Policy Updates 21st February 2022

 

The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 21st February 2022.

Updated Policy

People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper
This white paper sets out a 10-year vision for adult social care and provides information on funded proposals that we will implement over the next 3 years.
21 February 2022: Added the 'Adult social care system reform: impact statement'.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing home care
18 February 2022
Added the document: 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): provision of home care (easy-read)'. Removed the document 'Working with people in their own homes' as the guidance was outdated.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Updated testing guidance

  • Adult care home - Found at: GOV.UK

  • Homecare workers - Found at: GOV.UK

  • Extra care and supported living settings - Found at: GOV.UK

Supported Living Guidance 

This guidance was updated yesterday to reflect the latest isolation advice for residents and to remove VCOD. The two sections you want to look at are 'Visits in and out' and 'In the event of an outbreak'. 

In the visits out section, note the following re isolation:

"the need for those returning from off-site visits to self-isolate if they test positive for COVID-19 or are a close contact of a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19:

  • any individual who has received at least 2 doses of the vaccine and is identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 – whether Omicron or not – will not need to self-isolate. Instead, they should undertake daily lateral flow tests for 7 days following exposure

  • for supported living settings that are comparable to care home settings, refer to the admissions guidance for further information on self-isolation following close contact

  • for supported living settings that are comparable to a household, refer to the stay at home guidance

  • it is now possible for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 to end self-isolation early, refer to the stay at home guidance"

The outbreaks section has been updated to describe what a supported living worker should do if they have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive and refers you to the management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings guidance. 

Similarly if a staff member with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine is a close contact of someone with COVID-19, they should follow the management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings guidance. 

Possible Announcements by PM Next Week

As you may have picked up in the press, there is speculation that the PM will announce a plan to 'live with COVID' next week which might include an end to the legislation underpinning isolation and free testing for the general public. At this stage we do not know what this means for social care, and while we expect guidance, isolation and testing to remain for the time being, we will need to wait and see what happens. We will keep the membership updated with all relevant developments. We have raised all concerns with DHSC and UKHSA.

Supported living services during coronavirus (COVID-19)
16 February 2022
Updated guidance to reflect the latest self-isolation advice for residents, removed lines on vaccination as a condition of deployment.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care
15 February 2022
Updated to reflect the changes made to coronavirus restrictions from 27 January 2022. These changes include face coverings, personal protective equipment and testing.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for adult social care services
16 February 2022
Added updated information regarding vaccination and testing. Moved the instructions for use for SureScreen 25 rapid lateral flow tests to: GOV.Publications
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): testing in adult care homes
16 February 2022
Added Step-by-step guide to COVID-19 self-testing: SureScreen 25 pack nose-only test.
Found at: GOV.UK

Wider News

Social care reform: government response to Lords Select Committee report
A response by the government to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee’s report ‘Social care funding: time to end a national scandal'.
Found at: GOV.UK

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation statement on COVID-19 vaccinations in 2022
For 2022, the primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease (hospitalisation and mortality) arising from COVID-19.
Found at: GOV.UK

Health and Social Care Skills Accelerator Programme (HSSAP)
The Health and Social Care Skills Accelerator Programme, is an exciting new programme, part funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). We provide free and flexible courses to support your journey to find the right role in health and social care or guide you through further development in your career.
Found at: Proud to Care

Will government policy reshape elderly care homes?
The thirty-second edition of LaingBuisson’s Care Homes for Older People UK market report is indispensable reading for anyone involved in this dynamic and changing market. This includes advisors, investors, commissioners and policymakers as well as service providers. Read together with Homecare and Supported Living UK market report and Retirement Housing UK market report, Care Homes for Older People completes the series to give anyone with an interest in the care and support of the over 65s a comprehensive market picture not found anywhere else.
Found at: LaingBuisson

Putting the spotlight on #ManagingChange
Skills for Care has launched a series of activity to support you with managing change. Throughout February and March, they’ll be sharing information, ideas and resources through their website, blogs, articles and social media which is all aimed at helping social care managers to lead and plan for change.

They’re looking at why change is important, how to be change ready, what it means to be a change leader, and how you can manage resistance and encourage your teams to embrace change. We’ll also be sharing real-life examples of good change management in action.
Join the lunch time webinar on Tuesday 1 March where they'll discuss how social care managers can engage teams in change and consider leadership strategies designed to overcome resistance to change without impacting on colleagues’ wellbeing.
Found at: Skills for Care

Being prepared for CQC inspection virtual learning module
Skills for Care has designed a new module to give you the knowledge and competence to prepare for a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. It provides insight into what the CQC will inspect, how best to evidence this, and other ways to help you ensure you can meet or exceed CQC expectations. This new module is part of their recently updated Good and Outstanding care (GO) web resources.
Found at: Skills for Care

Nourish Care Integrates with GP Connect
Transparency within care has become incredibly important – especially in recent years. NHS Digital and NHSX introduced the digital interoperability platform GP Connect to enable sharing of information between all NHS GP services and specialist care centres, using NHS Digital accredited systems. A focus for the NHS is to refine the way in which data is shared and to bridge the gap across primary care services.
In February 2022, Nourish Care launched its GP Connect integration to customers enabling them to review the GP records and medical notes of those being supported in real time. Contacting a GP when you need them may not always be possible and the introduction to GP Connect will enable care services to make more informed, safer decisions at point of care without waiting.
Found at: Digital Social Care

National Capacity Tracker DHSC Survey

I am the Regional Lead for the South West Capacity Tracker programme and have been passed your contact details by Dan Lloyd, DHSC.

You will no doubt, be familiar with the provider sectors that engage with the National Capacity Tracker.  I join Dan and other regional colleagues is overseeing its use and engaging with providers and their commissioners in influencing its direction.

The Capacity Tracker is sponsored by DHSC as you may know; they have asked our team to engage with users and invite their views on its questions….. and whether they should remain, be amended or removed.  Additional themes/questions are also invited that may be of value.

The survey link enables providers or provider associations to feedback their views.  Can I ask you to share with your member organisations and encourage them to take up this opportunity please?  Your organisational feedback is of course also very welcome, if not essential.

https://forms.gle/2ZYVeiPkyuwRd6nJ8

All responses are anonymous and will be submitted to DHSC for their consideration towards the end of this month.  Unfortunately their timescales are tighter than we would have hoped, but please do encourage returns to be with us by the end of next week where at all possible.  Late submissions into March, will none the less not be ignored I assure you!

We very much appreciate your assistance.  Any queries, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Donna Schell, Senior Consultant – Regional Lead - South West

Mobile: 07563644777

Email:  donna.schell@nhs.net

 
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