A Note from Dr Richard Harling
Dignity in Care Awards
The Dignity in Care Awards are back, and we want to shine a light on the individuals who put dignity, compassionate and person centered care at the heart of everything they do. If someone in your service goes above and beyond.
Please take a few minutes to nominate them and help us recognise their impact.
Who can you nominate? Anyone working in adult social care (paid or unpaid), including individuals, teams, volunteers and informal carers.
Who can nominate? People receiving care and/or support, families, friends and work colleagues.
When? Nominations are open April–July 2026.
How? Visit our Dignity in Care Website to submit your nomination via the nomination form, and please print the flyer to put up around your care service and to share with colleagues and family members.
Find out more and make a nomination:
Staffordshire Dignity in Care Awards
In this edition
- RIDDOR: public consultation now open
- DSPT workshops & guidance
- New Outstanding Care Guide
- RCN Adult Social Care Listening Event
- Social Care Resilience-based Clinical Supervision programmes
- NEW Modern Slavery & Exploitation eLearning
- More adults can now get the RSV vaccine
- COVID-19 Spring vaccinations and walk-in clinics
- Important Reminders
- Contact us
Updates:
RIDDOR: public consultation now open
A consultation has been launched on The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
The consultation seeks stakeholder views on a range of legislative and non-legislative proposals to help reduce work-related ill health, one of HSE’s key strategic objectives.
It also looks for options to reduce the burden on businesses, in making these reports to the regulator, through simplifying the reporting process.
The full consultation document, including detailed proposals, background information and how to respond, is available on our website.
View the consultation and submit your response:
RIDDOR public consultation
The consultation runs until 30 June 2026.
DSPT workshops & guidance
We are all aware that cyber-attacks and suspicious emails are on the increase.
Have you completed your Data Security and Protection Toolkit or your required annual republish?
It details what you need to do to keep people’s information safe, and to protect your business from the risk of a data breach or a cyber-attack. It covers paper and digital records and CQC will consider how you apply the steps set out in the tool as part of the well-led element of their inspections.
Staffordshire Care Association (sarcp) are commissioned, by the DHSC and Better Security Better Care, to run workshops for providers in completion of the DSPT toolkit. They can also provide access to a short guidance video on how to republish your DSPT each year.
Find out more about DSPT support, workshops and guidance:
Data Security and Protection Toolkit – Staffordshire Care Association
Resource Guides:
New Outstanding Care Guide
CMDT has created a new guide to help adult social care providers understand what ‘Outstanding’ looks like and how to evidence it at a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.
It shares the behaviours, practices and innovations that support exceptional outcomes, with practical tips you can use straight away.
The guide covers:
- person-centred care
- effective leadership and culture
- innovation and continuous improvement
- preparing for inspection, including quality assurance, training and resourcing
It’s aimed at all CQC-regulated adult social care services
View the Outstanding Care Guide:
Outstanding Care Analysis – CMDT (PDF)
Training and Events:
RCN Adult Social Care Listening Event
Wednesday 22 April 6:00pm – 6.30pm (online via MS Teams)
This event will be chaired by the RCN Professional Lead Nurses for Independent Health and Social Care and will include an exploration of sector-specific workforce challenges such as pay structures, career progression, working conditions, and recruitment and retention.
Agenda:
- Introduction by chair with context for discussion
- Discussion of specific issues affecting the adult social care nursing workforce
- Discussion of solutions – what are the changes that are needed
- Chair to recap key themes from discussion and indicate RCN next steps
- Closing remarks
To attend, please email:
sarah.seeley@rcn.org.uk or Michelle.Raddings@rcn.org.uk
Calling all social care nurses!
The Foundation of Nursing Studies has a few places available on their fully funded Social Care Resilience-based Clinical Supervision programmes starting in April. 13 hours of participatory CPD over 5 online sessions, various days, and times available.
Find out more and register:
RBCS for Social Care - Foundation of Nursing Studies
NEW Modern Slavery & Exploitation eLearning
Modern slavery is a serious crime and a violation of human rights that can happen anywhere, including within our communities and workplaces.
This new course, available on the Social Care Academy, introduces modern slavery and exploitation, helping you understand what it is, the different forms it can take, and who may be most at risk. Through practical examples and interactive learning, it explores exploitation affecting both adults and children. It aims to build confidence in recognising the warning signs of modern slavery and understanding the UK legal framework, including safeguarding responsibilities and the National Referral Mechanism. The course clearly sets out what to do if concerns arise, who to contact, and how to report concerns safely and appropriately.
Find out more and access the course (login required):
Modern Slavery & Exploitation eLearning – Social Care Academy
Health and Wellbeing
More adults can now get the RSV vaccine
From 1 April 2026, all adults aged 75+ (including those living in a care home for older adults) can get the RSV vaccine. Please support eligible people to access their vaccine where you can.
RSV: why it matters
- RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a common virus that can cause serious chest infections in older adults.
- It can lead to pneumonia/bronchitis and flare-ups of existing lung disease—sometimes needing hospital treatment (around 9,000 hospitalisations in over-75s each year in the UK).
- RSV can occur all year round. The vaccine helps reduce the risk of hospitalisation in those aged 75+ (around 82% effective).
Care homes: please speak to your GP practice to arrange vaccinations. Where possible, RSV vaccination may be offered alongside other routine vaccines (e.g., COVID-19 spring booster, shingles and pneumococcal).
Find out more about the RSV vaccine:
RSV vaccination - NHS
COVID-19 Spring vaccinations and walk-in clinics
People may be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in spring if they:
- are aged 75 or over
- are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
- live in a care home for older adults
You can find out if you are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on:
COVID-19 Vaccination - Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, ICS.
From 15 April, there will be COVID-19 walk-in vaccine clinics available all around Staffordshire.
View all the dates and locations:
Walk-in Vaccination Clinics - Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, ICS
Important Reminders:
Integrated Care Coordination for Urgent Care (Health & Social Care Professionals Line)
The ICC is now operational 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide a dedicated line for all health and social care professionals for patients with urgent care needs.
The service will continue to support with clinical advice and referrals to an alternative pathway as appropriate.
Call them on 0300 123 0983.
As before, this is not a direct patient access line and is in place to continue to support our system health and social care professionals.
Sign up to Field safety notice, national patient safety alert, device safety information, and medicines recall/notification
Sign up here - Alerts, recalls and safety information: medicines and medical devices emails - GOV.UK
Contact us
This update is produced and distributed by the Care Market Development Team.
Our webpages have lots of information, advice and guidance for Adult Social Care Providers. Please see our Care Market Development team web page.
If you have a specific question, please get in contact with us via email: asccommunications@staffordshire.gov.uk