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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.
Thank You for Your Support During Recent Gas Supply Disruption
We want to extend our sincere thanks to all adult social care providers involved in the swift and dedicated response during the recent gas supply disruption in the South Hams. Your efforts ensured that people remained safe and continued to receive the care and support they needed during a challenging time.
As a reminder to all, please continue to promote the Priority Services Register (PSR) to those who may benefit from extra support during utility disruptions. Details on how to join the PSR can be found at: .
And also note the register, where certain gas consumers like nursing homes can check the criteria to see if they are eligible for priority support during a gas emergency.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the wellbeing of our communities.
For more information on this disruption, please click here.
A message was sent out to affected providers during the week, if you missed that message you can view it here - click here to view message.
Information For All Care Home Providers
Introducing KPIs – Pilot Launch January 2026
We’re rolling out Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to all care homes within the DCC footprint who have signed up to the new ASC Care Home contract to enhance and support quality and consistency across care homes.
What’s happening?
- A 12-month KPI pilotstarts in January 2026.
- KPIs will be reviewed before full implementation in 2027.
- Provider data submissions are to be completed quarterly via Microsoft Forms.
- Provider workshops to explain expectations and support the rollout of the pilot commence next week!
Please hold one of the following dates for the KPI workshop (same content on both) - Registration links will be emailed out to providers before the end of this week:
- Tuesday 13 January 2026, 14:00–15:00
- Wednesday 21 January 2026, 14:00–15:00
PLEASE NOTE – These workshops are open to all DCC care home providers for information and awareness, regardless of whether you have signed the new contract.
If you do not receive an email with a registration link by the end of this week and would like to attend, please do not hesitate to email us to request this at socialcarebusinessrelations-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.
Winter Pressures Update
As you will all be experiencing, winter illnesses are continuing to spread - including stomach bugs such as norovirus and respiratory infections like flu, COVID-19, rhinovirus, and RSV.
Reporting Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs)
Ensure you report any ARIs in your setting to UKHSA using the online form: Report an outbreak of acute respiratory infection in an adult social care setting
By completing this form you do not need to call the UKHSA Health Protection Team (HPT) to report. See the attached poster on how to use “Report an Outbreak”. UKHSA recommend keeping a copy in your staff room with your CQC Location ID number written on it.
Please also review PPE requirements for caring for someone with a suspected or confirmed respiratory infection.
Testing
Care homes and residential adult social care settings should keep a small stock of COVID-19 LFD test kits. Use these if a service user who is eligible for COVID-19 treatments develops symptoms of a respiratory infection.
You can get free test kits in advance from most community pharmacies: Find a pharmacy that offers free COVID-19 rapid lateral flow tests for eligible people.
Do not wait until you need kits to order them. Order them now. If you have trouble getting tests or treatments, contact your local Integrated Care Board.
You may also wish to buy a few extra LFD kits for flu and COVID-19 testing. These are available from pharmacies or supermarkets. Whilst it is not national policy to use these in an outbreak, having a small supply may help the HPT get flu antivirals to you faster if you have an outbreak.
If you suspect a respiratory infection outbreak, test any eligible service users before completing the Report an Outbreak form. If you cannot test, do not delay reporting.
If you have a positive test result – tell the GP.
- COVID-19 treatments where indicated are available from the GP, NHS 111, or hospital specialists.
- Flu antivirals are available from the Health Protection Team or the GP.
If you haven’t already please visit the UKHSA’s Winter Preparedness and Infection Prevention & Control Pack for all adult social care settings: UKHSA Infection Prevention and Control and Winter Readiness - South West Councils
This pack is mainly for residential care but also includes guidance useful for non-residential settings.
You will find national and local resources covering:
- How to prepare for winter and prevent infections
- Acute respiratory infections
- Viral gastroenteritis
- Group A Streptococcal infections
- Scabies
- Risk assessments for new admissions during outbreaks
- How and when to contact the UKHSA South West Health Protection Team
Vaccinations
Vaccinations help protect both staff and service users and can reduce staff sickness. Please make sure everyone who is eligible is fully vaccinated. (See the attached information). All those eligible are urged to join the millions of others who have taken up their free vaccine offer to get winter strong – after all winter has only just begun - vaccinations are available until 31st March 2026.
Winter vaccinations and winter health - NHS
Vaccination and booking services - NHS
NHS - Infection Prevention and Control Update
There are a number of care homes in our area reporting either confirmed Flu A infection or residents with acute respiratory infection. In order for the UKHSA to undertake a prompt and thorough assessment it’s really important that homes report either one positive flu case or 2 or more cases of any respiratory infection. This allows the team to offer early advice on antiviral treatment or prophylaxis to residents, where this is indicated, in addition to infection control advice. The attached poster provides advice on reporting.
More information can be found here Report an Outbreak of Acute Respiratory Infection in adult social care.
Please click on the link below for a guide to help support Adult Social Care providers on eligibility for vaccinations.
Capacity Tracker Mandatory Submission Window is Currently Open!
Please note that the ‘Capacity Tracker data submission’ mandatory window opens on Thursday 8th January, the window will remain open for mandatory updates until 23:59pm on Wednesday 14 January.
Please remember there is a statutory obligation which requires all registered providers to submit data via the Capacity Tracker between the 8th and 14th day of every month (or next working day). Providers risk being issued with a Notice of Intent if they do not update mandatory data 3 months consecutively or 4 times within a 12-month rolling period
Reminder - 2025-26 Adult Social Care User Survey being sent out in January
The annual statutory Adult Social Care User Survey (ASCS) will be sent out in January 2026. The survey seeks the opinions of service users aged 18 and over in receipt of long-term support services funded or managed by social services and is designed to help the adult social care sector understand more about how services are affecting lives to enable choice and for informing service development.
The same survey is sent to people receiving support from every local authority in England and asks adult social care service users in the community or residential care, about their quality of life and what impact care and support services have on their quality of life. Data from this survey enables councils to benchmark against peers and to gather information to support their local commissioning , performance and strategy. It also supplies data for a number of measures in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.
It’s important that you know about the survey in case you get asked about it.
- Questionnaires will be posted out to approximately 1,300 social care users in the week commencing 12th January 2026.
There will be a helpline in operation For enquiries about this survey please use Adult Social Care Surveys Helpline on 0345 155 1012 or email: ascsurvey@devon.gov.uk
- The results of the survey should be available in Spring 2026. Our adult social care service users experiences will be compared with those from previous surveys, and data from all other local authorities when the information is available later in Autumn 2026.
Find out more about the survey on the NHS Digital Social Care User Surveys website
Please contact Kathryn Bird , Involvement Team, Devon County Council, on 01392 383000 for more details.
Skills for Care - Last Update of 2025
This is the latest update of the year 2025 from Skills for Care. Below is linked a bumper edition PowerPoint that summarises what Skills for Care offer including, Events, Free and costed, Learning and Development funding access, webinars, and free resources.
Skills for Care December 25 PowerPoint Update
Good News Stories
Sundial Care Home Crafts Christmas Cards for Local School
Sundial Care Home, near Sidmouth Devon, have enjoyed crafting handmade Christmas cards for the children at Tipton St John Primary School as part of their ongoing connection with the local community.
Residents, who the home fondly refers to as “family members”, took time to craft, stencil and write messages in the cards, wishing each key stage a Merry Christmas from everyone at the home. For many, writing and sending Christmas cards has been a routine part of the festive season, and this activity has encouraged family members to continue that tradition.
Family member Marion and team member Liz Hunt took a walk to Tipton St John Primary School to hand-deliver the cards. Children from the school have visited Sundial Care Home in previous years at Christmas time to sing carols, and have also made Christmas and birthday cards, helping to build a familiar and lasting connection between the two generations. The school is already planning its next visit, with pupils looking forward to coming into the home to read to the family members.
These intergenerational activities support family members in remaining a part of their community and sharing traditions with local children supports a sense of purpose, belonging and continued participation in community life.
If you would like to learn more about Sundial Care Home, please visit https://www.sundialcare.com/activities-in-care/
Over £500 Worth of Gifts Donated to North Devon Nursing Home
Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, North Devon, have been overwhelmed by an outpouring of generosity this Christmas, after receiving over £500 worth of Christmas gifts for its residents (fondly known as family members), through a TikTok campaign run by a relative of a person living in the care home.
The campaign was started by Charmain Lovett, whose dad, Harry, lives at Edenmore. In early November, Charmain shared a short video on TikTok, inviting anyone who was able to donate a small gift to the family members via an Amazon wish list she had put together.
While Edenmore Nursing Home ensures each family member receive a personalised Christmas gift from the team, Charmain wanted to set up her own initiative so the home might receive a collection of shared gifts, activities and treats for everyone to enjoy together. The idea was inspired in part by an online friend of Charmain’s, who had previously run a similar campaign for her nan, Beryl, called Beryl’s Christmas.
The response to the campaign was immediate. Charmain shared: ‘Literally within the first 24 hours, all of it had been sold almost, so I just kept topping it up [the wish list] with little bits and pieces. People are just amazing. I can’t wrap my head around it.
For Charmain, the campaign was deeply personal: ‘It's a bit of a different one for us this Christmas, because my mum passed away earlier on in the year. Gayle, the home manager at Edenmore, was just brilliant and really supportive of me, my brother Will, and dad in that time. So I just thought it'd be a really nice thing to do something nice back for them.’
Charmain shared: ‘One thing that he's always been almost obsessive about is making sure that he knows where his car keys are. So Gayle's husband made him a little set with a tag saying Harry's keys. So he's always got his keys in his pocket.’
‘It was those sorts of things that made a big difference to dad's happiness there. So when I was doing the wish list, I was making sure that I was putting activity items in as well. So it wasn't all just about chocolates and body spray!’
Gayle, Home Manager, shared: ‘It means everything to the team and I that Charmain thought of us. We are all truly touched by the kindness and generosity of everyone who sent a gift. Thank you from all of us at Edenmore.
The home’s team and family members have been busy preparing for the festive celebrations over the last few weeks, painting decorations, writing their Christmas cards and hosting their own carols-by-candlelight.
To find out more Edenmore Nursing Home, visit https://www.edenmorenursinghome.com/
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