Adult Social Care Vaccinations Guidance & Toolkit
Letter from DHSC
Please find below a letter from Claire Armstrong, DHSC Director of Adult Social Care Delivery, which clarifies key information on the regulations relating to the extension of Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment (VCOD) to wider care settings and who the guidance applies to.
Download the letter from Claire Armstrong here
Please find the following letters for your information:
Communications Toolkit
To support your continued efforts in encouraging social care workers to get vaccinated, we want to bring to your attention DHSC updated vaccines communications toolkit featuring downloadable social media assets, marketing materials and FAQs.
Below is a roundup of newest assets within the toolkit:
Shareable social media graphics and videos encouraging booster uptake, topics focus on reducing serious illness, long COVID, family, side effects and risks.
Vaccine and booster social media animations featuring stories from those who have chosen to get vaccinated while pregnant.
This video featuring social care workers from across the country explaining why they decided to get the COVID 19 booster vaccine.
A COVID-19 vaccine playlist, featuring an array of videos on the importance of vaccination can be found on the DHSC social care YouTube channel.
A stakeholder Q&A on vaccination as a condition of deployment in wider Adult Social Care (VCOD2) and Care Homes (VCOD1) can also be found on the DHSC VCOD Google Drive.
Operational Guidance
The operational guidance on vaccination as a condition of deployment in wider care settings has now been published. Separate pieces of guidance are available from NHS England to cover healthcare settings, and the care home guidance has also been updated.
In summary:
Professionals entering care homes have been required to meet the vaccination requirements since the first set of regulations came into force in November, unless they are exempt or covered by other exceptions, and they must continue to do so.
Regarding wider care settings, the new guidance sets out how the latest regulations, which come into force on 1 April 2022, apply to wider care settings. It sets out that the duties of the regulations fall upon registered persons of CQC-registered care providers, where those providers employ or engage staff who provide CQC-regulated activities.
In the majority of cases, as they are not providing CQC-regulated activities for or on behalf of a CQC-registered provider, social workers are not in scope, and many Allied Mental Health Professionals also will not be in scope.
However, where individuals do not fall in scope, we would still appreciate your continued encouragement of your staff to take up the offer of vaccination.
Care home worker who refused Covid vaccine was fairly dismissed, tribunal rules
A care home assistant who refused to receive the Covid-19 vaccination when instructed to do so by her employer was fairly dismissed, a tribunal has found.
https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/care-home-worker-who-refused-covid-vaccine-was-fairly-dismissed-tribunal-rules