Policy Updates 20th December 2021

 

The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 20th December 2021.

Policy Updates

Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund for adult social care, round 2
Information for local authorities and adult social care providers on the £300 million Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund, round 2. This guidance sets out:

  • allocations of the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund, round 2, for 2021 to 2022

  • the conditions that will apply to that grant

  • guidance intended to assist local authorities

Found at: GOV.UK
 
Improved Better Care Fund: provider fee reporting, 2020 to 2021
At Spring Budget 2017, the government announced an additional £2 billion for adult social care. The purpose of the grant is to:

  • meet adult social care needs

  • reduce pressures on the NHS, including supporting more people to be discharged from hospital when ready

  • ensure that the local social care provider market is supported

As a condition of the funding local authorities were required to report data on local authority fee rates for adult social care providers. Information has been collected from local authorities in 2020 to 2021 to find out whether additional funding is having an impact in help local care markets through fee uplifts.
Found at: GOV.UK
 
Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund: 2022 to 2023
On 16 December, the DHSC published a statement which sets out the purpose and grant conditions for the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund for 2022 to 2023. The Fund states that Local Authorities will:

  • conduct a cost of care exercise to determine the sustainable rates and identify how close they are to it, which will be published

  • submit a provisional market sustainability plan setting out local strategy for the next 3 years (2022 to 2025)

  • use this additional funding to genuinely increase fee rates, as appropriate to local circumstances.

In addition to this:

  • cost of care exercises will be done with a more standardised approach to ensure consistency and transparency

  • there will be ongoing monitoring of how Local Authorities spend the money

  • from January 2022, DHSC will invite partners to support the development of the guidance and templates and wider support will be need to ensure all Local Authorities can begin to secure long term sustainability of their markets

If members have any thoughts and feedback on the proposals set out in the Fund, please email info@careengland.org.uk.
Found at: GOV.UK
 
Provisional local government finance settlement: England, 2022 to 2023
The local government finance settlement is the annual determination of funding to local government. It needs to be approved by the House of Commons. This collection covers the provisional local government finance settlement for 2022 to 2023. The final 2022 to 2023 settlement will be laid before the House of Commons in early 2022.
Found at: GOV.UK

National Papers

Patel urged to let care homes recruit asylum seekers
Priti Patel should relax immigration rules immediately to make it easier for care homes to recruit foreign workers, the government’s migration advisers have recommended. The Migration Advisory Committee said that care workers should be eligible for health and care visas and placed on the UK’s shortage occupation list. It said that the move was needed to tackle the “severe and increasing difficulties faced by the care sector”.
The Times

Social care: Official advisers want immigration rules to be eased
The government has been urged by its official immigration advisers to make it easier for foreign care workers to come to the UK. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said the sector was facing "severe and increasing" problems with hiring and retaining staff after Brexit. It suggested changes to allow employers to sponsor visas for workers on more than £20,480 a year.
BBC

Stakeholder Updates

New data analyses adult social care workforce, pay and opportunities by region
New data released by Skills for Care breaks down vital intelligence about the adult social care sector and workforce for each region in England. Following the release of the latest ‘State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England’ report in October, the organisation has now released specific data insights for each region. The insights include mean pay, turnover rates, number of jobs, vacancy rates, qualifications, and the demographic make-up of the sector for each region in England.
Skills for Care

New COVID-19 Treatments 
As announced last week, new COVID-19 treatments are now being made available. This includes oral antivirals and intravenous monoclonal antibody treatments. Some care home residents, care recipients and some staff will be eligible for this treatment if unwell with COVID-19. We have also sent specific newsletters to settings which provides more detail for residential settings. These treatments can help some people manage their COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill. They are a further measure in addition to vaccinations, which remain the best way to protect everyone.  There are now two routes available - with different criteria - for accessing new COVID-19 treatments for non-hospitalised individuals this winter, both of which are relevant to care homes and wider adult social care as well as the wider population; 

  • Participating in the PANORAMIC national study (over 50s; adults with underlying health conditions and all care home residents); or

  • Direct access to treatments for those at highest risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 (for individuals with specific listed conditions including down syndrome, MS and certain types of cancer).

Care Home Newsletter found at: NHS
Extra Care/Supported living Newsletter found at: NHS


COVID-19: Boosting the Social Care Workforce Webinar recording 
This webinar is aimed at Local Authorities, Provider Managers and Social Care Staff. It will be a space to hear from expert speakers about the public health case and operational plans for driving booster uptake, to find out about support available to the sector, and a chance to ask questions and give feedback.
Found at: GOV.UK

 
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