Policy Updates 25th April 2022
The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 25th April 2022.
New Updates
Updates to COVID-19 Testing in Adult Social Care Guidance
You may have spotted an update to this guidance yesterday but been unsure what actually changed because of the unhelpful change log.
The key update to the guidance is in section 2.1 'Symptomatic Testing for Staff and Residents' which now directs you to the IPC COVID-19 Supplement to explain when symptomatic testing processes should be followed. This is ahead of an update to the COVID-19 supplement in the coming week or two to reflect clarifications to symptomatic testing. An NHS Test and Trace newsletter email containing information summarising the planned updated guidance has now been sent to managers of services. I have copied this below and added some emphasis. Note the 'ands'. Please also note that the newsletter also contains information about ordering rapid response and outbreak tests (note the sentence at the bottom of the email newsletter about accessing tests for admission from the community or another care setting) which I haven't included in the summary below.
Staff symptomatic testing
Social care staff who have symptoms of a respiratory infection, and who have a high temperature or staff who have symptoms of a respiratory infection and do not feel well enough to attend work should take an LFD test as soon as they feel unwell (day 0). Staff with respiratory symptoms who feel well enough to work and do not have a temperature, do not need to take a symptomatic test and can continue working.
If the result of this LFD test is positive, staff should follow the advice in the section 'If a staff member receives a positive lateral flow or PCR test result' in the IPC COVID-19 Supplement.
If the LFD test result is negative, they should take another LFD test 48 hours later, staying away from work during this time. If this is also negative, they can return to work if well enough to do so.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu and common respiratory infections include:
headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
shortness of breath
high temperature, fever or chills
continuous cough
loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick
Residents symptomatic testing
People who are older or frail may present with atypical symptoms which should also be considered as part of the assessment about whether someone may have COVID-19. Changes in well-being, behaviour and clinical signs including a high temperature should all be considered, and clinical advice sought if necessary, for example from the GP if the person is unwell.
Residents who have symptoms of a respiratory infection (listed above) and have a high temperature or who have symptoms of a respiratory infection and are too unwell to carry out their usual activities should take a LFD test as soon as they feel unwell (day 0). As noted above, atypical symptoms should also be considered for people who are older or frail and clinical advice sought if necessary.
Residents should immediately take a lateral flow test as soon as they develop symptoms and if this first test is negative, they should take another lateral flow test 48 hours after the first test, and avoid contact with others during this time.
Petition to reinstate the Infection Control and Testing Fund
Hampshire Care Association has set up a parliamentary petition calling for the reinstatement of the Infection Control and Testing Fund - particularly in light of the continuing requirement for staff to test and isolate if symptomatic/positive. If you would like to sign it, use this link: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/614377. Please share across your networks.
Liberty Protection Safeguards - Register for Lived Experience Events
The government is updating the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice and considering a new system of safeguards – the Liberty Protection Safeguards. This new system will replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. NCF will have a briefing for members shortly on the consultation that has been launched for this. In the meantime, the government has launched an Easy Read Consultation page: Changes to the law and guidance about making your own decisions (easy read) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The government also understands that not everyone will want to tell it what they think about its plans by responding to the consultation survey. The government will therefore be holding a number of online events where people with lived experience of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the Mental Capacity Act will have the opportunity to tell the government what they think about the Liberty Protection Safeguards and what this might mean for them.
The government expects that each event will be held online and will be roughly two and half hours long, with half an hour for breaks. The events will be run by DHSC and led by Hilary Paxton who has previously led events for people with lived experience about the Liberty Protection Safeguards.
If you or someone else that you know would like to attend one of these events, please fill in and submit this form.
Care Provider Alliance Update on Fair Cost of Care
Please find attached an update letter from the Chair of the Care Provider Alliance.
The Care Provider Alliance (CPA) is working with DHSC in respect of the Fair Cost of Care (FCC) exercise and Market Sustainability Plan across both the home care and care home sector. The CPA will be sending updates, information, and FAQs via its member associations directly to care providers throughout the process to drive engagement and respond to questions and issues which surface in order to seek swift resolution.
The CPA believes currently that it is critical that providers engage in the FCC data collection exercise to determine the actual cost of providing ‘high quality’ care nationally to seek the appropriate level of funding from the government. This is a one-off chance to evidence the cost of provision locally and nationally to compensate providers appropriately against the reforms to be introduced such as the Cap on Care, FCC and the implementation of Section 18(3) of the Care Act, which will see those self-funding their own care to access the local authorities rate paid for care.
If you would like to receive regular updates, support materials, guidance and FAQs directly from the CPA related to the FCC and Market Sustainability Plan process, please send an email to FCC@careprovideralliance.org.uk with your expression of interest and we will add you to the contact list.
Updated Policy
PPE portal: how to order COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE)
Eligible health and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
26 April 2022
Updated to reflect that the portal used to order PPE has moved to a new platform.
Found at: GOV.UK
Heatwave Plan for England
The Heatwave Plan for England aims to prepare, alert and prevent people from the preventable health impacts from severe heat in England.
26 April 2022
Updated Heatwave Plan for England report and training slideset on the health impacts of hot weather.
Found at: GOV.UK
Wider Stakeholder News
Enhanced Health in Care Homes
We have an ambition for the NHS to strengthen its support for the people who live and work in and around care homes. People living in care homes should expect the same level of support as if they were living in their own home – but this can only be achieved through collaborative working between health, social care, voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and care home partners. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to rolling out the Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) model across England by 2024, starting in 2020. This model moves away from traditional reactive models of care delivery towards proactive care that is centred on the needs of individual residents, their families and care home staff. Such care can only be achieved through a whole-system, collaborative approach.
Found at: NHS England
Modern slavery - Awareness information workshop for social care providers
Providing modern slavery awareness is key to increasing victim identification and helping survivors to access statutory support. Everyone has a role in spotting the signs of modern slavery and responding to it, and we have a shared duty of care to ensure that people arriving in the UK from Ukraine, and other countries, are protected from the risk of abuse, harm or neglect. This informative workshop is for social care providers interested in understanding more about modern slavery in the UK today and helping to identify when someone might be a victim of modern slavery. The session will be led by Hestia, leading provider of modern slavery support in London and the South East, who provide CPD-accredited training on modern slavery packages to professionals across the UK. Monday 9th May, 13:00-14:30pm.
Found at: Skills for Care
Jobs Board Advertisement for Ukrainians, and other displaced people, resettling in the UK
Please advertise your jobs for Ukrainians, and other displaced people, resettling in the UK on the linked website. This is free of charge for any employer to advertise their vacancies and setting up a profile is a simple process. This Jobs Board links to an interactive mapthat will signpost people to local support. Traffic is going to the site already and we plan to share this with networks where displaced people will be looking for jobs. A great big thank you to Cohesion Recruitment for all their work in making this happen.
Found at: Care and Support Jobs
#CareUncut Livestream with Minister for Care Gillian Keegan MP
Coproduce Care is excited to announce our 25th April #CareUncut with Minister for Care, Care Gillian Keegan MP. Gillian Keegan has been Minister of State for Care and Mental Health at the Department of Health and Social Care since 2021 and is Conservative MP for Chichester. We will cover a wide range of topics, including staffing, funding and the effect of the pandemic on the sector, but want you - the care sector - to ask the questions. Our discussion with Gillian will be followed by a Q&A with expert speakers, starting at 5pm
Found at: YouTube
Regular Testing Update for all Adult Social Care Services
‘Welcome to your testing update from NHS Test and Trace. Linked below you will find important updates regarding updated guidance on the list of COVID-19 symptoms and symptomatic testing, COVID-19 treatments, ceasing PCR testing and recent webinars.’
Found at: DHSC
Workforce Development Fund now open for grant applications
Skills for Care’s Workforce Development Fund (WDF) is now open for grant applications for 2022-23. WDF supports social care providers to offer continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for their staff. The funding is provided by the Department of Health and Social Care and disseminated by Skills for Care, allowing adult social care employers to claim back money towards the costs of workers completing adult social care qualifications and learning. Large national organisations and lead organisations of employer-led partnerships can now apply for a grant from the WDF.
Found at: Skills for Care
Have your say: Inform the future of learning and development in adult social care
Skills for Care wants to understand more about the learning and development practices and priorities, both now and in the future, for large adult social care providers (those who employ more than 250 staff). With the Government’s commitment to support social care reform and with new innovative ways of working in the sector, the landscape is changing and now is the time to have your say and tell us what you need. As the workforce development organisation for adult social care, we want to ensure our offer continues to support the sector and be responsive to its evolution. It’s crucial we hear from providers to ensure this offer is evidence based and we need your expertise and experience to help inform the future learning and development opportunities available. Tuesday 10 May, 10:30am-12:00pm.
Found at: Skills for Care
COVID-19 vaccine boosters give well-maintained immunity three months on, finds NIHR-supported COV-BOOST trial
The latest results from the UK’s COV-BOOST study, led by University Hospital Southampton, have shown prolonged immune responses following third doses of several COVID-19 vaccines. Run at 18 NIHR-supported sites across the UK, the study provided the world’s first data on the safety and immunogenicity of a third dose in mix and match schedules, underpinning the UK’s autumn 2021 booster roll-out. It compared the immune response from seven vaccines, 28 days after administration as a third dose in people who had received two initial doses of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer.
Found at: NIHR
DBS works with Skills for Care to support safer recruitment
Both organisations are providing free training to support people working across the adult social care sector.
GOV.UK
Care England News
Care England survey to understand wider workforce pressures in the Adult Social Care sector
Care England has prepared this survey as a means of further demonstrating to national stakeholders the pertinent issues that the adult social care sector is facing regarding the workforce and how the status of the adult social care sector affects this. Care England continues to challenge the Government and wider stakeholders on implementing working solutions that will help ease the current pressures facing providers. We have continued to offer pragmatic solutions to such pressures, supported by feedback and data from Care England members. This survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The survey will close on 10th May at midday.
Found at: Survey Monkey
Trade Papers
Progress on waiting times – but social care must be supported to free up hospital beds, says NHS leader
Progress is being made in tackling hospital waiting times, but social care must be fully supported to help free up much-needed beds, the CEO of the NHS Confederation has said.
Home Care Insight