Support Package and Restrictions for Social Care

 

As you may have seen, last night DHSC issued a press release detailing further restrictions for care homes and a package of support. NCF have outlined this below.

'Support Package' for Adult Social Care

On Monday DHSC issued a press release outlining a package of measures designed to protect the social care sector from Omicron. Please also see the attached letter from the Minister for Care. Infections of the Omicron variant are currently doubling every 2 to 3 days. 

  • An additional £300m to the £162.5m workforce and retention fund. This money can be used to pay for bonuses and bring forward pay rises for care staff, fund overtime and staff bank increasing workforce numbers until the end of March.

  • Visiting guidance will be updated to restrict visiting to 3 nominated visitors and an essential care giver per resident.

  • Staff testing will increase from 2 lateral flow tests per week to 3 as well as a weekly PCR test

  • Fully vaccinated residents visiting out will be asked to take a lateral flow test on alternate days for 2 weeks after a visit. Those not fully vaccinated will be expected to isolate following a visit out

  • Extra guidance will be given for IPC and PPE.

  • Recognition that the booster programme needs to reach the most vulnerable members of our society and care workforce. DHSC guarantees that any homes that have not yet received a visit will be prioritised. Homes will get more than one visit.

  • NHS is closely monitoring the data on vaccination team visits to care homes and housebound people.

  • Social care workers can continue to book a booster via the National Booking Service and should book if it is 2 months since their second dose. They will be able to receive the booster once 3 months have passed.

NCF are less than impressed at how late this announcement has come or indeed the fact that the new restrictions and changes to the testing regime were the exact things DHSC told us wouldn't change at the beginning of last week. Overall, we welcome the additional £300m funding for the care workforce but the government needs to make sure this gets to the frontline, alongside the existing money in the workforce and retention fund (which we know many members have not yet seen!).  

We are very concerned about the implications of reintroducing restrictions around visiting considering how long it took us to get to where we are. You can read the full NCF press response to the announcement here: https://bit.ly/3yh0XtA

 
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