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Welcome to the NAG and SOPO newsletter for 21 August 2020. Feel free to circulate to your colleagues.
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Previous bulletins can now be found here.
Personal protective equipment
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) sent a letter last Friday to Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), following previous communication on the role of LRFs in the distribution of PPE. The current emergency supply of PPE to LRFs via MHCLG will end by 11 September, however DHSC are offering one additional drop of PPE to each LRF to help build local reserves.
As LRFs consider local arrangements to maintain resilience following the cessation of regular PPE deliveries, DHSC has also released a Statement of Intent that looks at the storage and release of PPE from LRF-managed stockpiles.
Government have published a set of experimental statistics covering delivery of PPE to health and care settings between 10 and 16 August 2020. The data includes all types of PPE used for infection control and gives an interesting comparison to number of PPE items delivered in 2019.
Construction
An update on the guidance on ERDF projects to include a set of FAQs on the Covid 19 response was published this week www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-coronavirus-covid-19-response/european-regional-development-fund-2014-to-2020-programme-questions-and-answers-on-covid-19-response
Leisure providers
From our conversations with council leaders and chief executives, we are aware that the financial pressures facing leisure providers and the impact this has on councils and their communities is an issue of significant concern. Leisure providers have faced huge losses of income during the pandemic, with many providers predicting they do not expect a return to viability for at least 6-12 months because memberships and visits to facilities will not return to pre-pandemic levels for some time. As a result, many of these facilities are under immediate threat of closure. Many councils are having to put emergency measures in place to keep their leisure providers financially stable. We have produced an advice note to support councils with these conversations.
We are making the case to Government for emergency funding to stabilise the sector, and cover both costs and losses to avoid these falling back on councils. To help us highlight the picture and impact of the situation across the country, we would be grateful if you could email Samantha.Ramanah@local.gov.uk to help us capture this information.
Business support
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published its weekly update on the amount of funding distributed through the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund (RHLGF) by each council. As of 16 August, councils' efforts mean that £10.92 billion has been paid out to businesses in relation to almost 890,000 properties. This represents over 88.5 per cent of the total allocation and over 92.7 per cent of the total number of properties identified by councils as eligible to receive the grants.
Non-COVID stories
HSE local authority support
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has asked us to make councils aware that they are offering to support councils with a programme of spot checks of local businesses. Following a successful pilot with East Hampshire District Council and Havant Borough Council, the HSE is offering to undertake initial stage virtual spot checks with council enforced local businesses, enabling councils to focus their '-on-the-ground' activity where it is most likely to be needed. The results of the checks will be shared with councils for them to action as appropriate. The service is being provided by HSE using the money made available to the HSE to support regulatory activity in response to the coronavirus outbreak and follows a political commitment to spot checks being undertaken. If your council would like to take advantage of this service, please contact LAU.enquiries@hse.gov.uk for more details.
Supply chain weekly update
In case you are not aware we publish a weekly update on local government’s key suppliers in construction, children's services, adult’s services and ICT. The update includes news of key supplier share prices, new orders received and anything else relevant to that particular market. Sign up to receive the supply chain newsletter by emailing productivity@local.gov.uk.
Children's Services
In the Children's Services Commissioning and Procurement KHub group there’s a post from Somerset asking for help with a multi agency pathway for looked after children. If you have undertaken this work already and are happy to share please see https://khub.net/group/national-consortia-network/group-forum/-/message_boards/message/350312171.
Webinars / e-learning
Procurex National Engage – 9 September 2020 (Online)
An ongoing theme in today’s public sector marketplace is the need to realise improved value for money through ‘smarter’ procurement. Procurex National 2020 is designed specifically to help both buyer and supplier communities to meet the efficiency challenges of today and tomorrow, in addition to enhancing overall skills and capabilities. Find out more on the Procurex National Engage 2020 website.
Children’s Social Care and the Spending Review - 29th September 2020 (online)
Institute for Government Webinar
This event will look at what level of funding is needed for children's social care, what the right balance is between early intervention and crisis support and which of the changes made in response to the crisis should be kept.
Visit their website for further details of how to book: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/events/childrens-social-care-and-spending-review
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