¶®ÒõµÛ

1. ¶®ÒõµÛ awarded indicative rating of Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) (information for all providers)

2. UPDATED GUIDANCE Infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID-19 supplement (information for all providers)

3. REMINDER Health and social care worker seasonal flu & COVID-19 vaccinations (information for all providers)

4. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Cold-weather alert service & winter preparedness (information for all providers)

5. Department of Health and Social Care Made with Care campaign 2023/2024 (information for all providers)

6. Dates for roll out of the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulatory approach (information for all providers)

7. International Men’s Day 19 November 2023 (information for all providers)

8. REMINDER ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull Integrated Care System – Personalised care training for providers 30 November 2023 (information for ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull)

9. REMINDER Digital Care Hub contract negotiation webinars with software companies 29 November 2023 (information for all providers)

10. REMINDER ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care 30 November 2023 (information for ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull care homes)

11. REMINDER NHE England Health Literate Organisation programme: upcoming events November and December 2023 (information for all providers)

1. ¶®ÒõµÛ awarded indicative rating of Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) (information for all providers)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been given new powers to assess how local authorities deliver against key aspects of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The purpose of the assessment is to understand performance and assure CQC and the Department of Health and Social Care about the quality of care in an area and consider whether any improvements may be required.

¶®ÒõµÛ is one of 5 local authorities who has worked with CQC to pilot the new assessment process for adult social care. We are delighted to confirm that CQC has awarded ¶®ÒõµÛ an indicative rating of ‘Good: evidence shows a good standard’.

We will continue to build on the great work underway to support our citizens and will use the learning from the pilot to continue to improve our services.

Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

2. UPDATED GUIDANCE Infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID-19 supplement (information for all providers)

This guidance sets out how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in adult social care settings in England. Information on ordering tests for those eligible for COVID-19 treatment has been updated, as well as COVID-19 treatments section and vaccination information.

The full guidance can be found here;

3. REMINDER Health and social care worker seasonal flu & COVID-19 vaccinations (information for all providers)

Campaign materials to promote winter vaccinations for frontline care colleagues are available to download from the Campaign Resource Centre using the link below:

Separate guidance in the link below on flu vaccination is also available. Do make full use of these resources and help us all stay happy, healthy and strong this winter.

4. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Cold-weather alert service & winter preparedness (information for all providers)

The UKHSA have launched the cold-health alert service, which forms part of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England (see links below). This plan aims to protect individuals and communities from the health effects of adverse weather by raising awareness and sharing guidance.

You can sign up to receive cold-health alerts:

Paying attention to cold weather is essential. Whilst it is a significant health risk for many people, simple preventative actions often could avoid many deaths, illnesses, and injuries associated with the cold.

Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk.

Share this information with your staff, service users and partner networks to help ensure there is ongoing awareness and preparedness during this time:

Heating your Home
Organisation	Resource information	Link / Contact information
¶®ÒõµÛ	BCC has produced guidance on several schemes now available to ¶®ÒõµÛ residents to tackle fuel poverty, from the free installation of central heating to switching energy suppliers, support with fuel debts, energy-saving measures, energy-efficient appliances and more.	BCC guidance
Disability Resource Centre	DRC’s Energy Efficiency Advice Service provides energy-related information and advice to disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in ¶®ÒõµÛ Black Country and South Staffordshire. â€‹DRC also deliver workshops in the community to allow people to become efficient and effective energy consumers.​	Telephone: 03030 402 040
Government Digital Services	GOV.UK offer a service which provides recommendations for home improvements that could make your property cheaper to heat and keep warm or contact Simple Energy Advice for information over the phone.	Telephone: 0800 098 7950
Organisation	Resource	Link
Staying warm and well in cold weather
Age UK	Age UK has produced guidance on keeping well this winter, including information on staying healthy, keeping spirits up, managing money, looking after each other, preparing for severe weather and getting the flu jab.
¶®ÒõµÛ	BCC has produced guidance on staying safe during severe weather, including dedicated information on winter weather, thunderstorms and lightning, and gales and high winds.	BCC guidance
Groundswell	Groundswell has produced a winter health leaflet for people experiencing homelessness.
Met Office	The Met Office has produced a range of seasonal advice to help deal with the worst weather throws at us, including guidance on travel, your home, health and wellbeing, your community and being weather-ready for winter. The Met Office has also produced a list of guidance on a series of simple and cheap #WeatherHacks that can help you prepare for the winter weather.
NHS	The NHS has produced guidance on how to stay well in winter and this information is available in large print, audio, British Sign Language and easy-read versions.
SignHealth	SignHealth has produced flu vaccine guidance in British Sign Language and regularly produces COVID-19 guidance in British Sign Language.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)	The UKHSA has produced guidance and resources to help people keep warm and well in cold weather, including information on keeping you and your home warm and financial support, looking after yourself and others and preparing your home for winter. Additionally, UKHSA and Age UK have produced a leaflet on top tips for keeping warm and well this winter.	Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. To request a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

An image produced by the Council that summarises guidance on coping with cold weather this winter and cost of living guidance has also been circulated to providers. To request a copy, email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

5. Department of Health and Social Care Made with Care campaign 2023/2024 (information for all providers)

The next phase of the national recruitment campaign, ’Made with Care’, is now live. With national advertising across a range of channels, the campaign aims to shine a light on the rewards of a career in care and inspire people to apply for jobs in the sector.

Along with the national advertising, a brand-new set of campaign resources are also now ready for you to download and use to support your recruitment activity - see link below.

These resources enable you to use the national advertising to signpost potential applicants to your job vacancies. Following feedback from care providers, they feature new imagery designed to reflect the typical daily routines for care workers in both care homes and domiciliary settings.

You can add your logo and details to the assets – visit the campaign resource centre or campaign page to get started.

New for this year, there’s also a Skills for Care webinar available - see below. This provides useful background on the campaign, how to get involved with it and how it can support your recruitment.

6. Dates for roll out of the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulatory approach (information for all providers)

The CQC are rolling out their new regulatory approach by area - see link below - and they will contact providers with details of how to prepare before they start the new assessments in your area.

• From 23 January 2024 they will start using their new regulatory approach with a small number of providers in the North and Midlands regions.
• From 6 February 2024 they will start using their new regulatory approach with all providers in the North and Midlands regions and will include NHS well-led assessments.

The CQC have published the following new guidance to helps providers understand their new regulatory approach, so you can be ready for when the new assessments start;

Display your ratings: posters:

You can share your feedback on the guidance with CQC here;

You can subscribe to the CQC’s WhatsApp channel where they will be sharing the latest updates on their new regulatory approach;

7. International Men’s Day 19 November 2023 (information for all providers)

The 19 November 2023 marked International Men’s Day, which aims to make a positive difference to the wellbeing of men and boys. Colleagues in Adult Social Care used the event this year to flag up support for men who may be experiencing domestic abuse. While domestic abuse disproportionately affects women, anyone can be a victim and there are barriers to men reaching out for help such as feeling emasculated, not recognising behaviours as abuse, and struggling to see themselves as a ‘victim’.

¶®ÒõµÛ commission the following dedicated services to support men;

Cranstoun:

• Provides specialist male lead workers offering up to six months’ practical and emotional support, led by the victim.
• Men can self-refer for support, or professionals can refer.
• Men can request their support worker to be a particular gender, if they would prefer.

Trident Reach:

• Trident offers long-term accommodation across the city. This is self-contained accommodation, with support workers in place.
• This accommodation can be for single men, or men with children.
• Men can self-refer for support, or professionals can refer.
• Trident also offers a helpline, open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, on 0800 111 4223.

¶®ÒõµÛ LGBT:

• Provides a safe and supportive environment, where you can discuss issues you have been experiencing.
• In addition to crisis intervention, offers advocacy, safety planning, emotional and practical support.
• The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 10am-9pm; and Saturdays, 11:30am to 7:00pm, on 0121 643 0821.

These services will listen, validate, and provide individualised support. Remember that anyone can be a victim – and everyone deserves support.

8. REMINDER ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull Integrated Care System – Personalised care training for providers 30 November 2023 (information for ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull)

Additional training dates in personalised care and support planning for providers are available.Further information about this subject has been circulated to providers. If you don’t have a copy, please email marketintelligence@birmingham.gov.uk

Both modules are accredited by the Personalised Care Institute, are worth 3 CPD hours each for those that need them for appraisal purposes and the sessions are free to attend and are available to all clinical and non-clinical staff in patient facing roles.

The links for the training are:

Personalised Care and Support planning 30 November 2023

9. REMINDER Digital Care Hub contract negotiation webinars with software companies 29 November 2023 (information for all providers)

Digital Care Hub (formerly Digital Social Care), in partnership with Care England and NHS Transformation Directorate have a remaining webinar focussing on contract management with software companies.

Monitoring your digital contracts well (for social care providers) 29 November, 2:00pm to 3:30pm (link removed as event has passed)

These sessions have been designed for adult social care providers in England and are aimed at people who make decisions about the use of technology in care services.

10.REMINDER ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care 30 November 2023 (information for ¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull care homes)

¶®ÒõµÛ and Solihull Nurses and Clinical Leads Network for Nurses working in Social Care would like to invite registered nurses to the next virtual network meeting for Thursday 30 November 2023 14.00 to 16.30.

The meeting agenda will include relevant clinical nursing issues;

• Personalised care planning and training
• Update on medicines management, resources for insomnia management
• Monitoring falls ~ Aspery Court
• How the themes and trends of falls management are tracked at Edgbaston Manor
• Introducing new ways of falls monitoring at Connaught House and across the Restful Homes Group
• Update from the Social Care Advisory Board
• Update on dementia and End of Life

There will be an update from BSOL Integrated Care Board, Skills for Care and West Midlands Care Association on support/resources for nurses.

To find out more about the meeting and to book your place, follow this link;

A recording of the September meeting can be accessed here;

11. REMINDER NHE England Health Literate Organisation programme: upcoming events November and December 2023 (information for all providers)

The Health Literate Organisation Programme provides health and care professionals with health literacy awareness supported by tools, techniques and expert advice. It supports “Health Literacy Champions” to guide their team or services on the health literacy journey. It follows an evidence-based approach to helping organisations become health literate by wrapping the health literacy work in a change management approach to give it the best chance of succeeding and enduring. It consists of:

• Health Literacy Awareness Training
• Health Literate Organisation Workshops
• Access to the Health Literacy Group on the Knowledge Hub
• Guidance from a health literacy expert
• Community of Practice Workshops

These free events, brought to you on behalf of NHS England for health and care organisations across the Midlands will take place on Zoom.

Please book via Eventbrite below. You must have attended a Health Literacy Awareness session (as part of this programme or elsewhere) to attend a Health Literate Organisation workshop.

Event	Eventbrite link
Health Literacy Awareness training: Wednesday November 15th, 9:00am to 11:00am
Health Literate Organisation workshop: Tuesday December 12th 9:00am to midday
Health Literacy Awareness training: Wednesday 31st January, 2024, 9:00am to 11:00am
Health Literate Organisation workshop: Tuesday 27th February, 2024, 12th 9am to 12noon