Coronavirus COVID-19 Care Provider Information

Message from Dr Richard Harling, Director of Health and Care
(Director of Public Health and Director of Adult Social Services) 

23 September 2022

COVID-19

1. Staffordshire’s current 7-day case rate (per 100,000) is 58.2, placing us ahead of both the West Midlands (48.6) and the England case rate (51.4).

2. As you are aware routine asymptomatic testing of adult social care staff ceased on 31 August 2022.  Symptomatic test kits can be ordered from the portal, so please ensure you have sufficient supplies. The outbreak management testing flowchart has been updated to reflect the recent changes in guidance. 

3. People aged 75 and over, frontline health and social care staff, alongside those  with a weakened immune system are now able to book their COVID-19 Autumn Booster via the national booking system or by ringing 119.  Some individuals may be contacted by their GP. 

4. Please remind your staff they will need to present evidence they qualify for a vaccination when attending their appointment at a vaccination centre.  Further information can be found on our COVID-19 vaccination webpage, including our updated frequently asked questions. 

Useful Information 

5. There is a new Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Deterioration Tools Survey, please could you complete this 30 second survey to support an understanding of how many care homes are using a Deterioration Tool to manage the deterioration of residents. 

6. A Maintaining Hydration training session for care home providers will be taking place on Tuesday 18 October from 14:30 to 15:30.  You do not need to book to attend this session, the training can be accessed on the following link at the referenced date and time. 

7. Skills for Care has compiled a series of courses and tools which you may find useful, including: 

• Winter Readiness Webinar: This webinar will commence on Wednesday 05 October 2022, from 10:00 to 10:45 and will reflect on what we can expect from the upcoming winter period and how best to prepare for it. 
• Deputy manager networks: These networks are designed to help deputies meet the challenges they face in their day-to-day work.
• Tech Funding: Digital Social Care has compiled a list of funding opportunities that support care providers with the costs of trialling or implementing technology.
• Apprenticeship update: This update will commence on Thursday 28 September 2022, from 10:30 to 11:15, and is the first in a series of webinars focusing on apprenticeships specifically for adult social care providers. 
• International recruitment: This unique event will commence on Tuesday 04 October 2022, from 14:00 to 16:00 and will see a diverse panel of employers from across the adult social care sector discuss their experiences recruiting from overseas.  The Department of Health and Social Care will present an update on the Code of Practice for the recruitment of health and social care personnel in England and their International Recruitment Taskforce. 
• The Workforce Development Fund (WDF) allows care providers to claim money towards the cost of learning programmes.  Skills For Care have published a list of funded courses, which providers can claim with an ASC-WDS account.
• Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set: This session will commence on Tuesday 04 October 2022, from 15:30 to 16:15, and is designed to give social care providers who do not yet have an ASC-WDS account a demonstration of how the service works.
• State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report, 2022: This event will commence on Tuesday 11 October 2022, from 09:30 to 11:30, and will report key findings and information from other stakeholders and users in how they use the workforce data. 
• Improve CQC rating (Advanced): This seminar will commence on Wednesday 12 October 2022, from 10:30 to 15:30, and is designed for services who have fallen below CQC standards and are looking for practical ways to recover and achieve a ‘Good’ rating.

8. Our local wellbeing hub will be launching their Carers Network on Friday 30 September 2022.  This on-line closed peer support network can be accessed by anybody working in (or providing care) across Staffordshire and Stoke.  For more information please contact: nicki.haywood@combined.nhs.uk.  Alternatively, you can call: 0300 303 5406. 

9. Adult social care providers can now access the MPFT Wellbeing and Recovery College courses.  Courses include supporting wellbeing, communication, and mindfulness and are free to attend. 

10. Our Care Market Development Team (CMDT) September newsletter includes a host of training and development opportunities taking place locally. 

11. The Staffordshire Managers Quality Networking Forum (MQNF) is returning to a face to face event and is taking place at Beaconside Conference Centre, Stafford on Thursday 3rd November 2022 between 10:00 and 15:00. 

12. We have extended our Vivup Lifestyle Benefits Scheme to our adult social care market.  Staff can access a range of lifestyle savings and discounts once registered.  Further information can be found on our other help for providers webpage. 

13. Do not forget the DHSC data collection for all providers to update the mandated data by 23:59 on the fourteenth of each month (or the next working day when the fourteenth is on a weekend or public holiday).  The next one is due 14 October 2022.  It would be useful locally, if you can update the information more frequently to prevent duplication and unnecessary calls.

Other

14. Please see our how to contact us webpage for further information.