Coronavirus COVID-19 Care Provider Information

Urgently need PPE?

Please view our information on accessing PPE.

Business Continuity Planning & ASC Support

Find links to guidance, templates and RAG rating examples.

We are contactable 7 days per week, should you require support with your business continuity plan.  Our working hours can be found on our how to contact us webpage. 

Vaccination information (Care providers and frontline social care roles)

Please view our information on COVID-19 vaccination.  This includes the vaccination of people deployed to care homes and the Covid 19 booster vaccination for eligible social care staff.

Coronavirus COVID-19 and adult social care in Staffordshire

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

3 December 2021

1. Staffordshire’s current 7-day case rate (per 100,000) has fallen again to 433.9, which is slightly below the current England case rate (438)

Omicron Variant

2.The identification of the Omicron variant has led to several key changes, summarised below:

• Household and non-household contacts (including social care staff) of confirmed, highly probable, probable and possible Omicron variant Covid 19 cases are required to isolate, regardless of age and vaccination status, for 10 days (noting, care home residents are required to isolate for 14 days). 
• All international arrivals must take a PCR test by the end of their second day after arrival and isolate until receipt of a negative result.
• People who have tested for Covid 19 in the last 90 days, will need to take a PCR test if:
  • They develop new symptoms of Covid 19
  • They are identified as a close contact of a suspected or confirmed case of Omicron variant Covid 19 case
  • On entry to the UK (as above)
  • Face coverings are compulsory on public transport and in specific public shops and settings.  Adult care settings are required to continue with the relevant PPE guidance applicable to their setting.
  • Plans are being finalised to enable any person aged 18 years and over to access their Covid 19 booster 3 months after their second dose. 
  • Management of staff or residents in health and social care settings guidance has been updated today, which includes information  regarding test results, exemptions from self-isolation for fully vaccinated staff who are identified as contacts, and self-isolation requirements for residents in social care settings.

3. Testing is a key line of defence, so please make sure social care staff and the people you support are participating in regular asymptomatic testing (as per the recommended regime).

Covid 19 Vaccinations

4. In light of the variant, Covid 19 vaccinations are more critical than ever.  96% of Staffordshire’s care home residents are reported to be fully vaccinated; with 70.8% reported to have received their Covid 19 booster.  Don’t delay, support care home residents to get vaccinated.  If you need any help or support, please contact us.

5. 98% of Staffordshire’s care home workforce are reported to be fully vaccinated or exempt.  97 staff continue to show as unvaccinated. 

A number of care homes have shared locally about why care homes may not be 100% compliant, i.e. maternity leave and unpaid leave until fully vaccinated.  However, where the local information you have shared with us is not reflected on the capacity tracker, we will continue to contact you and risk rate you based on the information recorded on the capacity tracker, so it is important to be accurate.  The recorded information is also considered nationally.

6. The Care Provider Alliance have updated their questions and answers on Covid 19 as a condition of deployment, following the announcement to extend the mandate to other regulated social care settings and plans to align this mandate with the care home regulatory requirements. 

7. 87.4% of Staffordshire’s home care workforce are reported to have received their first dose; 78.7% of the workforce are reported to be fully vaccinated.  Whilst we are ahead of the West Midlands average (73.7% reported to be fully vaccinated) please continue to encourage your staff to get vaccinated ahead of the regulatory changes. 

8. All care homes and home care providers in receipt of adult social care infection control and testing funding are required to update the capacity tracker at least once per week, as per the associated terms and conditions.  Please ensure your total staff figures and vaccination status are accurate.  Failure to update the capacity tracker may result in funding being withdrawn and repaid.  

Guidance updates and useful information

9. Care home visiting guidance has been updated.  The key changes include:

• Consideration of where the visit is facilitated – practicable and comfortable for the resident.
• Visiting in the event of an outbreak – including completion of a risk assessment (by the professional party leading the incident) to consider an outbreak being declared over after 2 rounds of whole home PCR testing (i.e. in 7-8 days instead of 14 days) in certain circumstances and how to enable visiting in the event of an outbreak.
• Isolation following an emergency stay in hospital – residents will only need to isolate if they test positive for Covid 19 and/or the visit was deemed high risk.

10. ‘People at the Heart of Care’ adult social care reform white paper has been published.  The ten-year vision looks at people who need care, the social care workforce and unpaid carers.  Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, has written an article focussing on the importance of the social care workforce in these plans.

11. The guidance for care home providers on restricting staff movement has been updated. The guidance recognises that movement continues to be a concern for transmission of infection between settings.  Care homes are advised to continue to limit movement where possible, however, the updated guidance details the circumstances in which care home providers may now allow some movement of staff between settings and how associated risks can be mitigated.

12. Skills for Care are introducing a brand-new ASC-WDS Benefits Bundle for both new and existing users. The bundle contains special offers and discounts across their products including savings on resources within their bookshop and special prices on e-Learning. To find out more about the ACS-WDS service and offers, visit their dedicated webpage.

13. 43% of England’s adult population struggle to read and understand health information; when this includes words and numbers, 61% of the population can struggle.  Health Education England has developed a free 35-minute on-line health literacy course.  Signup now via NHS e-learning.

14. On 16 December 2021 (10:00 – 12:00) join the NHSX Innovation Collaborative Care Sector Workshop.  This free event will share the learning and achievements of remote monitoring projects within the care sector, providing opportunities to highlight and discuss key challenges and enablers in projects funded through the NHSX Regional Scale programme.

Other

15. Please ensure you update your business continuity and infection control information daily or more often as necessary as this helps us with placements and with Covid-19 related support.

16. We remain contactable 7 days per week. For details of how to contact us, please go to: How to contact us - Staffordshire County Council for further details

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