Our strength is your involvement |
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Oxfordshire provider networks
Fortnightly
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OACP Home Care network: Monday 1-2 via Zoom. Next meeting: 23 May
Monthly
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OACP Daytime support network: 2nd Friday 1-3 pm via Zoom. Next meeting: 10 June
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OACP Learning Disability network: last Tuesday 10-11 am via Zoom. Next meeting: 31 May
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OACP-OCA Care Home network: 2nd Wednesday 2-3 pm via Zoom. Next meeting: 8 June
Plus
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Oxfordshire Registered Manager Network: Thursday 15 September 1.30 - 3.00 pm
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We have added two new partners to our growing stable of advice and offers for OACP Members - see the end of this and every newsletter. We will be providing a more in-depth at their offers shortly. |
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Do you have hospital issues? Complaints? Concerns?
Please raise these through the relevant Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). All matters that go through PALS get raised at clinical governance in their particular area of expertise e.g. orthopaedics / LD etc, so it is imperative that any matters that need raising go through this route.
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The latest monthly unemployment claimant count data (for April 2022) was released by the DWP yesterday, see article on Oxfordshire Insight. This shows:
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A slight decrease for Oxfordshire, from 10,275 claimants in March 2022 to 10,060 in April 2022 -2.1%) reflecting the national trend above
- By district in April 2022, the rate of unemployment claimants (as a percentage of the economically active population aged 16-64) was highest in Oxford City followed by Cherwell
- By age group, the rate was highest for claimants aged 25-49 across Oxfordshire as a whole (though that pattern varies by individual District).
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A number of schemes paid for through WRRF to support the existing workforce and future recruitment have been announced by Oxfordshire County Council. Find out more below:
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Some of you may have noticed that Oxfordshire County Council has a new Portfolio holder for Adult Social Care. Cllr Tim Bearder has engaged well with social care colleagues over the last couple of years when the LibDems were in opposition and we should see him as a positive and pro-active Cabinet Member.
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Last week Oxfordshire Community Foundation opened two new grant funding opportunities: the COMF (Contain Outbreak Management Fund) grants from the county council; and Community Integration. Grants from £500 to £10,000 are available for running costs, project or capital expenses, or events.
The COMF funding is designed to enable organisations that delivered emotional and practical support during the pandemic to continue to offer vital services that support communities and residents. There are separate application forms for small and large grants.
Community Integration grants supports work that brings people from different backgrounds together around the place they live, building long-lasting relationships between people of different ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds or ages.
Both funding streams have the same closing date of Thursday 16 June 2022.
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Library books to your door
If you know of people who find it difficult to get to the library in person due to age, illness or disability, or you are an unpaid carer, you can have library items delivered to their home.
Friendly volunteers choose items they like and visit every three weeks to deliver and collect them.
The service is open to people who struggle to physically visit a library. It’s also available on a short-term basis after illness or hospitalisation, and to people with caring responsibilities.
Registering is easy, simply call your local library or the Home Library Service:
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Buckinghamshire is looking to recommission its home care provision across the county.
Expression of interest extended to 5pm 1 June 2022
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Aside from affecting the ability to take on more work and expand businesses, staffing obviously impacts the safe delivery of care services. However, the latest national statistics for adult social care show how well providers are managing their staffing resources.
In the week ending 26 April 2022:
- 0.5% of providers flagged that their agreed staffing ratios had been breached. This has decreased slightly since the week ending 29 March 2022, when it reached 0.7%. Since January 2022, when it reached a peak of 0.8%, this proportion has fluctuated between 0.7% and 0.5%. The proportion of providers flagging a breach of their staffing ratios has consistently remained lower than 1% since the start of the time-series in December 2020.
- 5.3% flagged that they were operating within the agreed staffing ratios, but there is a significant risk of escalation in the coming days. This proportion has been decreasing throughout April 2022, following a period of increase in March 2022 [when covid-19 was particularly rampant]. This figure reached a peak of 6.7% in the week ending 11 January 2022, but has remained below this level since.
- 94.2% were operating within their agreed staffing ratios, which is an increase compared to the start of April 2022. This proportion had reached its lowest point of 92.5% in the week ending 11 January 2022.
Capacity Tracker remains the only real-time measure of the state of local adult social care, even if the mandatory requirement to report is no longer applicable. Workforce data shows that, although care homes are generally within safe staffing, five local areas echo the national risk and are predicting significant risks in care home staffing 'in the coming days' (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, MK, RBWM and Wokingham). This early warning system for the whole system is welcome as the current process for raising the alarm about a stressed health and care sector. using the OPEL system focuses only on acute health and fails to recognise emerging issues from community-based care.
We need to do more to have an up-to-date picture of what's happening and encourage wider transparency, but without a robust system that provides insight and appraisal of care sector business health, we run the risk of continuing to lurch from ignorance to OPEL 4. We do not have the resources to do that and neither is it healthy.
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And if we needed a further reminder of the pressure on our sector the latest ADASS report, Waiting for Care, May 2022, states that more than half a million are waiting for social care
New survey findings from ADASS show that more than half a million people are now waiting for an adult social care assessment, for care or a direct payment to begin, or for a review of their care.
The latest data suggests:
- Between 23 February and 11 March, 61% of councils in England say they are having to prioritise assessments and are only able to respond to people where abuse or neglect is highlighted, for hospital discharge or after a temporary period of residential care to support recovery and reablement.
- As of 28 February 2022, a total of 506,131 people were waiting for assessments, reviews, and/or care support to begin. This is a significant increase from the 294,353 people reported as waiting in September 2021.
- There has been a 16% increase in the number of hours of home care that have been delivered since Spring 2021, but that dipped from a high of over 41m hours in Autumn 2021 in the first quarter of this year as staff vacancies and sickness impacted
- Almost 170,000 hours a week of home care could not be delivered because of a shortage of care workers during the first three months of 2022.
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That is a seven-fold (or 671% increase) increase since Spring 2021 and a 43% increase since Summer 2021 and a trend that has been steadily worsening. Increasing needs and increasing complexity of people’s needs are far outstripping the money and staffing to meet those needs.
This new evidence shows that despite staff working relentlessly over the last two years, levels of unmet, under-met, or wrongly met needs are increasing, and the situation is getting worse. The growing numbers of people needing care and the increasing complexity of their needs are far outstripping the capacity to meet them.
Despite great achievements in increasing the amount of care provided, there is an even starker rise in the support now needed, with more people left without essential care to maintain their health, and dignity and lead good lives in their communities.
Not only are people waiting longer for care assessments, reviews, care packages and personal budgets, but family carers are having to shoulder greater responsibility and are being asked to take paid or unpaid leave from work when care and support are not available for their family members.
Making the focus of resources on acute hospitals, without addressing care and support at home, means people deteriorate and even more will need hospital care.
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Nurse Leadership Course – register now! Please share with your nursing staff.
In partnership with Skills for Care and Burdett Trust for Nursing, Oxfordshire County Council has funded a Nurse Leadership Course that will run from June to November 2022 aimed at Registered Nurses in leadership roles working in Social Care settings.
This course is free of charge to those in the Oxfordshire area.
Over a course of 5 one day sessions, this programme will support delegates to understand and develop their leadership style and the impact this has.
The workshop sessions will be interactive with presentations, discussions and exercises that will support the development of knowledge. Topics will include:
- working across professional, organisational and system boundaries
- developing and implementing new practice and service redesign projects
- using high-level negotiating and influencing skills
- leadership in contexts that are unfamiliar, complex and unpredictable.
Delegates will also be allocated an independent mentor to further develop their leadership and management skills.
Deadline for applications is Monday 13 June
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NHS Funded Nursing Care
DHSC announced last week that the rate paid to care homes for NHS-funded nursing care has risen by 11.5% for 2022-23 with £87 million extra for 2021-22.
- The standard weekly rate per person, provided for NHS-funded nursing care, has increased by 11.5% from £187.60 to £209.19 for 2022-23 and will be backdated to 1 April.
- In recognition of the additional time and work provided by nurses in care homes during the pandemic, a retrospective uplift on the 2021-22 rate has also been applied providing an estimated additional £87 million to the sector.
- The retrospective Covid uplift provides additional payments of £21.93 per resident per week for 2021-22.
- The funding is paid by the NHS directly to care homes who employ registered nurses. This allows care home residents with specific healthcare needs to benefit from direct nursing care and services.
- The rates are based on new research conducted by DHSC in 2021 through a cost collection survey that was sent to nursing home providers. This was a survey many of you may have completed, so engagement with the sector can work well.
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Agency Fees for Social Care - survey by the Care Provider Alliance (the national body bringing together national care associations)
The adult social care sector currently faces significant challenges in both the recruitment and retention of staff. As such, there has been a significant increase in the use of agencies to help fill workforce gaps, which are currently over 10%, to deal with absence due to sickness, and 34% attrition levels. The greater use of agency staff has consequently increased the demand and cost significantly to an unsustainable level.
Following a discussion between Care England and DHSC in May to discuss pragmatic solutions to the costs of agency staff, DHSC has asked for quantitative data to take this issue forward.
This survey has been devised as a means of demonstrating the multi-faceted issue of sourcing and paying for agency staff which will underpin ongoing discussions seeking to provide a sector-wide resolution to this issue.
This survey covers nursing and carer agency cover only and all information provided will be handled sensitively and anonymised. A high-level briefing that covers the key results from the survey will be shared with respondents in due course.
The survey closes at midday on 1 June and can be found here.
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Adult Social Care Testing Guidance - Outbreak Flowchart
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Reduced test kit deliveries over the Jubilee bank holiday - 2 and 3 June
Any tests ordered on or after the 27 May will not be delivered until after the bank holiday period. NHS Test & Trace encourage you to ensure that you have sufficient stock of LFDs available for both asymptomatic and symptomatic testing.
New 119 opening hours from 30 May 2022
The current opening hours of the 119 telephone helpline are 7am to 11pm, 7 days per week.
From 3 May 2022 the opening hours will change to:
- Monday to Friday: 8am - 6pm
- Saturday and Sunday: 9am - 1pm
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Covid-19 vaccine levels are beginning to drop off. A reminder that the evergreen offer for doses 1, 2, and boosters are available for new staff and residents through your local health service. If you have any problems accessing these for either staff or residents please let us know and we will pass on concerns to the local Vaccination Board.
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CQC says:
- the new design makes it easier to use on mobiles and tablets
- they've simplified our navigation menu
- they've improved the search function, so it's easier for you to gather insights for best practice and benchmarking
All provider ratings, display widgets, posters, email alerts and guidance remain available.
- You can download widgets and posters direct from the overview section of your profile page.
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They are in the 'resources for the provider' section visible on each location page.
Other key links:
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10 year plan to tackle dementia and boost funding
Yesterday (Tuesday 17 May 2022) Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid announced plans to work across Government to boost the £375 million already committed for research into neurodegenerative diseases
- Actions will reduce the up-to-40% of dementia considered to be potentially preventable and explore how new technology, science and medicine can help reduce the numbers and severity of dementia.
- Record NHS funding to reduce the Covid backlog will help ensure more timely dementia diagnosis.
The plan will also focus on supporting people with their specific health and care needs while living with dementia.
The prediction is one million people will be living with dementia by 2025 and 1.6 million by 2040.
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NHS Working in Partnership with People and Communities consultation
NHS England and NHS Improvement is consulting on new guidance on working in partnership with people and communities. This new guidance will support health and care systems to work effectively with their communities and ensure that people are involved in decisions about health and care services.
Find out more, and how to have your say on this consultation, via the NHS website.
Responses to the survey are needed by Monday 30 May
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Watch again
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid met social care leaders on 17 May 2022 to discuss reform and how they and the government can work together.
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The NHSmail team has reduced these sessions to 30 minutes.
At this drop-in, there is no agenda or slides, this is an open session to give care providers the opportunity to ask questions about NHSmail, directly to the NHSmail team, just pop in, ask your question and leave once you have your answer.
No registration is required to attend but please note this session is for care providers only and not for those in supportive roles for NHSmail.
Runs until 1 June when it will be re-assessed and further communications will be issued.
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Home Care Cost of Care Toolkit Demonstration and Q+A for Home Care Providers.
The Care and Health Improvement Programme are running 3 webinars where the developer of the Home Care Cost of Care Toolkit, ARCC, will talk through how the tool works.
The sessions are 90 mins, split evenly between ARCC demonstrating the Home Care Cost of Care Toolkit and how it should be completed and then taking general Q&A queries.
These sessions are for a care provider audience only and are free for all to attend.
The sessions are repeats of each other so individuals only need to attend one. Please click the links below to register for the session, then select Book Now at the top of the Event Page. When registering, please select non-member organisation and enter your details as requested. Please do check your junk mail inboxes for sign up confirmations and if there are any issues with registering, do email Marketsandcommissioning@local.gov.uk
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Provider Data Assurance Session | DHSC
The Government white paper, People and the Heart of Care, outlined the ambition to improve the quality and timeliness of adult social care data so that all stakeholders in the system, at national, regional, and local levels have access to the information they need to provide the best possible care. Among other things, the white paper provided an overview of Government’s proposals to better understand the social care system both in and outside local authority funded provision.
DHSC is aspiring to a culture of transparency around data and ensuring that any national data collection is proportionate and aligned across local and national systems. The Health and Care Act provides new powers for DHSC to collect data from private care providers. Some of you may have already been involved in workshops the department is running to map out a long-term provider data collection and will know our aim is to work collaboratively with our stakeholders to develop a data collection that manages burden and can be used by the entire sector. To that end, our aim is to ensure that data requirements are implemented with an appropriate level of support and consideration of any issues particular providers might have.
The Act also envisages an enforcement mechanism in the new DHSC framework. So, the Act provides regulation-making powers to enable the imposition of financial penalties for non-compliance.
DHSC colleagues will be running a session to outline our approach to these issues on 23 May, where we would welcome your participation.
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Physical Activity in Clinical Care Training for registered healthcare professionals.
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:
After training:
- 9 in 10 felt more knowledgeable about physical activity & aware of resources to support
- 9 in 10 felt more confident in their skills to support someone to be active
- Average 8.6/10 score was given for how useful the training was for their role
“I feel better informed to advise patients and colleagues - better self care too! I will try to avoid sitting still working.” - GP
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The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism
The final evaluation for the trial of this training is expected very soon and will be presented at a free stakeholder forum
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Wednesday 25 May 2022 (previously scheduled for Thursday 28 April).
This event will be a celebration of how far we have come and evaluation partners NDTi will provide an overview of the final evaluation report - which will help to shape the rollout of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disability and Autism.
This event is open to everyone including people who use health and care services, and families and carers:
*Registrations will close for this event on Wednesday 11 May 2022.
If you have already registered for the postponed April event, there is no need to register again.
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National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness Webinar
- Wednesday 25 May
- 4.00 - 5.00 pm
The Skills for Care-led ‘SE IPC Community of Practice’ will have the National Lead for the National Standards of Healthcare cleanliness join to talk about:
- the key features of the standards and how they can be applied into a social care environment
- the idea of a cleaning charter
- the functional risk assessment -a constructive approach to identifying risk and then actions to take
These practical steps will enable you to record and evidence your practice for CQC inspection purposes.
You might find it useful to attend with housekeeping / domestic leads, so they also hear about these standards and support you in the implementation.
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Skills for Care is looking to organise some short virtual events with JobCentre 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
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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:
- 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
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Grey Matter Learning
8 programmes of Lead to Succeed and Well Led across 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.
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If you live or work in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire
You Matter: 0800 145 6568
8 am – 4 pm, Mon to Fri (except bank hols)
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If you live or work in Berkshire
Wellbeing Matters Line: 0300 365 8880,
9 am – 4 pm, Mon to Fri (except bank hols)
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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
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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
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COVID-19 infection rates dashboards usually updated weekly:
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Trusted Assessor services
The Oxfordshire Trusted Assessor service is closed.
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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.
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BCA, MKB Care and OACP working together for you |
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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 fortnightly teleconference on Wednesdays. This informs us of current concerns and potential solutions and helps inform our local communications.
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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. |
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OACP Member offers | OACP works with the following suppliers to bring you market insight, quality products and expert advice. Contact them today...quote 'OACP' |
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Help yourself to help us
Now available to 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.
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Expertly crafted award-winning dishes. We’re the leading producer of delicious and nutritious food.
Prepared by specialist chefs
Frozen to lock in nutrition
Cooked and served with ease
Supported from day one
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Whatever your goals, Citation will help your business to succeed with unrivalled HR and Health & Safety support and expertise for small and medium-sized business.
10% off your first contract as an OACP Member.
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As seen at CMM Tri-County Conference 2021
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Training that Creates and Sustains Emotional Resilience
Brilliant training! It was easily the best and most relevant training that I have ever had since I started work. It has had a massively positive effect on myself and the team - without it we would have suffered badly during the pandemic! | Amy Price - Cancer Nurse Specialist
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The platform for outstanding care management.
Our platform gathers insights to help you allocate resources and speed up your day-to-day tasks, so you can focus more on those in need.
Easy and intuitive, it can be used in any setting, without the need for extensive training. Designed alongside support workers and service users, it's the platform of choice for enriching the lives of everyone in care.
Log My Care is accredited by NHSX as an ‘Assured Supplier’ for Digital Social Care Records.
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Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring is the most widely-used digital care management system in the UK, and the most widely referred software provider within social care.
Over 3,000 care providers using Mobile Care Monitoring.
Get your membership paid for with your first contract.
Log My Care is accredited by NHSX as an ‘Assured Supplier’ for Digital Social Care Records.
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RWK Goodman LLP is the new brand for Royds Withy King and is the preferred legal supplier for the care sector in Oxfordshire.
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We provide high-quality workwear, interview training and employment advice to women who need it – all free of charge.
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SY has been actively working with small businesses for 20 years.
We build stable, secure IT environments and deliver high-quality IT services to our clients.
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Happy with what you are reading?
Please tell colleagues and pass on this newsletter.
Let's grow OACP
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