Join our regular networks and share your concerns, find support and discuss the latest news.
Last week we highlighted the Consultation on Operational Guidance to Implement a Lifetime Cap on Care Costs with Government publishing a draft version of its operational guidance for local authorities to implement the lifetime cap on care costs as part of initial work on adult social care reforms.
A reminder that three documents have been published:
The consultation can be found here or you can respond via chargingreformconsultation@dhsc.gov.uk.
The consultation closes on 1 April 2022.
The consultation and operational guidance is primarily for Local Authorities.

Together with other national associations, the Care Association Alliance is putting together a response to the Government. In particular, the funding allocated of £600m looks like it will be a quarter of what's needed: senior leaders in the national system who also happen to be accountants say that actually the figure on offer is more like £549m and would only provide a 3% increase for LA rates, failing to close the gap between private fee rates and public-pay rates.
There is some room for interpretation about much of the guidance. The main aim of this policy and reform is a political one, which is to end emotive headlines about a person receiving care having to sell their house. In our opinion, it also has some inherent contradictions: someone receiving LA-funded care can top up to widen their choice about care provider. If the Fair Cost of Care exercise works as we think it should presumably this will be needed less or (unlikely) possibly not at all. The timescale of September is seen as increasingly challenging, but a slight delay into mid-November may be realistic slippage.

There is also the real issue, particularly across the south of England, that the additional workload of monitoring self-funders by Councils could be unmanageable. We shall see - there is a lot of work to do prior to reforms becoming reality. We do know that the prize in Government is the £86,000 cap; everything else is a bonus.
Capacity Tracker news
We're not sure how to break this to you so will just jump in. As we move towards the end of March with no clear signal on what the Tracker will look like and with no sign of continued funding, there are more than rumours that completion will be expected beyond March with 'fines' being mooted as the stick. We're not sure whether there is a carrot. More when we have it.

There are a number of surveys being carried out and 'coming soon' on the Tracker.
News can be found on the Home Page - you'll need your login.
In February 2022, almost a third of people in Great Britain (32%) felt it would take more than a year for life to return to normal following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is almost three times higher than at the start of the pandemic (11% between 27 March and 6 April 2020). According to Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) data from between 16 and 27 February 2022, more than 1 in 10 people (12%) thought life would never return to normal, and 9% felt their life had already returned to normal.

Disabled people were more likely than non-disabled people to feel life would never return to normal, while non-disabled people were more likely to feel life was already back to normal. People who could afford an unexpected £850 expense (an indicative measure of financial health) were more likely than those who couldn’t, to feel that life had already returned to normal.
The public consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards is due to launch ‘very soon’ and has been extended so it will run for 16 weeks. The response will not be published until Winter 2022-23 so it is likely that implementation will be late 2023.
Neurocare KnowHow is a new online learning platform for care workers who support people with neurological conditions
They would like care workers, managers and people living with neurological conditions to be involved in our testing phase.
 
Neurocare Knowhow has been developed in collaboration with care workers and people with neurological conditions, particularly those new to a care role. It takes a symptom-led approach to learn about neurological conditions, and includes learning around diverse conditions, such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy and multiple system atrophy. As the platform grows in the future this will widen.

If you take part in testing we can offer you:
  • Free access to what we have created so far to help with testing
  • Plus a £10 shopping voucher for all who are able to support testing as a thank you for your time. 

The testing should take about 30 mins to complete, including a short survey to gather your feedback and can be completed outside of the working day

For more information please email info@neurocareknowhow.co.uk.
A curiously unbranded report on optometry via NHSE on Maintaining eye health: an essential part of residential care which considers the impact of Covid-19 on business as usual and urges care homes to revisit good eye care.
Develop your CV, enhance your knowledge and contribute to wider research
Join an NIHR committee and shape the future of research

The National Institute for Health Research is inviting members of the public to join one of their national and regional committees who are responsible for making funding recommendations in health and social care research.

The committees play an important role in helping us deliver our mission to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, the NIHR is the nation’s largest funder of health and social care research.

We are looking for people who have a broad interest in health, social care and actions to improve public health and address health inequalities.
You do not need to have a scientific background to help us shape research! We are looking for people who are able to use their own experiences to improve the research we wish to fund.

NIHR is committed to creating a supportive, inclusive and positive community. Membership is open to people from across the United Kingdom and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.

For more information about the role and how to apply, visit the NIHR website: Public Committee Member - NIHR Programmes

Any questions about these opportunities and guidance and support on the application process, please contact publicrecruitment@nihr.ac.uk
The ESSENCE (EconomicS-of-Social-carE-CompEndium) project is a really interesting online resource created by NIHR which is free to access. It currently contains 18 case studies covering a range of key adult social care interventions as well as a database of relevant publications on a broader spectrum of adult social care interventions. Its aim is to support decision-makers to access and understand the economic evidence for adult social care interventions.
  • Advance care planning: economic evidence
  • Advocacy for parents with learning disabilities. A small-scale social care intervention: economic evidence
  • British Red Cross (‘Support at Home’ hospital discharge scheme), a small-scale social care intervention: economic evidence
  • Employment support for autistic adults: economic evidence
  • Help-at-home: economic evidence
  • Home care reablement for older people: economic evidence
  • Integrated housing with care and support for older people: economic evidence
  • Person-centred support for people living with dementia in care homes: economic evidence
  • Providing debt advice: economic evidence
  • Short breaks for adults with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges: economic evidence
  • Signposting and navigation services for older people: economic evidence
  • Support for unpaid carers: economic evidence
  • Telecare for older people
  • Transition into and from hospital for people with social care needs: economic evidence
Funding available for essential training
Fully-funded essential training is still available to ensure that all adult social care workers can complete their duties safely. 

The training is available as three individual packages of learning
  • rapid induction programme (aimed at new staff)
  • refresher training (aimed at existing staff), and,
  • a volunteer programme.

Working with DHSC, the aim is to help employers quickly train new recruits (including people redeploying around the sector). 
Employers can select from 12 endorsed training providers. These providers have been awarded grants to deliver the rapid induction programme. 

The latest monthly unemployment claimant count data (for February 2022) was released by the Department of Work and Pensions on Tuesday 15 March, see article on Oxfordshire Insight
This shows:
  • A slight increase for Oxfordshire, up from 10,670 claimants in January 2022 to 10,765 in February 2022 (+0.9%);
  • By district in February 2022, 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 (note that claimants are mainly aged 18+, with some exceptions for people aged 16 or 17).
You can explore claimant data for small areas and data by age using the interactive dashboard on Oxfordshire Insight.
Launch of a guide to support practice development and improvement in memory assessment services
The Centre for Dementia Research at Leeds Beckett University has been commissioned by NHS England and Improvement Cymru to develop a practice development and innovation guide for Memory Assessment Services (MAS).

The Taking Memory Assessment Services into the Future good practice guide was developed with people who have accessed MAS and with experts in professional roles in or related to MAS services. It will help MAS who wish to develop their practice to identify areas that they might seek to improve and ways they might approach this. It is designed to be used flexibly by the services and to inspire them and encourage innovation and shared learning.

To accompany the guide Leeds Beckett University have produced podcast featuring Professor Claire Surr talking to people living with dementia and their carers about their experience of memory assessment services and the importance of continual practice improvement, which can be accessed here: Beckett Talks.
Join our regular networks and share your concerns, find support and discuss the latest news.
Oxfordshire provider networks
Fortnightly
  • OACP Home Care network: Monday 1-2 via Zoom. Next meeting: 28 March
  • OACP Learning Disability network: Tuesday 10-11 via Zoom. Next meeting: 29 March
  • OACP-OCA Care Home network: Wednesday 2-3 via Zoom. Next meeting: 23 March
Monthly
  • OACP Daytime support network: 2nd Friday in the month via Zoom. Next meeting: 8 April
Webinar & Podcast city
Catch up: Recruitment, Retention, Skills and Training
This is the full Rethinking Retention report that Richard Upshall from Sona referenced on a recent webinar on adult social care recruitment.
NHSmail webinar for social care providers
  • 23 March
  • 11.00 am - 12.00 noon
  • Hosted by NHS Digital/ The NHS mail team
This webinar will be covering the Top 5 tips on how Social Care providers can improve their use of NHSmail, the benefits that NHSmail brings, along with what they need before getting NHSmail.
NHSD will also clarify the support routes available and there will be an opportunity for questions on the Q&A session of the webinar.

Agenda
  • What are the benefits of using NHSmail? – we will explore the features that come with your NHSmail account
  • How can we improve your use of the product? – Top 5 Tips
  • Getting set up with a new mailbox
  • How to access your account and set up the shared mailbox
  • How to do password resets
  • How to obtain additional accounts
  • How to go about joining, moving and leaving a site
  • What do you need to do before getting NHSmail?
  • Where do you need go to raise requests or get the correct support?
  • Q&A session
 
Interested care providers should register their interest by emailing Darren.plank@nhs.net with the following information:
  • Name of interested individual
  • Email address of the individual
  • Name of provider
  • ICS - BOB
So you want to drive your organisation to a digital future, but how?

For many care businesses, COVID-19 kickstarted the journey to invest in digital solutions and highlighted the need for integration and innovation. As the care sector continues to accelerate towards digital transformation and care users increasingly expect more adaptive digital solutions, how can we embrace new ways of working?

In this Industry Support Guide webisode, hear from expert speakers driving forward the transformation of the social care sector through digital technology as we consider what it means to be getting your organisation ‘digital ready’ and how data protection, GDPR and information sharing can benefit your care organisation.
How can we support innovation and tackle implementation challenges in the social care sector? | NIHR ARC North Thames: Innovation and Implementation in Social Care

Explore and discuss insights into the barriers of implementing evidence and how innovation in social care can be supported by research and collaboration. This free, online event will feature three presentations from leading researchers and practitioners in social care - Professor Jon Glasby, Dr Juliette Malley and Dr Lisa Trigg and chaired by Professor Annette Boaz – and will be followed by a 30-minute panel discussion and a chance to ask questions.
 
The webinar is open to all, including people working in health and social care, research, public health, and anyone with an interest in innovation and implementation across the social care sector.

This is part of the ARC North Thames Academy’s Innovation and Implementation webinar series, which aims to share learning and practice, interdisciplinary approaches, opportunities and challenges, and stimulate thought-provoking discussions around the implementation of health innovations in diverse settings. 
What's it like to live with a stoma, and what support is available?

Exclusive webinar with Colostomy UK, with expert insight on the following and more:
  • Why someone might have a stoma
  • The technical aspects of how stomas function and are formed
  • How stomas impact people
  • Colostomy UK, the support they provide to people living with a stoma (collectively known as ostomates). Also the work they do to make the world more Stoma Aware by influencing change and raising awareness
  • The challenges of adapting to life as an ostomate.
Book your place today to avoid disappointment.
Tech-enabled remote monitoring in the care sector - achievements, challenges, and essential insights
Hear from a range of local and national speakers using technology-enabled remote monitoring to support people in the care sector. A great opportunity to actively contribute to the important topic, identifying key challenges and the greatest opportunities. A key aim for the session is to learn together to really make a difference for this important group of people and harvest great ideas to use locally rather than reinvent the wheel!
We'll be exploring how we support people with learning disabilities, how we work to prevent falls and looking for future opportunities in this area.
Joining details will be sent nearer the time.
Places will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis and are open to health and care professionals.
For further details contact icsupport@healthinnovationmanchester.com
Support from HMRC | Employers – what’s new for 2022 to 2023
  • Wednesday 13 April 9.45 am
or
  • Thursday 14 April 3.45 pm

Join a live webinar for an overview of the new rates for: 
  • National Insurance         
  • National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage
  • Statutory payments.
We’ll also tell you about any changes to expenses and benefits, Student Loan deductions, freeports, employer National Insurance contributions relief, and the new Health and Social Care Levy.
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 to help with recruitment into the care sector open across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
  • 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 job seekers:
  • Wednesday 6 April – 11 - 12
  • Thursday 9 June – 11 - 12
  • Thursday 8 September – 11 - 12
  • Thursday 10 November – 11 - 12
  • Thursday 19 January 2023 – 11 - 12
  • Monday 13 March 2023 – 11 - 12
 
Grey Matter Learning
8 programmes of Lead to Succeed and Well Led across 2022. 
If a place is booked before 31 March 2022 you can get 22% off each place you book using the code 2022. 

If you are registered on ASWDC (Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set) and compliant by 31 March you can claim back up to £500 per person that completes a programme before the end of May.

If you’d like to book a programme for your organisation, GML are also offering 22% off when booked before 31 March.
The discount can’t be used alongside any existing discounts for places or programmes.
Regulars
Oxfordshire Care Awards 2022
Do you know someone who deserves to be recognised and celebrated at the Oxfordshire Care Awards 2022? By nominating a friend, unpaid carer, colleague or company you will be supporting their dedication and commitment whilst raising the profile of the adult social care sector across Oxfordshire. This year we are delighted to announce cash prizes will be given alongside the engraved glass trophies and certificates.

The aim of the Oxfordshire Care Awards 2022 Inspiration for All! is to recognise and celebrate individuals, organisations, and companies who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within the care sector in Oxfordshire. Three organisations are involved, Action for Carers Oxfordshire, Age UK Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers (OACP), working together in partnership is at the heart of this Awards initiative. Oxfordshire Care Awards 2022 Inspiration for All! is all-inclusive, bringing together statutory and independent care providers, the community/voluntary sector and unpaid carers.

The Awards take place on Monday afternoon, 25 April 2022 at the Voco Hotel Thames Oxford
Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford OX4 4GX.

Nominations are open now and close at 5 pm on Thursday 31 March 2022.
Nominate here: https://bit.ly/3JekzD0

If you would like more information, please contact Jane Wood at awards@oacp.org.uk
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.

If you would like to advertise on Proud to Care, please contact Jane Wood or Diana Olszewska at hello@proudtocareoxfordshire.org.uk. Proud to Care is managed by OACP.
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.
Resources
Resources
Testing guidance
This very useful page brings together all testing guidance for adult social care, including non-regulated services. Not yet updated after Living with Covid announcement for changes after 24 February.
Bookmark it.

Free DSPT support for Berks, Bucks, and Oxon

View the latest DSPT webinar recording:
Data Protection Compliance in conversation with Royds Withy King - Watch it here

Come to our next webinar event 'Boost your Cyber Knowledge' with Chris White, Head of Cyber and Innovation from the Cyber Resilience Centre South East - Book here
Digital solutions are here to stay! 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
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.
Please let us know if there are other colleagues you would like this mailing sent to.

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.