January 2022 edition

Have you got something to share?

We would love to hear your feedback or contributions, so if you have anything which you want to share, or have a question to ask us, email us here.

COVID-19 UPDATES

DHSC Funding Update

Workforce Recruitment & Retention Fund (Round 1)

 We will be making grant payments to providers to enable retention bonuses to be paid to employees in the next couple of weeks. The payment reference that we will use is WRRF 1 so please look out for the funding.

 Workforce Recruitment & Retention Fund (Round 2)

The DHSC have announced a further round of grant funding from the Workforce Recruitment & Retention Fund. Once we have further details and have made a decision on how we will distribute it, we will contact providers to let them know how they can apply.

Further Workforce financial support

Gloucestershire CCG have agreed to match our allocation of £1.713m from the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund which we will also be passing on to providers to enable a further retention bonus to be paid to eligible employees. We will contact providers to let them know how they can apply in due course.

Infection Control & Testing Fund (Round 3) 

• We will be contacting domiciliary care, supported living and day services providers shortly about how they can apply for grant funding for testing so please look for the e-mail.

• We’re intending to make further infection control, testing and vaccines payments from what remains of our local authority allocation in the next few weeks.

• The DHSC have announced some additional funding from the ICTF3. Once we have further details, we will contact providers to let them know how they can apply.

 There are several government funding streams on the go at the moment so we appreciate your co-operation and support in following our instructions which will enable us to process and distribute it as efficiently as possible. Thank you!

Other Updates

Disability Provider Forum

For the first time since Covid, we are very excited to inform Disability providers that we will be holding a Provider Forum. 

The forum will be held virtually on MS Teams on the 19th of January from 10am until 12:30pm. 

For the first forum back we would like to ask whether you would find it useful to reserve the whole agenda for issues related to Covid and recovery?  If you can complete the survey on the Slido app (instructions here) by the 14th of January then we can ensure we cover issues and get the right people to the forum. 

If you would like to share anything/present an item then please contact with Amie Wilson and we can organise a slot to facilitate this for you.

If you would like a MS Teams invite for the provider forum sent to you, please contact Amie Wilson here.

Provider Invoicing – Home Care and Supported Living

Please note that invoicing queries for all in-County Home Care and Supported Living providers should be directed to the Integrated Brokerage and Market Management team.

Invoice/Purchase Order queries should be raised by creating an Action on the Provider Portal and this can be accessed by clicking here.

For any system support / Provider Portal account set-up queries, please use brokeragesystems@gloucestershire.gov.uk

We will shortly be publishing a revised version of the Provider Portal handbook to all registered users, taking into account all recent system updates and any new features and processes.

Flu Stock Availability

Please click here to see a list of pharmacies who have confirmed that they currently have Flu vaccine in stock.  Please also try your local Pharmacies as some will have small amounts left and they may be able to book you in.

Could your organisation use Proud to Care?

Proud to Care Team are here to enable Care Provider Recruiters to   advertise care job vacancies on the Proud To Care Jobs Board [as well as Indeed / DWP Find a Job /  DHSC Join Social Care / Professional Passport- with no charge] benefit from Proud to Care Applicant Tracking System & Talent Pool opportunities share organisation / job vacancies across the Proud To Care social media platforms [FaceBook / Twitter / Instagram - @proudtocareglos] promote roles to potential workforce [connected by Proud to Care through 1:2:1 career chats / Jobs Fairs /events / Sector Based Work Academies] Interested in these benefits? Please contact the Proud To Care team here to find out more.

Were any of your staff or residents born outside of the UK?

The EU Settlement Scheme deadline has passed but late applications can still be made. EU Citizens should apply to the scheme to ensure that they can continue to live in the UK. Applicants only need to complete four key steps – prove their identity, show that they live in the UK, declare any criminal convictions, and evidence why it is a late application. For more information on the scheme, and to apply, click here. Who can apply? People that meet the following criteria can apply for the scheme: You’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 You’re the dependent family member (i.e. parent, grandparent, child or grandchild) of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 People, including children, that meet these criteria can apply to the scheme, and it is one application per person, not one application for each household. What do I get if I apply? Having Settled or Pre-Settled status will mean you are able to: Work in the UK Use the NHS for free, if you can at the moment Enrol in education or study in the UK Access public funds such as benefits and pensions, if you’re eligible for them Travel in and out of the UK What you can do to help? Put the attached poster on your staff noticeboards or a place where all staff can see it Speak to your staff about the EU Settlement Scheme if applicable Speak to your residents and their support networks about the EU Settlement Scheme if applicable

• Support and help is available and more details can be found here.

Health Action Group Newsletter

Please click here to view the latest Health Action Group newsletter. This easy ready edition covers topics such as long term effects of coronavirus, protecting yourself from the flu and annual health checks. Excitingly, the newsletter covers details of the next Big Health and Wellbeing Open Day, so save the date for the 17th of June 2022 and the event will be at Oxstalls Sports Park, Gloucester.

Inclusion Gloucestershire's Survey: Chapter 1 HEALTH

Inclusion Gloucestershire wanted to understand the areas of everyday life that are causing concern or worry for people in Gloucestershire who face disabling barriers. In June and July 2021, they invited people who face disabling barriers to give their opinions and experiences along with any ideas they have for improving things. They asked people who face disabling barriers, family and friends and paid staff members who support people facing disabling barriers.  135 people took part and Inclusion Gloucestershire are now able to use the information they have been given to guide their organisational strategy (big plan) for the next 3 years. For more information and to view Chapter 1: Health please click here.

Understanding what constitutes a Safeguarding Concern

The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have produced guidance on when to raise a safeguarding adults concern.

The purpose of this framework is to offer support to a range of sectors and organisations in making appropriate referrals, by promoting a consistent and shared understanding of what constitutes a safeguarding adults concern.

All organisations working with adults need a common understanding of the circumstances that should lead to making a safeguarding referral and the circumstances where other actions, outside of the safeguarding processes, may be required.

‘Understanding what constitutes a Safeguarding Concern’ can be accessed by clicking here.

Training and resources for care providers including RESTORE2

West of England Academic Health and Science Network have training and resources (including RESTORE2) available to care providers.  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic West of England Academic Health and Science Network recognise that you and your team (whether you’re in a nursing or residential home or providing domiciliary care) are working harder than ever, to manage and protect the health and wellbeing of residents in your home.

There is a range of free resources covering training on spotting deterioration, use of pulse oximeters, videos and case studies.

If you would like to view the resources or book onto a course, please click here.

Recognising signs of deterioration in people with learning disabilities

At times of great pressure on social care we believe that concentrating on the unique soft signs of an individual will support ‘better, properly joined up care at the right time in the optimal care setting’ term support (Chapter 1 NHS Long-term plan ) and ‘strengthen our contribution to prevention and health inequalities’ (Chapter 2 NHS Long-term plan).

Gloucestershire Health and Care teams have been working collaboratively in the aim  to provide family ,social care providers and community LD health professionals with a training tool that emphasises how easy recognising the signs of deterioration in people with learning disabilities can be. 

Information has been put together including short videos on how to recognise the signs which can be accessed here or to view a tool created by RESTORE2, please click here. 

Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment Speak Up Group

Do you have a physical disability or sensory impairment? Do you find it hard to access healthcare services because of this?

Do you have any tips that you would like to share with others

We invite you to join our Speak Up Group where we will discuss access to healthcare services and the effect that the pandemic has had on this.

When: Tuesday 18^th January 2022

Time: 13:30 – 15:00

Where: on zoom.

Please email advocacy@inclusion-glos.org for the zoom link or for more information.  BSL Interpreters will be available for this event.  Please let us know as soon as possible if you require this service.

The Wellbeing Line

Unlocking confidential mental health and wellbeing support for anyone working in health and social care in Gloucestershire.

Phone: 0300 421 7500

ALL CALLS ARE FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL

E-mail: hello@thewellbeingline.co.uk