Join our regular networks and share your concerns, find support and discuss the latest news. |
|
Guidance-heavy mailing this week - there's a lot going on isn't there? |
|
Supported Living Guidance
Since we wrote last week, this piece of guidance appears to have been corrected. It should now be in line with the wider announcements about the suspension of confirmatory PCRs and the removal of LFDs from the 90-day retesting rule.
|
|
Visiting Guidance
This guidance has also been updated to align it with the announcement about the removal of confirmatory PCR tests. The guidance in the Outbreaks section has been updated to reflect UKHSA's current position. Other than that, previous restrictions remain in place.
|
|
Changes to Self-Isolation Guidance for Social Care Staff
Social care staff who test positive can now end their isolation on the sixth day, provided they have 2 consecutive negative LFD tests on days five and six, and continue taking LFDs for the remainder of the 10 days. The guidance in section 2.2 is then the same as previously. If the staff member’s LFD test result is positive on the 10th day, they should continue to take daily LFD tests, and can return to work after a single negative LFD test result. If the staff member’s LFD test result is still positive on the 14th day, they can stop testing and return to work on day 15.
The guidance for staff who are contacts of a case has not changed.
|
|
Changes to self-isolation guidance for hospital patients but not care home residents
Please also note that while the isolation requirement for hospital patients who have been a contact has been reduced to 10 days, it remains 14 days for residents of care homes. We are very aware of the disparity of this when compared to the guidance for the wider population and have raised it. The following pieces of guidance have been updated to reflect this change:
|
|
Care Home Outbreaks policy continues to be the following:
"UKHSA have advised their Health Protection Team that with immediate effect, outbreaks of Omicron variant SARS-CoV-2 in care homes can now be managed as per standard outbreak protocols. Public health actions and the duration of outbreak restrictions will revert to those used under the standard variant approach. Specific changes include Recovery testing in Omicron-driven outbreaks will revert back to the standard 14 day period. Outbreak control restrictions may be lifted if now new cases detected at this point. UKHSA continue to advise on the importance of rigorous implementation of all IPC measures and reiterate the importance of COVID-19 booster vaccination for eligible staff and patients as a key protection."
|
|
Extension of free PPE to March 2023
'The government has decided to extend free PPE to health and care sectors by up to one year to March 2023 or until the infection prevention and control guidance on PPE usage for COVID-19 is either withdrawn or significantly amended (whichever is sooner).'
|
|
DHSC is in the process of updating several pieces of guidance in line with the latest clinical advice. Guidance will be published fully in the coming days.
We understand that any changes to the guidance can have a significant effect on the way you work and interact with care recipients. To give you foresight of the key changes in our guidance, and to prepare for their implementation, we have set out the material changes below:
Admissions guidance – to be published w/c 17 January 2022
- The guidance will be updated to provide information on flu, the extension of the Infection Control and Testing Fund and the latest international travel advice. The outbreak management and staff isolation sections will be updated in line with the latest clinical advice from UKHSA.
Supported Living guidance – to be published w/c 17 January 2022
- The guidance will be updated in line with the latest testing, isolation and travel advice. The outbreak management section will be updated in line with the latest clinical advice from UKHSA.
Provision of Home Care guidance – to be published w/c 17 January 2022
- The guidance will be updated in line with the latest testing and travel advice. Information has been added on the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund. The staff isolation section will be updated in line with the latest clinical advice from UKHSA.
Designated Settings guidance – to be published w/c 24 January 2022
- The guidance will be updated to provide concise advice on discharge, how to locate a setting, and advice on clinical support.
|
|
If you're feeling bemused by changes to management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings, don't worry, you aren't alone. This guidance has changed seven times from 15 December. The latest change on Monday reflects the change in the isolation period in hospitals from 14 to 10 days for cases and contacts of cases of COVID-19 and includes new changes to self-isolation periods for staff in health and care settings. |
|
Community Health Services Prioritisation Framework
This has been produced to aid local decision making about service and staff prioritisation until 1 March 2022.
The decision about where community health workforce are re-deployed is a local one but is most likely to focus on the priority areas of supporting as many patients as possible to be discharged, admission avoidance work and supporting the COVID vaccination programme.
|
|
Events stopping a service running
You do not need to notify CQC about individual coronavirus cases in your service. You only need to notify CQC if coronavirus affects the day-to-day running of your business, using the events that stop a service running safely and properly form. But you should continue to send them other notifications as usual.
You must send your notification by email or submit it online.
|
|
Fit notes for Statutory Sick Pay purposes
The Department for Work and Pensions suspended the requirement for fit notes for benefit purposes between 17 December 2021 and 26 January 2022. Claimants whose fit notes expire, and those who make new claims due to a health condition between 17 December and 26 January (and are still ongoing), will need to provide medical evidence from 27 January, and may therefore contact their GP for a fit note in advance of this date. These should be issued.
Fit notes for Statutory Sick Pay purposes will be required for absences that begin on or after 27 January and last for longer than 7 days. Individuals whose sickness began between 10 December and 26 January inclusive will continue to be able to self-certify their absence for up to 28 days.
|
|
COVID-19: ethical framework for adult social care
This is a framework to support the planning and organisation of adult social care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The CQC want to highlight the ethical framework as a resource that could help providers when making difficult decisions, the principles in it may be transferrable to services they deliver.
|
|
Important changes to Capacity Tracker scheduled for evening of Monday 24 January 2022
Vacancy Type Reasons for closure
Providers will be able to record additional information, i.e. closure reasons against bed types that are marked closed to admissions on Capacity Tracker. The new functionality will be available to Care Homes, Community Rehab, Hospices and Substance Misuse providers.
Those providers already declaring bed type closures prior to 24/01/22 who do not update their closure information will be prompted to select a closure reason(s) prior to their Business Continuity information update being saved.
Updated validation to COVID vaccination BOOSTER in the UK field
Updated validation will enable Providers to record all their staff, including staff self-certifying as being fully vaccinated abroad, in the COVID vaccination BOOSTER in the UK field.
Occupancy Report
In line with a commitment to continuous improvement the layout to the Occupancy Report will be changed with new functionality added. Users will be able to filter their selection to a specific date and out-of-hours admissions fields.
Capacity Tracker/CQC Reconciliation
The next update from CQC into Capacity Tracker is scheduled for 21st January 2022. Following this update, users may notice some changes to denominators within reports.
Help & Guidance
Help and guidance will be made available in the What's New section of the Capacity Tracker Resource Centre.
|
|
Ransomware attacks on SMEs including social care organisations are on the increase and we expect this to worsen in 2022 as the Log4j vulnerability is identified and exploited by malicious actors.
The Better Security, Better Care programme is seeking to better understand how prepared social care providers are in the event of a cyber-attack and, additionally, how this relates to their DSPT status. We have created a survey that we would encourage you respond to please.
|
|
A current homecare-focused research project – the SORTED study -is led by Dr Dia Soilemezi from the University of Portsmouth.
We would like to talk to homecare workers and homecare managers as part of the SORTED study. We would like to learn about how they support people living with dementia in looking after their teeth and mouth. This will be helpful in understanding more about people's mouth care needs and the best ways home care workers can help. All participants will receive a £20 gift voucher as a gesture of thank you.
Please get in touch with Dia directly if you would like to receive more information about this project. If you can help, please contact the lead researcher (Dia) to arrange an online or telephone interview (around 20 mins) to discuss your views and experiences. Her email is: dia.soilemezi@port.ac.uk.
|
|
Asylum seekers can work in care homes following rule change
Asylum seekers who have waited over a year for a decision are now able to help ease the care home recruitment crisis following a rule change by the Home Secretary Priti Patel. Up to 32,000 asylum seekers who have been waiting over 12 months are eligible for jobs as care workers, after they were added to the Government’s shortage occupation list:
|
|
The latest monthly unemployment claimant count data (for December 2021) was released by the Department of Work and Pensions today, see article on Oxfordshire Insight. This shows:
-
A decrease for Oxfordshire, down from 11,605 claimants in November 2021 to 11,225 in December 2021 (-3.3%).
- By district in December 2021, the rate of unemployment claimants (as a percentage of the economically active population aged 16-64) remains highest in Oxford City followed by Cherwell.
- By age group, the rate remains highest in Oxfordshire (and England) for claimants aged 16-24.
(The Coronavirus Job Retention scheme finished at the end of September 2021).
|
|
VCOD 2 - wider social care settings
With the first deadline of 3 February fast approaching, we have some work to do to get our home care workers vaccinated with first dose. Although areas in the Thames Valley are generally better than national figures (although getting worse the nearer London the locality is), 75 out of 150 LA areas are on course to lose more than 20% of home care staff, ie; in these areas, less than 80% staff currently have two doses.
Even allowing for data entry lag etc, that’s a real worry.
And news yesterday that DHSC is reviewing a report that says the Omicron variant weakens the case for compulsory vaccination. This is in the context of growing concerns in the NHS around a projected loss of 70,000 staff. VCOD does not currently include the booster jab, which is the extra push for higher percentage protection. |
|
There is a nationwide community equipment shortage at present which looks like continuing for some time. The shortage is mainly due to supply/ freight issues. To mitigate the risk we want to recycle as much equipment as possible. Please make care staff aware of this so that any unused equipment that they come across can be returned.
|
|
Oxfordshire provider networks
Fortnightly
- OACP Home Care network: Monday 1-2 via Zoom. Next meeting: 31 January
- OACP Learning Disability network: Tuesday 10-11 on Teams. Next meeting: 1 February
- OACP-OCA Care Home network: Wednesday 2-3 via Zoom. Next meeting: 26 January.
Monthly
- OACP Day centre network: 2nd Friday in the month via Zoom. Next meeting: 11 February
|
|
Skills for Care is looking to organise some short virtual events with Job Centre Plus and the National Careers Service and are looking for some volunteers.
2 types of events to help with recruitment into the care sector open across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
-
Sessions for Job Centre Plus (JCP) Work Coaches – these will be information sessions and myth-busting about working in the adult social care sector. The idea of these sessions is to give the JCP Work Coaches as much info as possible about working in the sector so that they can positively promote this to job seekers and then refer the right type of people to employers.
-
Sessions for job seekers – these sessions will tell individuals about working in the sector and any employers who speak at them can also signpost to specific vacancies so it’s a good opportunity to advertise.
The request is could you speak for 10 minutes about working in your part of the sector (care home, home care, supported living or PA) on any of the following dates:
Sessions for Work Coaches:
Sessions for job seekers:
- 17 February – 11-12
- 6 April – 11-12
- 9 June – 11-12
- 8 September – 11-12
- 10 November – 11-12
- 19 January (2023) – 11-12
- 13 March (2023) – 11-12
|
|
Hear how you can claim Workforce Development funding (WDF) to contribute towards the cost of vocational learning such as social care qualifications, learning programmes and digital learning modules.
- Wednesday 19 January 2022
- 14:30 - 16:00
- Online event - via Zoom
- Book here
- Registrations will close 90 minutes before the scheduled start of the event
The session is aimed at managers in care services with responsibility for training and development.
In the session, we will tell you about which qualifications can be funded through WDF this year, the timescales involved, and how to set up or update your Adult Social Care Workforce data set account (ASC-WDS).
We will also give you details of how to:
- Join a local or national partnership
- Claim funding directly from Skills for Care
|
|
Following the government’s announcement on 24 December that care workers will be added to the Health and Care Visa and Shortage Occupation List, Home Office, DHSC and Skills for Care are hosting two webinars – Social Care: Recruiting an overseas care worker under the Points Based System. These 90-minute webinars will provide an overview of the points-based immigration system for the social care sector, what the recent announcement means for international recruitment, how to ensure ethical international recruitment and examples of best practice from the social care sector. Please follow the links to register for one of the dates:
|
|
Kavita Vedhara, Prof of Health Psychology at the University of Nottingham, would like to invite you to a free online event which she is organising on behalf of the Association for Psychological Science. She writes:
“I am involved with an event (details below) which I thought may be of interest to you and perhaps your colleagues or other professional contacts. It concerns the 'other side' of behavioural science that often gets neglected when we think about psychological influences on health: namely the panoply of psychological and social factors that influence our risk to viral infections; how our bodies respond to and recover from these infections, and their role in the effectiveness of vaccines.
We have a stellar line-up of international speakers each of whom will give a brief (5-6 minute) overview of what is known already and what is known/emerging in the context of COVID-19. This will be followed by what we expect to be a lively discussion about what, if anything, this means for how we navigate our way out of this pandemic, plan for future ones and public health more generally. The discussion will be led by the award-winning science journalist David Robson (https://davidrobson.me/), Professor Amy Greer (Canada Research Chair in Population Disease Modelling, University of Guelph, Canada https://ovc.uoguelph.ca/population-medicine/faculty/amy-greer) and Professor Roxane Cohen Silver (Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science, Medicine, and Public Health at the University of California, Irvine; https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/rsilver/)
Like all good things in life, the meeting is free. Just register below and please feel free to share.
Organised as part of the Association for Psychological Science's Global collaboration on COVID-19
|
|
Public Health England's free Online Physical Activity in Clinical Care Training for registered healthcare professionals (Nurses, OTs, Physios)
- Tuesday 25 January 2022, 1-2 pm
or
More than 500 people have already attended across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
This training is delivered by a PHE Physical Activity Clinical Champion. CPD certificates are provided after the session.
You'll learn:
- The importance and benefits of physical activity
- Current CMO guidelines (updated in 2019)
- How to provide brief advice during consultations
Plus hear from your local Active Partnerships about local physical activity opportunities.
-
I feel better informed to advise patients and colleagues - better self-care too! I will try to avoid sitting still working – GP
-
I will be able to talk about physical activity more confidently and in-depth. I feel more aware of guidelines and support in the community – Nurse
-
My approach to patients will improve, I'll try to listen more – Physiotherapist
If you have any questions or would like more support around physical activity in your role/ team please get in touch with your local Active Partnership lead:
|
|
Kirsty Heath
Get Berkshire Active
|
|
|
Natalie Davis
Active Oxfordshire
|
|
You Matter Social Care wellbeing event - Menopause
The Menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman's oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51.
Studies have shown that menopause symptoms can also have a significant impact on attendance and performance at work. Did you know that:
- Approximately 13 million women in the U.K are either peri- or post-menopausal
- Symptoms can last up to 15 years
- Over 60% of women experience symptoms resulting in behaviour changes
- 1 in 4 women will experience severe debilitating symptoms
- Almost half of menopausal women say they feel depressed
- A third of women say they suffer with anxiety
Esther McNeile Jones, Locality Lead and Clinical Supervisor for You Matter, will lead a wellbeing session for all social care staff, focusing on how to spot signs, managing symptoms and offer advice on how best to cope during this significant change in life.
Why not join the conversation to help reduce the stigma around menopause, learn more about the symptoms, hear from others and share your experiences in an open and safe online space.
|
|
The regulation of social care: Improving the treatment of workers through regulatory law’.
This is the new revised date for this event. If you signed up for the original date in December you do not need to sign up again.
The speaker will be Professor Lydia Hayes, Head of Kent Law School at the University of Kent.
The session will be chaired by Professor Mary Daly, Governing Body Fellow, Green Templeton College and Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford.
Professor Hayes will present new research, undertaken during the pandemic, showing that care safety and job quality in care settings are inseparable. The findings point to failures in the regulation of care provision. Job quality indicators, highly relevant to the objective of care safety, were being ignored or marginalised by providers and inspectors.
Professor Hayes will make the case that existing regulatory law provides the social care sector with a framework of sector-specific employment standards. Better understanding of the potential of regulatory law could help organisations that represent either employers or workers to improve terms and conditions of work as an inseparable element of the quality of care.
The event will be held via Zoom on:
- Wednesday 26 January
- 18:00 to 19:30
-
If you would like to attend this event, please complete this registration form
|
|
Skills for Care will be delivering some Values Based Recruitment and Conversations that Count training for Oxfordshire providers this year. Each course will be delivered in 2 half-day sessions, spaced apart to make it easier for your workforce to commit the time. All courses are free.
Values-Based Interviewing, for anyone involved in recruitment screening
To complete the training, delegates must attend two sessions
-
Course 1: 26 January 10.00 – 12.30 and 3 February 1.30 – 4.00
-
Course 2: 2 February 13.30 – 16.00 and 10 February 10.00 - 12.30
Conversations that Count, for managers/supervisors (split into 2 sessions)
To complete the training, delegates must attend two sessions
-
Course 1: 17 February 13.30 – 16.00 and 3 March 10.00 -12.30
-
Course 2: 2 March 13.30 – 16.00 and 10 March 10.00 – 12.30
Once your place is confirmed you will be sent the relevant joining instructions and information.
|
|
Proud to Care Oxfordshire
Our new website for people looking to enter adult social care has been launched. A partnership of OACP, Aspire Oxford, Activate Learning and OCC, the website builds on experiences in other local areas to attract people into the sector.
The website is open to all care providers operating in Oxfordshire across all settings. Over the next few months we will add information on what the sector offers; the different roles available and support available to enable a first step into social care.
|
|
Your free guide to recruitment and retention in care
As England introduces new national lockdown restrictions, and the government is reportedly drawing up plans for carers to be banned from working in more than one home, there has never been a more important time to attract and retain your brilliant people.
With that in mind, the care experts of OACP partner, Citation, have created a free guide on recruitment and retention, specifically for care providers.
This guide includes things to consider when recruiting the right people for your business, and methods and tips for engaging your employees to keep them happy and working for you.
Your OACP member benefit
From recruitment and retention, staff training, mental health and wellbeing, professional bereavement and tricky HR issues, to infection control, risk assessments and visiting arrangements, Citation can help you operate both safely and compliantly in the coming weeks and months.
They can also help with fire and electrical safety, Care Policies & Procedures, Care Mock Inspections, and CQC Pro – an application to demonstrate you’re meeting CQC requirements.
To find out more or arrange a free consultation, click here or call 0345 844 1111.
Quote ‘Oxford Association of Care Providers’ when enquiring to access your preferential rates as a member.
|
|
Testing guidance
Bookmark it.
|
|
Free DSPT support for Berks, Bucks, and Oxon
The Better Security, Better Care programme will continue throughout 2022/23. We are reviewing current activities, and the availability and format of support will change after March 2022. We strongly encourage you to contact the DSPT team now to access this free support.
If you are based in MK and have not yet been contacted by Bedfordshire Care Association who are leading on this for BLMK ICS area, please let us know and we will signpost you.
DSPT contact details
|
|
DSPT Thames Valley Delivery and Performance Statistics - March 2021 to November 2021
- We've delivered 25 (60-minute) webinars, 25 (2-hour) workshops, and 68 individual 1:1 sessions!
- Provided 373.73 hours of telephone and email helpdesk support
- Supported and directly contacted 527 providers
- 353 Thames Valley providers had an in-date DSP Toolkit at the end of November 2021, compared to just 25 in March 2021!
Digital solutions are here to stay! Now is the time to take full advantage of our range of DSPT support and guidance! Contact us via the helpline - 01235 248085 / dspt@oacp.org.uk
|
|
COVID-19 infection rates dashboards usually updated weekly:
Check vaccination levels across the country via this interactive map for first dose and second dose - whole population statistics. |
|
Trusted Assessor services
The Oxfordshire Trusted Assessor service is now closed.
|
|
For Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire, the Trusted Assessor Service is run for care homes only by Lincolnshire Care Association.
Contact: Michelle Yusuf -
The project runs also for Hinchingbrooke and Addenbrookes hospitals.
|
|
BCA, MKB Care and OACP working together for you. |
|
Care Association Alliance | our big family
As well as a constant stream of questions and answers by email from around the country, we are also part of the CAA weekly teleconference - Wednesdays at 10am. This informs us of current concerns and potential solutions and helps inform our local communications.
|
|
Consistent, quality information
We are mailing out once a week on a Wednesday, so you know when to look out for it. These updates will provide summary advice on emerging issues and signpost providers to government and other statutory agency advice as needed.
Reminder
We are always keen to hear from providers, if you have anything you would like to share with provider colleagues, please send to the usual address.
Receiving this newsletter for the first time?
We are adding new colleagues all the time.
OACP
|
|
OACP Member offers | OACP works with the following suppliers to bring you market insight, quality products and expert advice. Contact them today - click on the logo... |
|
|
|
Help yourself to help us
Now available for all Oxfordshire care providers.
Spectrum is a well-established buying consortium with an emphasis on the Care Sector including care homes, domiciliary care and supported living. They have been sourcing discounts with major suppliers for their members since 1992.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
