216 3 April 2025

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

DCC COVID-19 updates

Coronavirus advice to the public

National COVID-19 guidance updates

The GOV.UK website

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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.

Join the Strength Based E-Learning Community of Practice

Following on from our successful provider Strengths based approach pilot we will be expanding the E-Learning for all to access. The topics include applying a strengths based approach through the Care Act, TECS, Goal setting and outcomes and 247 grid, Path planning.

As a result of the evaluation and learning from the pilot, we are developing a strengths based approach Community of Practice. The Community of Practice will have drop in sessions and opportunity for discussion, peer support and sharing good practice. Instructions of how to access the e-learning and to keep up to date with the Community of Practice progress keep an eye on this page: Strengths Based Approach - Provider Engagement Network

The Community of Practice is being supported by our in house Social Care Reablement and Reaching For Independence teams. If you have already completed the e-learning and would be interested in attending the Community of Practice, we are planning the first session for 30 April at 3pm and further details will be shared shortly and added to the Strengths Based Approach page above. 

New Apprenticeship Levy Pledge Announcement

Are you looking for funding for apprenticeships in your team? Devon County Council have opened a new Levy Pledge to support Care Services and Education and Childcare in Devon! £150,000 has been pledged to fund the apprenticeship training costs in this sector.

"Our apprentice has been a fantastic addition to the team, bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm while developing valuable skills. The Levy Transfer has been a huge support, allowing us to invest in their training without financial strain. It’s been a win-win for both our business and our apprentice’s future!"

Interested in applying? Click here to apply to this pledge. Stay updated by visiting our workforce page for all information about the levy fund and application process.  

Devon Community Foundation – State of the Sector project

Devon Community Foundation, in collaboration with Devon County Council, is working on a State of the Sector project, which aims to paint an authoritative picture of the entire voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. 

The latest part of the project takes a look at unregistered associations, clubs, societies, voluntary and community groups across Devon. There is no robust countywide data on this important part of the sector. 

If you are involved with a community organisation that is not registered with the Charity Commission or Companies House, please do complete this short survey. For more information on the project, and to see related publications, please visit Insight and Learning - State of the Sector Project.