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ASC Provider Briefing - 8 December 2023
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Dear Care Provider Colleagues,
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Welcome to this week's briefing.
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In this edition you can find a huge shout out and congratulations to MJ Homecare Staff for winning the Regional Homecare Team Award, leaflet and information on Somerset Sloppy Slippers Roadshow in Minehead, the Winter Preparedness Offer, a new poster regarding the vaccine walk-in clinics, a call to participate in a study to inform support services for carers, a survey from Healthwatch Somerset. a piece highlighting the underused services of Somerset Urgent Community Response. Along with training dates for homecare providers from Skills for care and CareFind, Oliver McGowan Training update for Care Providers, as well as the normal event reminders.
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We also wanted to request stories from you, of your staff and residents, about what their Christmas looks like to highlight in the future editions of the briefing. If there's anything you wish for us to shine light on, please email us with an image and your story at: somersetprovidersbriefing@somerset.gov.uk
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Please find the latest news and updates from Adult Social Care below:
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Taunton based Homecare agency, MJ Homecare win the Home Care Team Award
One of our Homecare agencies, MJ Homecare, registered in Taunton and commissioned by Somerset Council have won the Regional Homecare Team Award at the prestigious Great British Care Awards.
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Join us in sending the heartiest congratulations to the staff at MJ Homecare for this huge win!
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Sloppy Slippers Campaign - First Roadshow - Minehead Thursday 14th December
11am till 2pm at The Beach Hotel, Minehead, TA24 5AP
Falls are the most common accidents for adults and can cause serious injury at any time of life. However, the risk does increase with age and every day in Somerset, around 8 people are admitted to hospital because of a fall.
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SASP and NHS Somerset are working in partnership on a new falls prevention campaign, Sloppy Slippers, through 2023/2024. Roadshows are taking place across the County, and for those who attend, they will receive a FREE pair of well fitted slippers, with falls prevention advice given, particularly around strength and balance exercises to keep people strong and steady on their feet. A variety of community partners will be in attendance.
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During the roadshow, people can just turn up between the allocated time or they can book a 15-minute slot, using this booking link - click here.
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There is more of a guarantee we will have the correct slipper sizes, if a slot is booked.
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For future roadshow dates in January and February 2024, please view the Our Somerset website here. More details will be provided later this month, along with area posters and booking links.
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IMPORTANT: Winter preparedness lateral flow device (LFD) offer
All homes are reminded of the winter preparedness lateral flow device (LFD) offer, which will end on December 11th.
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We strongly recommend that you check the expiry dates on your current stock and take advantage of this offer. Requesting an additional stock of LFD tests, which do not expire until March 2024, will not affect your ability to order LFD test kits should you need them later on during the winter period.
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Winter preparedness LFD distribution offer to care homes
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Care homes can place one order for an additional stock of COVID-19 LFD tests which will enable them to continue to test during the winter period in line with current IPC guidance.
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You will be able to use these tests for:
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- Outbreak testing.
- Additional testing only if this is advised by Health Protection Teams (or other relevant local partner) in specific circumstances.
If you are a care home with 10 or fewer registered beds you can request to receive 10 LFD test packs, with each pack containing 7 LFD tests, giving you a total of 70 individual LFD tests. If you are a care home with 11 or more registered beds you can request to receive 71 LFD test packs giving you a total of 497 individual LFD tests.
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How do I request winter preparedness LFD tests?
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You will be able to request your additional stock of COVID-19 tests via the online order portal or by calling 119.
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- Navigate to the COVID-19 test order portal.
- Enter your UON and press continue.
- Select Winter Preparedness order option.
- Check your organisation’s address and press continue.
- Enter either 70 or 497 which indicates the number of individual LFD tests that you are requesting, and press continue.
- Confirm your order request.
You will also receive an email from that same email address when test kits have been dispatched, informing you of their delivery date.
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Disposal of expired test kits
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We ask that you take this opportunity to check the expiry dates of your existing test stock and dispose of any expired kits.
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If you have one carton of expired test kits these can be disposed of in general household rubbish or as clinical waste. The outer box the test kits came in can be recycled subject to your local recycling arrangements.
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If there is more than one carton providers must inform their waste contractor that they are disposing of unused test kits. This is a requirement of the Duty of Care regulations, as part of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to adequately describe their waste.
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Please note, we do not collect expired test kits.
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If you have any urgent questions regarding testing within your setting, please refer to IPC guidance or contact 119.
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Flu and Covid-19 vaccines walk-in clinics across Somerset
Find out where the latest walk-ins are in Somerset for the Autumn/Winter 2023 COVID-19 vaccine programme at this link:
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You are eligible if you are employed:
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- by a registered residential care or nursing home
- by a registered domiciliary care provider
- by a voluntary managed hospice provider
- through direct payments or personal health budgets
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If you're a social care worker who is eligible to have a flu vaccine on the NHS, you do not need to present your ID at a pharmacy.
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Opportunity: participate in a study to improve support available to carers facilitating needs of people with learning disabilities
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Karen Coulman who is a Research Fellow and Obesity Specialist Dietitian from the University of Bristol attended the Southwest Health and wellbeing network meeting and is asking for volunteers to take part in a study to improve the support available to people caring for people with learning disabilities who may also benefit from weight loss. She would like to interview managers and commissioners who are currently involved in service organisation and delivery. Please see attached further information here:
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REMINDER: Accessing a dentist or booking a GP appointment within your care home setting.
What’s your story?
Please fill out the survey following the link below, or if you prefer otherwise, you can download the paper template here Template Case Study and share your experience.
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Dentist – survey/forms need to be completed and returned by 8th December 2023 to:
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GP – surveys/forms need to be completed and returned by 31 January 2024 to:
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Urgent Community Response (UCR)
Referrals for UCR will be taken via the existing route for all care homes, which is through Somerset Primary Link (SPL) between 8am and 8pm via 01749 836700, option 1.
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Urgent community response runs 8am to 8pm 7 days a week.
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UCR's aim is to respond to falls within 2 hours, reducing the concerns around long lies and thus reducing pressure to ambulance services if there is no medical need for conveyance to hospital, also providing support when a change to presentation is recognised as a preventative measure.
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You can watch a video explaining the Somerset UCR at:
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Please note that the falls lifting equipment and education has already rolled out to care homes.
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You can also find more information on this website for details of services they provide and are not just limited to falls.
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Events
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RCPA - LD/Day/Dom care RMN - 6th December
Thanks to all who joined us - we were sorry to hear but understand that the foul weather and staffing issues prevented some providers from attending. This being our inaugural RMN for LD/Day/Dom care we look forward to building on this and hearing about topics you would like included for next year. Suggestions included meeting with CQC representatives, following an unforeseen cancellation at the recent RCPA conference, (CQC have said they will attend one of our RMNs to compensate). We will be hosting two more events for LD/Day/Dom care between January and the end of March and will plan for more in 24/25 subject to demand and feedback. We have some useful takeaways from the event, notably around accessibility for support with digitalisation and NHS mail for non-regulated providers, CQC single assessment framework and international recruitment support. For further information from the meeting, please contact admin@rcpa.org.uk.
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Being Prepared for CQC Inspection Seminar
Tuesday 23 January 2024
10:00 - 15:30
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An interactive seminar for services who want to understand the practical ways to be ready for their CQC inspection.
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- why inspection is important
- CQC standards and legislation
- CQC monitoring and inspection process, including ratings
- involving others in the inspection process
- the importance of quality assurance
- evidencing that you meet CQC standards
- latest insight into CQC priorities.
- Gain an understanding of successful approaches to being ready for the CQC inspector calls and visits.
- Learn to map out how your service can prepare your staff team for CQC inspection.
- Know what you will be expected to evidence and how to demonstrate your service meets or exceed what the CQC expect.
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Oliver McGowan Training update for Care Providers
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Please find attached a leaflet produced for Social Care Providers to explain how they can get their staff onto the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training. This has been developed following the feedback received at the recent RCPA conference. Please share across your teams and services.
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CareFind - Training Dates for Care Home Providers
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We recently contacted you on the 20th of November with some exciting news. Please click here.
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At Capacity Tracker, we’re developing a new tool to help members of the public to search for Care Home vacancies via a new public facing website, CareFind. Capacity Tracker will provide this as a free service for Providers, on an opt-out basis, with some conditions in place.
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The concept of CareFind has been developed with the support of the DHSC and NHSE. CareFind aims to give benefits to both providers and people looking for care services, building on the information and resource of Capacity Tracker.
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In the New Year we will be running training sessions on how to create your public profile that will be visible on CareFind. To register for a session, please click on the appropriate link and register.
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For later dates, please visit our resource centre here
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While you are waiting to attend a training session we would recommend reviewing/refreshing your provider details. Please check the following details are up to date:
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- Contact Details (If not, please contact CQC and request they are changed enquiries@cqc.org.uk)
- Extended Room Detail
- Accessibility Information
- Care Type
- Funding Sources
- Short/Long Term Services
- Languages
- Costs and Vacancies (to be updated as and when things change)
- Out of Hours Placements
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If you have any queries when updating your information, please don’t hesitate to contact the Capacity Tracker Support Centre 0191 691 3729 or necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net
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Upcoming Event and Training Reminders
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Please see below the dates and links to Eventbrite to book on.
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Please continue to share or promote these briefings and our webpage to others in your organisations.
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Somerset’s Provider Engagement Team
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Somerset Provider Briefing
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Rachel Caunce, Care Provider Support Lead
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