Policy Updates 28th February 2022

 

The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 28th February 2022.


New Policy

Regulations making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment to end
DHSC has announced the ending of the VCOD regulations and clarified that:

  • Regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination to work in Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care homes will be lifted from 15 March

  • Legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double jabbed from 1 April to be removed

The Secretary of State also said that the minority of unvaccinated health and care workers had a professional responsibility to be vaccinated. His full statement can be found here.
Found at: GOV.UK

New Online PPE system launched
The DHSC has launched a new online system for the provision of free PPE. The new system builds on user feedback to improve the experience of those using the site.
There is an ongoing migration period from the previous system to the new platform, and from 4 April 2022, all customers will be automatically redirected to the new PPE portal from the previous site. The new platform will be managed by NHS Supply Chain.
Found at: GOV.UK

Revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care
The Government has published its formal response to the consultation on revoking VCOD. Over 90,000 responses were received to the consultation with 90% of respondents supporting the proposal with only 9% expressing opposition to revocation. The statement recognises the calls for clarity and for quick revocation of the regulations and confirms that Regulations revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment will come into force on 15 March. This will provide certainty for employers, their staff, patients and people who receive care or support ahead of 1 April, when regulations extending the requirement to health and wider social care were due to come into force.
Found at: GOV.UK

Social Care – charging for care and support
A new Local Authority Circular (2023)1 has been issued, containing information for Local Authorities about the social care charging arrangements for 2022 to 2023, including details for capital limits, personal expenses allowances, minimum income guarantee and savings credit.
Found at GOV.UK

CQC’s future regulatory model: where we are and next steps - 28 February 2022
Click here to download the presentation.

Updated Policy

Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund for adult social care, round 2
Annex F in this document has been added which includes a template for reporting point 2.
Found at: GOV.UK

Changes to the Green Book
There has been an update to the Green Book on COVID-19. In particular, this includes details of the 4th vaccination in the spring booster campaign for 2022. The details are on Page 28 of the document.
Found at: GOV.UK

Build Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care
The Government has updated some of the policy documents on its Build Back Batter Plan. It contains updated case studies in ‘Adult social care charging reform: further details’ to reflect likely inflationary changes in the rate of the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) or Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) after reform is implemented from October 2023.
Found at GOV.UK
 
Coronavirus Testing
The UKHSA has published several updated policy documents on coronavirus testing in care settings. These include:

  • Testing for those working in Adult SC who are not part of regular testing at work

  • Testing in extra care and supported living sectors

  • Testing for adult day care centre workers and service users

  • Testing for homecare workers

  • Testing in adult care homes

Found at GOV.UK

Adult Social Care Infection Control and Testing Fund: round 3
The DHSC has updated the measures that round 3 of the Infection Control and Testing Fund supports. This includes distribution of funds, conditions and reporting requirements. This update has added an updated reporting template for Annex E: reporting point 3, due 29 April 2022.
Found at GOV.UK

Supported living services during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Guidance for providers of supported living settings.
25 February 2022: Updated to reflect changes to self-isolation regulations.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing home care
Information for those providing personal care to people living in their own home during the coronavirus outbreak.
25 February 2022: Updated to reflect new government guidance – changes to self-isolation regulations.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for people receiving direct payments
Advice for people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support.
24 February 2022: Updated 'Using direct payments: guidance for people receiving direct payments and personal assistants following the announcement of the living with COVID-19 plan' to reflect new government guidance on self isolation policy if you test positive for COVID-19.
Found at: GOV.UK

Coronavirus (COVID-19): admission and care of people in care homes
How to protect care home residents and staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
24 February 2022; Updated to reflect changes to self-isolation regulations.
Found at: GOV.UK

COVID-19: guidance on protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable
Information for protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from coronavirus (COVID-19).
25 February 2022: Guidance updated and alternative formats, including translations, easy read, large print and BSL versions, temporarily removed.
Found at: GOV.UK

COVID-19: guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk
Guidance for people aged 12 and over whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus (COVID-19).
25 February 2022: Updated guidance in line with the 24 February restriction changes.
Found at: GOV.UK

COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings
Guidance on the management of staff, patients and residents who have been exposed to COVID-19.
24 February 2022: Updated to reflect changes to self-isolation regulations.
Found at: GOV.UK

Visiting arrangements in care homes
Sets out how care homes can support families and visitors to visit residents.
24 February 2022: Updated to reflect changes to self-isolation requirements.
Found at: GOV.UK

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.
24 February 2022: Updated to add the easy read version and give information on accessing the Braille version.
Found at: GOV.UK

Wider Stakeholder News

Elevated cyber threat following Russian invasion of Ukraine: Important advice for all care providers
Updated advice has been issued on cyber security for following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It advises on how care providers can protect themselves against the elevated cyber threat and highlights the available Better Security, Better Care support you can access for free to help towards greater cyber resilience.


The NCSC has issued the guidance for all UK organisations. 
You are advised to:

  • Create or update your data and cyber security Business Continuity Plan. You can use a template and see guidance by Digital Social Care

  • Back Up Your DataEnsure that you are following correct procedures for conducting back-ups. See Digital Social Care guidance –

  • Consider purchasing cyber insurance.

  • Report any cyber incidents. Contact the National Cyber Security Centre.

Found at: NCSC

Elevated cyber threat following Russian invasion of Ukraine

Care providers should protect themselves against the elevated cyber threat from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We have worked with the NHS Transformation Directorate (formerly NHSX) to update our advice to care providers:

Covid still causing pressure across health and care sector in North Somerset
The shockwaves across North Somerset caused by coronavirus will be felt for years to come, according to a bleak assessment by a top officer. Hayley Verrico, the council’s director of adult social services, said pressures are being felt across the board, from hospitals unable to discharge healthy patients to carers facing a cost of living crisis.
Somerset Live

Celebrating LGBT+ History Month
Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care has written a blog as LGBT+ History Month 2022 comes to an end. The link to her blog is below and details of the whole month’s activities can be found here.
Deborah writes that “Inclusion, acceptance and respect are all essential qualities in the world of social care, as much for those who provide services as they are for those who receive them”.
Found at socialcare.blog.gov.uk

Social care leaders urge government to rethink 'pay to test' for care home visitors
The Prime Minister's announcement earlier this week that free Covid-19 tests will end April 1 means people visiting loved ones in care settings, including care and nursing homes, will need to pay for a test to visit... Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said the government has "forgotten" that visitors to care homes need testing so they can "safely visit their relatives." He said: "This must be funded by the government because it will be part of its strategy of living with Covid.”
Care Home

LGBT+ History Month: embrace diversity
A new post, “LGBT+ History Month: embrace diversity” has just been published on the Social care blog. Inclusion, acceptance and respect are all essential qualities in the world of social care, as much for those who provide services as they are for those who receive them. Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, believes LGBT+ History Month is the perfect opportunity to celebrate diversity across the care sector.
GOV.UK

NCF Members Update

Various Guidance Updates

You may have noticed that since the government published its 'Living with COVID-19' plan earlier this week, a number of pieces of adult social care guidance have been updated (such as the visiting, admissions and supported living guidance). I want to stress that nothing of substance has changed in those pieces of guidance and that DHSC/UKHSA's expectation is that guidance around testing, isolation and PPE, etc, remains in force for the time being. The line UKHSA/DHSC is adding to guidance is along the lines of the following:

'There is no longer a legal requirement for people with COVID-19 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. Due to the higher risk nature of health and social care settings, the advice for staff members working in these settings has not changed.'

We will keep the membership updated on any guidance changes. We believe there will be a substantial update and consolidation of adult social care guidance towards the middle-end of March. We also anticipate a change to the definition of outbreaks in care homes in the coming weeks, reflecting the concern that some settings are in near continuous outbreak lockdowns. 

CQC Statement on Visiting in Care Homes

CQC has recirculated a statement it issued at the start of the month about the necessity of providers enabling visiting. 

Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care, said: "we have taken decisive action throughout the pandemic to help keep people safe in care settings [...] and making absolutely clear to providers that not following government guidance is unacceptable and may trigger an inspection."

Financial Impacts of Covid on Care Homes: Implications for businesses and the workforce

We are hoping you might be able to share this with your FDs & Ops Directors & HR Directors. It’s a research project we are partners in with Warwick Business School & UCL and it is looking at the impacts of COVID in older people’s care homes. They are keen to talk to a selection of senior managers to really dig into the impacts of COVID on finances and operations. They are already running a survey, with a very inclusive approach to hear from the frontline experience throughout COVID, but they also need the more senior perspective It is a great opportunity for your senior folks to have their voice & experience heard to better understand impact of the pandemic on social care providers of care home for older people as well as influence future policy at this crucial time. As NCF is a partner, we also have the chance to nuance the findings & messaging from this project, which we plan to do! 

The blurb to share, alongside my wording above, is below. See also attached. 

Invitation to senior managers

Invitation to senior managers to participate in research

  • How have care homes for older people been affected financially by the pandemic?

  • How effective has government support been?

  • How have providers managed and mitigated financial impacts?

Directors of finance, HR and other relevant specialisms are invited to contribute your insights to a major study. This new research seeks to share lessons between care homes and with policymakers, to help shape future decision making.　

The project is led by researchers at Warwick Business School and University College London, with funding from the UK Economic and Social Research Council. It's in partnership with provider and employee representatives, and the Centre for Health and the Public Interest.　

Uniquely, the study combines financial analysis of care home accounts, a survey and interviews with care home staff, and interviews with senior managers. The focus is on care homes for older people across the UK.　

Project website: https://ficch.org.uk/. For more information, please contact ficch@wbs.ac.uk or one of the team: https://ficch.org.uk/about/project-team/.

 
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