Policy Updates 14th March 2022
The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 14th March 2022.
New Policy
Healthcare cleanliness standards
The guidance comes into force in November, and NHSEI do not think that providers should purchase compliance packages. By which they mean do not spend any money with the companies who are trying to sell packages to comply with these standards. Download the national standards here.
New UKHSA care settings Outbreak Risk Assessment Tool
The South West Health Protection Team (SWHPT) has set up a new online Outbreak Risk Assessment Tool (OBRA) for all Adult Social Care Providers reporting 2 or more cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), including Covid-19 or flu, within 14 days. Its purpose is to help gather all the information their Health Protection Practitioners need to assess the situation within your setting.
Supporting you through Covid-19: shared learning for South Gloucestershire Community Based Support providers
View this email in your browser
Dear care provider,
Welcome to issue 24 of the Community Based Services (CBS) providers Covid-19 e-bulletin which covers the following topics:
new UKHSA care settings Outbreak Risk Assessment Tool
outbreak of acute respiratory infections: the process
living with Covid-19 and care providers – reminder that care provider guidance has not changed
contact tracing for care settings
scabies infections increase in the UK
Infection Prevention and Control Leadership Programme for IPC Champions
new PPE portal platform
vaccination as a condition of deployment to be revoked
BNSSG booster vaccine survey
mental health e-learning for managers
Home Care Capacity Tracker training
nominate someone for the Care and Support West Awards
frequently asked questions and useful links
New UKHSA care settings Outbreak Risk Assessment Tool
The South West Health Protection Team (SWHPT) has set up a new online Outbreak Risk Assessment Tool (OBRA) for all Adult Social Care Providers reporting 2 or more cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), including Covid-19 or flu, within 14 days. Its purpose is to help gather all the information their Health Protection Practitioners need to assess the situation within your setting.
Please see the letter from UKHSA for further information on this tool.
Outbreak of acute respiratory infections: the process
Please find a poster summarising the steps care providers should take when you have a suspected outbreak of an ARI such as Covid-19. This incorporates the new UKHSA Outbreak Risk Assessment tool (OBRA) and includes what to expect from UKHSA and the South Gloucestershire Public Health Care Provider team during an outbreak.
Stakeholder News
Skills for Care have just launched their international recruitment page for social care services. It contains a number of webinars, case studies and resources that they feel could be useful to social care providers.
Fee Uplift Letter -Care Homes 2022/23
North Somerset Council have made adjustments to their fees, please download the full letter here.
Living with Covid-19 and care providers – reminder that care provider guidance has not changed
In February the government announced the Living with Covid-19 strategy which outlined the government’s plan for removing the remaining legal restrictions while protecting people most vulnerable to Covid-19. This was possible due to the successful Covid-19 vaccination programme that resulted in lower rates of hospital admissions and severe illness.
Government guidance for social care settings including home care, extra care and supported living settings and day care centres, has been updated to reflect that there is no longer a legal requirement for people with coronavirus (Covid-19) infection to self-isolate. However, the public health advice for people with any of the main symptoms of Covid-19 or a positive test result is to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
Guidance says due to the higher risk nature of health and social care settings, the advice for staff members working in these settings has not changed.
All social care staff should continue to test daily using a rapid lateral flow test (LFT) on the days that they are working, before their shift begins. They should continue to wear PPE and maintain IPC standards. Vaccination also remains important in protecting staff and those they care for.
Guidance also advises all residents living in high risk extra care or supported living settings should conduct one PCR test every month. (Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing in extra care and supported living settings) LFTs are also available for visitors (see the guidance on supported living).
Service users of day care centres that are able to test, should test twice-weekly with LFTs 3 to 4 days apart. If a service user is only visiting once a week, they only need to test on that day (Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing for adult day care centre workers and service users).
See also Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing for homecare workers and Coronavirus (Covid-19): providing home care.
Incidence rates of Covid-19 cases have decreased locally and nationally, however rates are rising again and are currently at over 500 cases per 100,000 across all ages. Case rates in those aged over 60 are currently over 440 per 100,000. Furthermore, we continue to see significant numbers of care homes in South Gloucestershire experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks.
Social care staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to protect our most vulnerable residents. We acknowledge the current challenges you face implementing some of the guidance, especially where this differs to that for the general public. However, though we hope we are slowly beginning to move from a pandemic to endemic phase of Covid-19, the virus continues to circulate and pose a risk to our most vulnerable. Care provider guidance is under review by the government and its advisers but until any updates are announced, it remains vitally important to continue to observe and adhere to the guidance currently in place.
Contact tracing for care settings
Please continue to undertake contact tracing in your care setting when a staff member or service user is Covid-19 positive.
Please find a tool from UKHSA to assist with contact tracing in social care settings which outlines key actions to take, areas of consideration and a template for recording cases and contacts.
Scabies infections increase in the UK
There has been a notable increase in scabies infections nationally, including in residential care settings. Care home residents are particularly vulnerable to complications following a scabies infection.
Please see the below document on recognition and management and IPC requirements to contain scabies infection. IPC Support is available from the CCG IPC Cell if required.
https://www.infectionpreventioncontrol.co.uk/content/uploads/2020/08/CH-24-Scabies-July-2020-Version-2.00.pdf
Infection Prevention and Control Leadership Programme for IPC Champions
Please see the attached leaflet which gives details of the Infection Prevention and Control Leadership Programme including how to apply.
The closing date for applications was yesterday (14 March).
New PPE portal platform
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in partnership with NHS Supply Chain, have implemented a new PPE portal platform to ensure continued access to free PPE and related items for eligible users until 31 March 2023.
All eligible users will have received or be receiving an invite over the coming weeks and months to ensure migration across to the new platform.
See PPE portal: how to order Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) for full details.
Vaccination as a condition of deployment to be revoked
The legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double vaccinated for Covid-19 will be removed from 15 March.
Full details can be found here Regulations making Covid-19 vaccination a condition of deployment to end.
BNSSG booster vaccine survey
The BNSSG Vaccination Programme are aiming to better understand uptake of the booster vaccination in BNSSG and would appreciate it greatly if social care staff could complete the short survey attached.
The survey is completely anonymous and aims to understand staff perspectives; it is not about trying to persuade anyone to take the vaccine.
Thank you for your help.
Mental health e-learning for managers
There is an opportunity for managers of South Gloucestershire organisations to do a free West of England eLearning session ‘Managing Mental Health at Work’. The training is designed to equip businesses with the confidence and skills to have supportive conversations with staff about mental health and wellbeing. It takes approximately 90 minutes and includes useful resources.
If you are interested in this training, it will be available until 22 September 2022 on the following link: https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/growth-hub/workforce-development/thrive/