The most up-to-date information from these bulletins can be found on our website.

For general advice about COVID-19 please go to: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

This bulletin covers:

COVID-19 guidance and updates: self-isolation; test and trace payment support scheme; COVID-19 in East Sussex

Workforce: #ManagingChange

Training: deterioration and escalation support tool; National Care Forum managers’ conference

Social care reform: People at the Heart of Care; independent review

COVID-19 guidance and updates

Self-isolation

The guidance for:

Managing exposed workers and residents in health and social care settings

Care home visiting

Admission and care of people in care homes

was updated on 24 February to remove references to the legal requirement to self-isolate. This reflects the changes announced by the Prime Minister on 21 February.

While there is no longer a legal requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, public health advice for people with any of the main symptoms or a positive test result is to stay at home for at least five days and avoid contact with other people.

Because of the higher risk nature of health and social care settings, the self-isolation advice for staff working in care settings has not changed. The same applies for care home residents where guidance currently advises self-isolation.

Test and Trace support payment scheme

A notice was added to test and trace payment support scheme guidance, that the scheme, which offered a £500 self-isolation support payment for people on low incomes who tested positive for COVID, ended on 24 February. If you were required to isolate before this date you can still submit an application up to 42 days after your first day of isolation.

COVID-19 in East Sussex

Find out more about COVID-19 in East Sussex: you can read the latest message from Darrell Gale, our Director of Public Health.

Workforce

#ManagingChange: how to engage teams in change

Skills for Care is running a webinar to introduce its #ManagingChange campaign, discussing how social care managers can engage teams in change. 

It will consider models of change and leadership strategies designed to overcome resistance to change - without impacting on colleagues’ wellbeing.

The challenge of finding the space to think and support others, why conversations matter, asking the right questions and the implications of this on 1:1 conversations and supervision meetings will also be discussed.

1 March from 12:00pm to 12:30pm on Zoom.

Register your place

Training

Deterioration and escalation support tool

Restore2 is a physical deterioration and escalation tool designed to help people working in care settings identify physical deterioration early.  It helps to get the right support in the right timescale.

Restore2 has five components:

• soft signs of deterioration
• what’s normal for a resident/client
• National Early Warning Score (NEWS)
• clear escalation pathway
• structured communication tool

If you’d like more information about Restore2, you can contact kerry.dudley5@nhs.net or join a free online training session: there are several dates to choose from between March and June, all sessions run from 2:00pm to 3:30pm and will be on Teams.

Book your place on Eventbrite

Restore2 was developed by NHS West Hampshire CCG

National Care Forum managers’ conference

Registration is now open for the National Care Forum (NCF) Managers Conference, supported by Skills for Care. Managers from all care settings across the country, both NCF members and non-members can attend.

It will run on 14 and 15 March in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Conference aims to provide support to managers as their services move from crisis to recovery and help them to assist their teams to build resilience for the years ahead.

Take a look at the programme

Social care reform

People at the Heart of Care: impact statement added

Adult social care reform: impact statement was added to the white paper People at the Heart of Care on 21 February. This white paper sets out a 10 year vision for adult social care and provides information on funded proposals to be implemented over the next three years.

Independent review

An independent review on social care reform by Baroness Cavendish was published on 21 February. The report looks at how government can ‘lock in’ the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic to build a more robust, sustainable and joined-up system of social care.

Meanwhile, the government has responded to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee’s report: social care funding: time to end a national scandal

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