What's New Bulletin 217 - 03 October 2024
This is edition 217 of the provider bulletin, containing information on guidance, procedures and new initiatives. Very urgent or high priority communications may still be issued on an ad hoc basis, but we will try to keep these to a minimum
1. Care Homes Market Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) – October 2024 – DEADLINE 18 October 2024 (information for all Birmingham and contracted care homes)
2. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Getting a Head Start on Flu and Other Infections (information for all providers)
3. Capacity Tracker Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates (information for all providers)
4. Department of Health and Social Care - New Chief Social Worker for Adults and Mental Health Social Work lead appointed (information for all providers)
5. Department of Health and Social Care - New e-learning tool puts prevention first in social care (information for all providers)
6. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL ICB) Quality Team - Clinical Learning Alert 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull providers)
7. Skills for Care - Help Sheet for Providers on Applying for Certificates of Sponsorship (information for all providers)
8. Social Care Nursing Advisory Councils (SCNACs) (information for care homes with nursing)
9. Health Innovation West Midlands - Recognising Deterioration Webinar Video Link (information for all providers)
10. Solihull Support to Care homes Team - Support to Care Homes Training October 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
11. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) - Oliver McGown Mandatory Training Tier 2 – various dates October 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull providers)
12. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System – Respect Forms Training – 10 October 2024 (information for all nursing homes)
13. REMINDER Infection Prevention and Control Annual IPC Expo 15 October 2024 (information for all providers)
14. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) - Free Wound Care Training Sessions (information for care homes with nursing in Birmingham and Solihull)
15. REMINDER Skills for Care Midlands Regional launch - State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report 12 November 2024 (information for all Central and Eastern England providers)
1. Care Homes Market Intelligence Questionnaire (MIQ) – October 2024 – DEADLINE 18 October 2024 (information for all Birmingham and contracted care homes)
Please click this link to access the questionnaire:
The deadline for completion is Friday 18 October 2024
This questionnaire is issued quarterly. Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
Completion of the questionnaire is part of the terms of the Care Homes 2023 contract, for contracted providers, but we ask all Birmingham care homes to take part in the process to help us meet our responsibilities to all Birmingham citizens.
Many thanks to staff at the care homes who completed the previous questionnaires. If this did not include your care home, please ensure that you complete the October and subsequent editions.
The purpose of the questionnaire is to collect information to assist our market shaping and development role, the production of our Market Position Statements, fulfil our Care Act duties around ensuring a quality and sustainable market, to help us direct resources, identify areas of risk, and monitor progress towards our strategic aims. It has been co-produced with health colleagues to reduce duplication in data collection and has been streamlined so that we are only collecting information that is not available to us from elsewhere e.g. the Capacity Tracker.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
2. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - Getting a Head Start on Flu and Other Infections (information for all providers)
Earlier this year by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the UK Health Security Agency jointly issued flu immunisation guidance (see link below) in order to help frontline care and health colleagues prepare for the flu season and other infections.
Eligibility for vaccination includes frontline care colleagues as well as “those in long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person and the close contacts of immunocompromised individuals.”
Please see link below for further information:
Getting a head start on flu and other infections – Social care (blog.gov.uk)
3. Capacity Tracker Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Updates (information for all providers)
On Wednesday 2 October 2024 COVID Booster (Autumn 2024) questions were added to the provider update page for ASC Care Home and Home Care providers of the Capacity Tracker.
This change will be reflected in the Care Home and Home Care Provider Bulk Update Template.
For support with the Capacity Tracker, please see details below:
- For system support and guidance - please contact NECS Capacity Tracker Support Centre - 0191 691 3729 or necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net (We are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, excluding public holidays)
- Changing registration, closing, change of ownership – please contact the CQC - T: 03000 616161, E: enquiries@cqc.org.uk, CQC Provider Portal (They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding public holidays)
- If you receive an enforcement notice – please contact the NHS Business Services Authority Enforcement Team (NHSBSA) – T: 0300 330 2088, E: enforcement@nhsbsa.nhs.uk (They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm
4. Department of Health and Social Care - New Chief Social Worker for Adults and Mental Health Social Work lead appointed (information for all providers)
The Department of Health and Social have announced the appointment of Sarah McClinton as the new Chief Social Worker and Robert Lewis as the Mental Health Social Work lead.
Please see link below for further information:
5. Department of Health and Social Care - New e-learning tool puts prevention first in social care (information for all providers)
A new tool has been developed in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Royal Society of Public Health. It is designed to help colleagues enhance their expertise and confidence in applying public health approaches in adult social care settings.
With a focus on crucial areas including Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), mental health, and healthy ageing, this resource delivers practical advice and suggestions on how to embed these approaches.
Please see link below for further information:
New e-learning tool puts prevention first in social care – Social care (blog.gov.uk)
6. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL ICB) Quality Team - Clinical Learning Alert 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull providers)
The ICB Clinical Quality Assurance Team are committed to sharing best practise, themes and trends, lessons learnt and improving quality, please see the attached Clinical Learning Alert for recent themes and trends from Clinical incidents. Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk. This includes recent learning from incidents:
- Hoists
- Choking
Further information can be found here:
BSOL ICB Quality Team Web Page
7. Skills for Care - Help Sheet for Providers on Applying for Certificates of Sponsorship (information for all providers)
A help sheet is available for care providers recruiting from abroad, setting out the step-by-step process of gaining sponsorship licences and explaining how to provide the appropriate evidence required by the Home Office. Please see link below for further information.
International recruitment (skillsforcare.org.uk)
8. Social Care Nursing Advisory Councils (SCNACs) (information for care homes with nursing)
Led by Deborah Sturdy, the Chief Nurse for Social Care, SCNACs are instrumental in shaping the future of care through collaboration between NHS colleagues and social care teams. Describing these councils Deborah Sturdy states:
“Social care nursing is an important part of the health and care system. The reforming of the Social Care Nurse Advisory Councils (SCNAC’s) into 7 regional councils will ensure a stronger collaboration between other sector colleagues from workforce, research and HEI’s and facilitate a greater number of voices to influence and shape work with NHS England Integrated Care Board (ICB) Nurse colleagues and their teams.
These forums will act as touchstones for every ICB nurse, making sure social care nursing and the wider workforce are included in the development of nursing plans across all health and care settings. These peer advisory groups bring a wealth of experience, insight and expertise to the table, better informing the development of nursing practice, system wide. I hope colleagues will come forward and be part of that critical social care nursing specialist voice.”
For further information, please visit;
Social Care Nursing Advisory Councils.
9. Health Innovation West Midlands - Recognising Deterioration Webinar Video Link (information for all providers)
If you missed the webinar about recognising deterioration, here is the video link for useful information and updates on the management of deterioration from Health Innovation West Midlands:
10. Solihull Support to Care homes Team - Support to Care Homes Training October 2024 (information for Birmingham and Solihull care homes)
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk This includes details of the Support to Care Homes Team virtual training for all Care Home staff across Birmingham and Solihull Care homes.
There are valuable informative training sessions this month on:
•Recognising Deterioration
•Infection prevention
•Pressure Ulcer classification
•verification of death
•falls prevention
The training will be hosted by the Solihull Support to Care homes Team and is open to all Care Home staff across Birmingham and Solihull and joining details can be accessed via the BSol Healthzone Care Home App.
Instructions on how to download the BSol Healthzone Care Home App are also attached. Please see What's New Bulletin 184 - 15 February 2024 - Care services providers' bulletin (birmingham.gov.uk), item 3 here for further information about the App
Care services providers' bulletin (birmingham.gov.uk)
Or contact Supportto.carehomeservice@uhb.nhs.uk
11. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) - Oliver McGown Mandatory Training Tier 2 – various dates October 2024 (information for all Birmingham and Solihull providers)
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disabilities and Autism is for all staff in a CQC registered organisation. Staff must complete Part 1 (The e-Learning) followed by Part 2 (as per the requirements of their job role). Part 2 of the training is divided into Tier 1 (one-hour online learning) or Tier 2 (one day’s face to face training)
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System are running Oliver McGown Mandatory Training for Tier 2 with sessions at the venues below. They are running 6-8 sessions a day of face-to-face training and have several empty spaces. Please see attached posters which have QR codes to scan to book the sessions.
Flash Climbing Centre - Solihull
Kenrick Centre - Birmingham
Perry Tree Centre - Birmingham
Ann Marie Howes Centre - Birmingham
For booking and further information visit:
12. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System – Respect Forms Training – 10 October 2024 (information for all nursing homes)
This event forms part of a series of interactive webinars, commissioned by Birmingham & Solihull ICB and provided by Birmingham Hospice in collaboration with Marie Curie and St Giles Hospice. Sessions are delivered by local palliative care experts.
You can expect to learn:
- How to use the ReSPECT form in practice
- How to approach and record ReSPECT discussions
- Using ReSPECT as a springboard for ACP
The ReSPECT process creates personalised recommendations for a person’s clinical care and treatment in a future emergency in which they are unable to make or express choices.
These recommendations are created through conversations between a person, their families, and their health and care professionals to understand what matters to them and what is realistic in terms of their care and treatment.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
13. REMINDER Infection Prevention and Control Annual IPC Expo 15 October 2024 (information for all providers)
The IPC Annual Expo takes place Tuesday 15 October 2024, between 10.00am – 15.00pm at Moseley Hall Hospital. This event coincides with International Infection Prevention Week.
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk
14. Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) - Free Wound Care Training Sessions (information for care homes with nursing in Birmingham and Solihull)
Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk This includes details of valuable training sessions on:
- Assessing wounds with T.I.M.E – 23 October 2024
- Assessment and management of skin tears – 20 November 2024
- Moisture Associated Skin damage – 4 December 2024
These events are suitable for Nurses, Carers and qualified Health Care Professionals.
For further information please contact antonia.dekavanagh-boulger@smith-nephew.com
15. REMINDER Skills for Care Midlands Regional launch - State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report 12 November 2024 (information for all Central and Eastern England providers)
The event will be held via Zoom on 12 November 2024 at 10:00am – 11:45am.
Each year, Skills for Care produce important insights about the adult social care workforce on a national, regional and local level. These insights are used to inform planning, funding and decision making across the sector. In October Skills for Care will launch their latest State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report along with new regional data.
At this event you will hear the headline findings from your regional data and what they mean for you - including the size and structure of the workforce, recruitment and retention trends, local workforce demographics, pay and training. You will also hear how the data is used to inform workforce planning and how you can access and use our data throughout the year.
During the session delegates will be invited to join breakout rooms to hear further information about the data relevant to the area that they are located in.
To find out more and to book a place(s) please follow this link;
The adult social care sector and workforce in Central & Eastern England 2024 (skillsforcare.org.uk)