Have you had your flu jabs? Vaccination take-up is always very good in Devon, but there’s an important national reminder in this week’s issue…

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.

Join Us for the next online County Care Home Forum – 25 November at 2 PM

We would like to invite all care home providers to the upcoming County Care Home Forum taking place on Tuesday, 25 November at 2:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to stay connected, share insights, and hear the latest updates that matter to your services.

Agenda Highlights:

• Celebrating Success – Recognising achievements across our care community
• Contract and Fee Model Update – Key information on the All-Ages ASC Care Home Contract and Older Persons’ Care Home Fee Model
• Understanding Individual Care Home Offers

How to Join:

The forum will be hosted via Microsoft Teams Webinar. Simply sign up via the registration link sent out in an email to providers on Wednesday 19 November to confirm your attendance. Once registered, the event will be added to your calendar. Please email socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk if you have not received the Care Home Forum Link and would like to attend.

Support for Providers – PEN Page Refreshed

We have recently updated the Support for Providers page on the Provider Engagement Network. This resource includes essential updates, guidance, and tools to support the implementation of the All-Ages Adult Social Care (ASC) Care Home Contract and the Older Persons’ Care Home Fee Model.

👉 [Visit the Support for Providers page]

New DCC Care Home Contract

If you have not yet submitted your signed contract, it’s not too late, please do so as soon as possible to avoid disruption to referrals.

Steps to follow:

• Check Your Inbox/Spam
• Look for an email from DCC Procurement (sent 16 October) with full instructions.
• Can’t find it? Contact: procurementpeople-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
• Use the Correct CQC Number

Ensure the contract includes the specific care home’s CQC number, not the overarching provider number.

• Attach Insurance Documents

Include a PDF copy of your insurance schedule, as issued by your insurer.

• Sign Electronically

Insert your electronic signature (image) into the signature field and return the contract in Word format.

This contract applies only to homes within Devon County Council’s boundaries – not Plymouth or Torbay.

As a reminder:

• Referrals & Placements

Only providers who have signed and returned the new DCC contract will continue to receive referrals, including hospital discharges.

Please ensure a valid email address is/was submitted on the Provider Contact Details form returned with your contract, as this is the address the Arranging Support Team (AST) will use to send referrals.

AST colleagues will only be sending referrals to homes that have signed the contract and have vacancies declared on the Capacity Tracker.

Infection Prevention Control Drop-in Sessions every fortnight from 27 November

Devon Community Infection Management Team have delivered IPC winter planning sessions to our community care providers and intend to launch an IPC Network for care homes- prior to this launch, we would like to provide ongoing support during the winter months, in the form of a virtual drop-in session. Info and link below to include:

To support care homes through the winter months and maintain momentum ahead of the formal Care Home Network launch, we are introducing fortnightly virtual IPC drop-in sessions from Thursday 27 November 2025.

These drop-in sessions will provide an informal space for care home providers to seek advice, share experiences, and access quick guidance on infection prevention and control.

If queries arise beyond national guidance, providers will be signposted to their locality CIMS representative for tailored support.

First session: Thursday, 27 November 2025 2:00 – 2:30 PM

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 358 047 500 206 0 Passcode: qa25Dt2M

Please help us by promoting this offer within your local networks and care home providers. Together, we can strengthen safe and effective care across our region this winter.

Requests for support or enquiries about this sessions can be emailed to: plh-tr.infectionmanagementadmin@nhs.net

Reminder: Community Services - Celebration of Strengths-Based Working Event on 2 December

Please remember the upcoming opportunity to come and join us and respond to research and themes we have identified through co-production, and look at how these stories will enable us to shape future commissioning.

We want to drill down into strengths-based ways of working, and understand the diverse offer already available to people. This will help us in our goal to shape the future of social care commissioning in Devon.

Workshops on the day will include:

• Making the best use of Community assets
• Dementia: mapping and rehabilitative approaches
• Best practice in goal and outcomes focussed approaches
• Bridgit Care: how will it work best for carers?

To book your place please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebration-of-strengths-based-working-event-tickets

Please note that spaces will be limited to 2 per organisation initially, but we will expand this if we have capacity. Book now as tickets are limited!

FREE Live and Interactive Education Sessions from the NHS Community Practice Education Team

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is offering free online education for care settings in North, Mid, East Devon and Exeter.

The following interactive webinars will be held on MS Teams:

• 19 November 2025 14:00 – 15:30 Prevention of Pressure Ulcer & Moisture Associated Skin Damage
• 26 November 2025 14:00 – 15:30 RESTORE2 mini
• 27 November 2025 14:00 -15:30 Antimicrobial Stewardship with IPC Team
• 2 December 2025 14:00 – 15:30 Sepsis Awareness
• 10 December 2025 14:30 – 15:30 Parkinson’s Disease overview with Parkinson’s Specialist Nurses
• 11 December 2025 14:00 – 15:30 RESTORE2 refresher
• 13 January 2026 & 10th February 2026 13:00 – 14:30 Hydration Champions Education
• 5 February 2026 14:00 – 15:30 Prevention & Control of Infections with IPC Team

Please use the link below to book your places https://forms.office.com/e/hSFFtxUZnN

Good News Stories - North Devon Nursing Home, Edenmore, Marks Remembrance Day with Creative Tribute

Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, North Devon honoured Remembrance Day with a week of meaningful activities designed to encourage reflection, creativity, and connection.

Family members – the home’s affectionate term for residents – took part in poppy-themed arts and crafts, painting and decorating handmade tributes which are now displayed throughout the home. On Remembrance Sunday, the home gathered together to watch the televised national service, offering a shared moment for those wishing to pay their respects.

Home Manager Gayle Cooper shared:

‘Remembrance Day holds deep significance for many of our family members – whether through personal memories, relatives who served, or simply the wish to pay tribute to those who gave so much. It is an emotional day for many, and we make sure to honour it in every way we can.’

Edenmore Nursing Home is the only nursing home in Ilfracombe, offering the reassurance of 24-hour nursing care so that help is always available when needed, without delays or waiting for support to arrive. To find out more, visit https://www.edenmorenursinghome.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 249 20 November 2025

DCC COVID-19 updates

Coronavirus advice to the public

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.

PEN newsletter archive

View previous issues

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.

Department Health and Social Care -  Flu Intake Update

As you may be aware, the flu season has arrived several weeks earlier than expected this winter. To help protect staff and those they care for DHSC is urging all ASC providers to ensure as many staff as possible take up the offer of a flu vaccination promptly. For info the attached letter has been sent to all Directors of ASC services, and all CQC registered providers via the capacity tracker.

The letter contains:

• Key communications for the sector on this season’s flu vaccine campaign
• Information from UKHSA about the vaccine
• Details on eligibility and how staff can book their flu vaccination

Here are direct links to the key information:

• How well will I be protected from flu this year with the current UK influenza vaccines? – UK Health Security Agency
• Early flu virus characterisation and vaccine effectiveness England autumn 2025
• Influenza: the green book, chapter 19 - GOV.UK
• Flu vaccine - NHS

You can view the letter from DHSC in full at: Flu uptake letter.

Personal Assistant Network - Online session on 9 December

The personal assistant network offers an opportunity for peer support and collaboration. It’s a space where you can connect with others, share your experiences, celebrate your successes and seek support with your challenges.

This session we will be joined by David Ashley from the Independent Living Group (ILG), who will be delivering a talk on the ILG wellbeing offer.

• Date: Tuesday 9 December 2025
• Time: 10-11am
• Location: Teams

To book on this session click here

For more general information, please view the Skills for Care website - Personal assistants network

Pressure Relief Webinar on 3 December

To find out more about pressure ulcers, prevention and solutions join one of NHS's Webinars, led by Tissue Viability and ILC.

Spaces are available for the last webinar of the year on Wednesday 3 December, from 2 to 4:pm.

Please see the flyer below for details and booking information. 

Pressure Relief Webinar Flyer - 2025

Free Yoga for Mental Health Online Sessions in January in Torbay

The charity Step One are offering free online sessions around the benefits of yoga for peoples mental health, aligned with the HOPE (Help Overcome Problems Effectively) course.

For more information on these sessions, please click below:

• Yoga4MentalHealth and HOPE - Online Training Sessions locations and dates information
• HOPE Chronic Pain, Fatigue & Anxiety and Depression - Jan 26 
• Torbay Yoga JAN26

Down Syndrome Act - Government Consultation on Draft Guidance

The Government has launched a consultation on the draft statutory guidance for the Down Syndrome Act, which will advise authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on how to best cater to the needs of people with Down’s syndrome.

It aims to clarify the support and services these individuals can expect and raise awareness of the condition.

For more information, please visit consultation page at: Click here

And participate in the survey at: Click here

There is easy-read information at: Click here

And an easy read survey at: Click here

Work for Yourself? Microprovider Support from Disability Focus

Microproviders are self-employed, local people offering all kinds of good quality, reliable, professional care and support to others in their community. Almost anyone can do this but often they benefit from support to get started or to check they are legal and getting the key things right.

Simon Tickner is the Microprovider Project Worker for Devon who can offer free support. To find out more visit PA/Microproviders - Disability Focus where you can make an enquiry if you’d like Simon to contact you.