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: testing; DHSC webinars; care minister letter; national IPC resources; local community-based social care IPC project

Training: Restore 2 training for learning disability/autism services

Have your say: empowering ethnically diverse staff care home network

COVID-19 guidance and updates

Testing

This guidance (31 March) outlines COVID-19 testing for adult social care settings. It replaces all previous guidance for testing in adult social care.

Symptomatic testing

While COVID prevalence is high and there is a risk infection could spread rapidly, symptomatic testing remains free for adult social care staff in:

• care homes and home care organisations regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• extra care and supported living settings if they meet one of the following criteria:
  • the setting is a closed community with substantial facilities shared by many people;
  • a setting where most residents (more than 50 per cent) receive the kind of personal care that is CQC-regulated
• adult day care centres if run by paid care staff. Services must be provided within non-residential care settings that support health and wellbeing.

Free testing for residents in care homes, extra care and supported living settings stays.

Tests can be ordered via the established organisation ordering portal. 

Testing also remains free for:

• personal assistants who are directly employed by an individual, or self-employed, to provide care and support to an adult
• shared lives carers working with a regulated Shared Lives scheme to provide care and support to an adult
• social workers who work with adults requiring support for their health, wellbeing and social care needs and regulated by Social Work England.

Tests can be ordered from the current online lateral flow ordering system.

Asymptomatic testing

Testing will continue to be provided during times of high COVID prevalence for adult social care staff and a ‘small number’ of visitors who give personal care. Most visitors to adult social care settings will no longer be required to take a test.

Free asymptomatic testing will be provided to care homes all year for outbreak testing for staff and residents, and for residents on admission.

Summary: Changes to COVID-19 guidance for adult social care providers

Full guidance: COVID-19 testing in adult social care

Guidance section: process for symptomatic and asymptomatic testing

UK Health Security Agency: who can get free COVID-19 tests and how to access them

Leaving hospital

People leaving hospitals and going to a care home will be tested before they are discharged: hospital discharge and community support. (published 31 March).

DHSC webinars on changes to COVID measures

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is offering webinars:

Changes to COVID measures in care homes 06 April from 2:30pm to 3:15pm

Register your place on Eventbrite  

Changes to COVID measures in non-care home services 07 April from 3:00pm to 3:45pm

Register your place on Eventbrite

Letter to the sector from care minister

Gillian Keegan, Minister for Care, has written a letter to the adult social care sector, which shares the key points of changes to COVID-19 policy

Infection Prevention and Control resources

Information about safe working in adult social care services when caring for people with COVID-19 is in the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) COVID-19 supplement.

This should be read in conjunction with IPC in social care settings which outlines infection prevention and control principles for adult social care settings.

Both sets of guidance were published on 31 March, effective from 04 April.

Summary: infection prevention and control: quick guide for care workers

Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for adult social care, has written a blog (31 March) about the importance of IPC

DHSC webinar on infection prevention and control measures

DHSC is offering a webinar supporting the importance of IPC: resource for adult social care professionals.

It’s on 29 April and runs from 10:15am to 11:15am

Register your place on Eventbrite

Designated settings; staff movement

Designated settings, originally set up to provide a period of isolation to COVID-19 positive patients before they moved into a care home and before point of care testing was available, have been removed, as have restrictions on staff movement.

But care homes may be asked to limit staff movement by the Director of Public Health or health protection team (HPT) if, for example, there is high prevalence of COVID-19 locally or in an outbreak.

Infection control and testing fund

The adult social care infection control and testing fund round 3 guidance was updated on 01 April, adding a note outlining that the fund is now closed and that the guidance is being left as reference.

East Sussex IPC project: extending support offer

The PA Infection Prevention and Control project has had a name change.  It’s now known as the Community-based Social Care Infection Prevention and Control project.

That’s because the project can now provide support to voluntary sector organisations and other workers and volunteers providing unregulated, community-based social care. This includes:

• personal assistants
• unpaid carers
• day services
• volunteer and voluntary organisations

The team can assist with any infection control and COVID-19 related queries.  Their aim is to help you manage a constantly changing situation impacting on every day social care practice.

Contact: PAIPCProtectCovid19@eastsussex.gov.uk

Training

Restore 2 training for learning disability/autism services

If your service supports people with a learning disability and/or autism and you help people to advocate for their health care, this free online Restore 2 mini ‘train the trainer’ session is for you.

It’s on 7 April and runs from 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Book your place on Eventbrite

Have Your Say

Empowering Ethnically Diverse Staff care home network

Sussex Health and Care Partnership’s BAME disparities programme is seeking views on the Empowering Ethnically Diverse Staff care home network, previously called the Sussex care homes BAME Staff network.

It is asking ethnically diverse staff working in care homes to complete a short survey that asks what you want or need from the network, preferences for meeting times and venues and anything else you wish to share.

The survey closes on 08 April.

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