Policy Updates 11th December 2022
Cost of Living Survey
The IHM are running a cost of living survey with Kings College London to inform a report that will be published in 2023.
Updates From North Somerset
Severe Weather Preparedness and Cold Weather Warning
It is that time of year again where we start considering the impact of adverse weather during the winter months. The Council’s Severe Weather Plan has been reviewed and to confirm, there is still the following expectation on all domiciliary and community based care providers.
Providers must be able to identify vulnerable service users and give consideration of those made vulnerable by the snow event - as in previous years we will work with you to look at supporting each other geographically to ensure the best use of staffing resources. As always, please consider alternative ways of supporting people, including welfare calls and the use of TEC to ensure people are safe. We are aware of the added pressures this year of continuing Covid 19 sickness and people’s vulnerability to the cost of living crisis.
Providers must consider equipping staff with appropriate equipment e.g. yaktraxs, snow socks etc to enable critical services to continue to be delivered – these go up in price the closer to winter so it is better to consider purchasing sooner rather than later.
Providers must have access to their own 4x4 vehicles where necessary - These can be hired and it is better to be prepared than try to access last minute. Access to NSC 4x4 vehicles is limited to preservation of life and we will be in open communication with our fleet management team in an emergency planning situation.
Care Home providers should support staff to be aware of any impending adverse weather conditions and encourage staff to consider being prepared as possible. For example, giving longer for time travelling to work and to consider sharing transport.
Please get in touch should you have any questions or concerns.
We have received a Level 3 alert from the met office 9-12 December 2022. Details are below.
Level 3 - Cold Weather Action
There is a 90% probability of severe cold weather and icy conditions between 1800 on Wednesday 07 Dec and 0900 on Monday 12 Dec in parts of England. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Please refer to the national Cold Weather Plan and your Trust's emergency plan for appropriate preventive action.
Please refer to the national Cold Weather Plan and your Trust's emergency plan for appropriate preventive action.
An update will be issued when the alert level changes in any region. Alerts are issued once a day by 0900 if required and are not subject to amendment in between standard issue times. Note that the details of the forecast weather are valid at the time of issue but may change over the period that an alert remains in force. These details will not be updated here unless the alert level also changes, the latest forecast details can be obtained at the following link: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/#?tab=map
Regional Risk Assessments for occurrence of Cold Weather conditions between 18:00 Local Time on Wednesday and 09:00 Local Time on Monday.
The areas that are likely to be affected are:
Region Warning Level Risk Comments
Southwest England/SWE Level 3 (Amber) 90% cold with overnight frosts and temperatures only rising a few degrees Celsius above freezing by day. The odd wintry shower also possible.
General Comments
Rather cold conditions are expected to turn colder across much of the UK later Wednesday and through Thursday as air from the Arctic spreads south across the country. Very cold nights are expected, with widespread frosts and potentially severe frosts. Daytime temperatures persisting near or just above freezing, with overnight temperatures continuing to trend downwards. Wintry showers are also likely to affect some coasts, perhaps pushing into some inland areas at times, bringing a risk of icy patches.
The UKHSA Cold Weather Plan can be accessed at the following link: http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cold-weather-plan-for-england
A range of free resources from the WeatherReady campaign can be downloaded here:
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready
PPE Portal – Christmas Operations Update
Dear PPE Portal User,
With the Holiday season approaching, we wanted to let you know about changes in PPE Portal operations between Christmas and New Year.
During this period, in line with bank holidays, operating hours will be reduced, so please expect minor delays and allow up to 7 working days to receive orders.
Customer services and delivery providers will be closed on the following days:
Saturday 24th of December – Tuesday 27th of December
Saturday 31st of December – Monday 2nd of January
If you would like to receive your order before Christmas, please ensure you’ve placed your order by Friday the 16th of December.
If you have any questions, please contact customer services on 0800 876 6802, Monday to Friday 8am-5pm.
Kind Regards
PPE Portal Team