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Care Matters Weekly: Friday 2 July 2021
Please share this information with your staff. Updated guidance Testing for adult social care staff and unpaid carers Care Homes Supported living COVID-19 Vaccine COVID-19 Vaccine rates – NHS Capacity […]
Published on 2/07/2021 in News
Please share this information with your staff.
- Updated guidance
- COVID-19 Vaccine
- Information sharing
- Webinars and Training
- Sutton Care Hub
Updated Guidance
Testing for adult social care staff and unpaid carers
This updated guidance, on how to access twice-weekly COVID-19 testing, applies to anyone working in adult social care in England, who is not part of a regular testing regime. It also applies to unpaid carers.
- For more information, sign up for live webinars, which will take you through the testing process. Each webinar includes a live Q&A session with the adult social care team.
- Sign up for the testing webinars
Care Homes
Organisation testing registration: record of users
- The multiple registration upload guidance has been updated. Added a note to say that from 1 July, all adult social care settings should use the new version of the record-keeping multiple registration spreadsheet.
- Please see the full guidance for more information
How to protect care home residents and staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Guidance has been updated to include VOC-21APR-02 [Delta variant] as a variant of concern.
- Updated to clarify that admissions into a care home from the community are able to take a test up to 72 hours in advance.
- Please see the full guidance for more information
Sets out how care homes can support families and visitors to visit residents.
- Updated the section ‘In the event of an outbreak in the care home’ to add the Delta variant as a variant of concern.
- Please see the full guidance for more information
How to protect care home residents and staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
- Admission and care of people in care homes’ has been updated throughout and a document has been added to summarise the changes. This update provides new information on visiting policy for residents attending medical appointments out of care homes, the role of essential care givers during a resident’s isolation period and the removal of the requirement for new residents from the community to isolate for 14 days upon admission into the care home provided they satisfy the criteria set out in guidance.
- Please see the full guidance for more information
Supported Living
Guidance for providers of supported living settings.
- A substantive update which aligns guidance with other policy, including testing, infection prevention and control. Also includes additional information about visiting for individuals living in supported living, in line with national restriction
- Please see the Full guidance for further information.
COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 Vaccine rates – NHS Capacity Tracker
As you are aware the recommendation from SAGE is that care homes should have 90% vaccination rates among residents and 80% vaccination rates among staff for safety. However, not all of our care homes have reached these levels.
As we move to 19th July, we are working to ensure maximum vaccination uptake in Sutton. As part of this, please could you ensure that the data submitted to NHS Capacity Tracker is accurate in relation to staff employed, agency employed and vaccination numbers dose 1 and dose 2.
Thank you for your continued support and co-operation.
Walk in Vaccine centre (Health & Social Care Staff ONLY) – St Nicholas Shopping Centre
The coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective and remains our best protection against Covid-19 and the surest route to a return to normal life. Across Sutton, we have now delivered over 100,000 vaccinations.
If you are a front-line health or care worker you are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination, but haven’t got around to booking your appointment, come along to the St Nicholas Shopping Centre, you do not need an appointment.
Please bring proof of employment like your work ID badge and a letter from your employer to confirm your eligibility as a front-line health or care worker. Front-line health and social care staff can use the National Booking System to book a specific appointment at a wide range of vaccine centres aswell. You can do this by visiting this webpage or by calling 119. The full list of South West London vaccination centres is available here.
| St Nicholas Shopping Centre, SM1 1AY is open 8am – 6:30pm. |
The site can be accessed at two main doors at either end of the centre with both entrances being suitable for wheelchairs. It can also be reached from the St Nicholas car park which has a walkway across the main road with direct access to the first floor of the centre. Lifts are also available.
COVID-19 vaccine webinar clips online
You can now download short clips from a recent interactive webinar with Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Nikita Kanani, Director of Primary Care at NHS England (pictured). In each video, they answer care colleagues’ questions about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
Use these clips across your channels to reassure and inform your colleagues yet to have their first or second doses.
Download the webinar clips here
Information sharing
What are the appropriate mitigations to deploy in care homes in the context of the post vaccination risk landscape?
Please see the full paper prepared by the Social Care Working Group (SCWG) for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
Feedback on IPC training
SWLCCG have collected some feedback on the benefits of IPC training to share:
- This training will give you the information required to prevent or manage outbreaks in your care home
- It`s free and led by infection prevention and control specialists with years of practice in the field
- You will be informed of the best evidence-based practice and the latest guidance from Gov.uk and other relevant research
- You and your staff will be introduced to the principles of good Infection Prevention and Control practice
- You will be included in a network of professionals including the IPC team and other care home managers and staff. This way, you and your staff will have access to:
- IPC Championship programme- ongoing support and training for care home staff
- Broadcast group- bite sized chunks of IPC advice and guidance straight to Champion phone
- [email protected] helpline
- Alternative IPC training on offer for staff
- Access to IPC Audit tool to ensure good quality and safe care
- Your staff will have increased knowledge and confidence in managing the IPC protocols
- You can evidence best practice for CQC inspections
Weekly Information Sharing FAQs from SWLCCG
Dear Social Care Colleagues,
Thank you for attending the Webinar for Care Homes this week; we hope that these continue to support you during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thank you, too, for all your hard work to support your staff to take up the Covid-19 vaccine.
You may be aware the Delta variant is the most predominant COVID-19 strain circulating in the UK at present. Cases of infection have been increasing in South West London. Vaccinations are now available to all adults over 18.
Thank you for efforts in completing our Care Home Vaccination survey, we received a return rate of 68.5% in less than a week, so a truly amazing response. This information continues to support our planning and reporting to NHSE.
We remain focussed on maintaining (and for some homes reaching), the SAGE safety thresholds of 90% vaccination rates among residents and 80% vaccination rates among all staff (directly employed, bank and agency) (SAGE is the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies) and we want to support those homes which have not yet achieved these targets.
As we move to the 19th July, the NHS and councils in London are working to ensure maximum vaccination uptake across London, so that all people can be protected from Covid 19 when restrictions are lifted. As part of this, we are reaching out to you to offer further support to reach the SAGE safety thresholds. With that in mind, you may already have been or will shortly be contacted.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an extremely challenging situation globally and we recognise that this is the case for staff working in Care Homes of all types. We are offering our support in many different ways, and one of these is through running a weekly Infection Prevention and Control and Information Sharing webinar Tuesday mornings at 11am. It is possible to ask questions during the webinar. If you have questions in advance, please email your local CCG Care Home Lead, listed below.
We would like to thank you all for your hard work and commitment during this incredibly challenging time.
Please click link below to access the next Information Sharing Webinar for Care Homes on Tuesday 29th June 2021 at 11am until 12 noon.
+44 20 3880 0300 United Kingdom, London (Toll)
Conference ID: 855 305 74#
Local numbers | Reset PIN | Learn more about Teams | Meeting options
Please share this document weekly with all staff in the Care Home.
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Attached to this newsletter you will find:
- Weekly information sharing FAQS
- SWL Individualised Care Plan Action Letter for Care Home Managers: (Thank you to those who have already responded to the form attached in this letter, This Form needs to be completed and submitted by all SWL care homes ASAP.)
You can also access the form on your phone using the QR code above
- Updated COVID-19 one to one Vaccination hesitancy pack
- Letter to Vaccine hesitant staff
- Slides from presentations from this week
You may be aware the Delta variant is the most predominant COVID-19 strain circulating in the UK at present. Cases of infection have been increasing in South West London.
Vaccinations have now opened up to all adults over 18. The recommendation from SAGE (the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies) is that care homes should have 90% vaccination rates among residents and 80% vaccination rates among staff, for safety. However, not all homes in London have reached these levels. We recognise the challenges that providers are facing in this, despite your significant work to date.
As we move to the 19th July, the NHS and councils in London are working to ensure maximum vaccination uptake across London, so that all people can be protected from Covid 19 when restrictions are lifted. As part of this, we are reaching out to you to offer further support to reach the SAGE safety thresholds.
We would like to develop an individualised plan with you for your home, agreed by you, you may have already been contacted or submitted the form attached in the link above. Thank you for responding if you have already done so. We want to understand the issues that you are facing and work with you to identify any additional support you need.
Webinars and training
Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA) Webinars
The sessions will give employers and potential applicants more information about the role, such as funding and the application process.
To join us, please click on the link to register for one of the dates below:
IPC Champion meeting for Care Homes
You do not need to have been to the first three to access this one. The meeting is open to ALL IPC leads or Champions in Care Homes. Care Homes will have received an email with joining instructions.
Skills for Care London & SE team will be running a virtual roadshow
The event will run on Tuesday 13th July 10:00am – 12:30pm and cover:
- Practical tips and guidance for ensuring the continued wellbeing of your staff
- Local initiatives that can support your recruitment
- How to re-establish – and build – local partnerships.
There will also be an update from CQC
Weekly Capacity Tracker webinar
Capacity Tracker Webinars for Care Homes are taking place at 2:00pm every Friday.
Click here to join the meeting on your computer or mobile app Or call in (audio only) on +44 20 3794 0272 Phone Conference ID: 311 948 485#
Sutton Care Hub
Sutton Care Hub Posters
We want all staff, at all levels to access the Sutton Care Hub and utilise the resources on offer. To help us advertise the hub please download and display the below Sutton Care Hub poster.
Sutton Care Hub Job Portal
To support Sutton’s care providers to recruit the best staff for all positions from management, to clinical staff, carers and administrative support, we have created the Sutton Care Hub Job Portal.
Take one minute to provide feedback on how you would like to receive candidate applications from the hub.
We have developed posters to advertise the hub, please see below.
Subscribe to the Sutton Care Bulletin!
The Sutton Care Bulletin features a round up of good news stories and successes from across Sutton’s care sector, as well as useful information, guidance and resources. Please make sure you have subscribed to receive future editions.
An archive of previous editions can be found on the Sutton Care Hub.
Keep up to date
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