Care Provider Newsletter

February 2024

Adult Social Care

Measles Outbreak Could Spread Warns UKHSA Chief Executive

We are seeing an increase in cases of measles, with a particular cluster in the West Midlands amongst unvaccinated children. This has been declared as a national incident. The UK Health Security Agency are warning that further outbreaks of measles will spread to other towns and cities unless urgent action is taken to increase measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination uptake in other areas including B&NES.
 
These highly infectious conditions can easily spread between unvaccinated people. Getting vaccinated is important, as these conditions can also lead to serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy. 2 doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
 
Your GP surgery should be able to check whether you've had both doses of the MMR vaccine. You may also be able to access your vaccination record online through GP online services and parents and carers can check their child’s red book. Read about how to access your health records. If your vaccination records are not available, or do not exist, it will not harm you to have the MMR vaccine again.
 
It’s important to check you’ve had both doses particularly if you:

• Are a frontline health or social care worker
• Were born between 1970 and 1979 as you may have only been vaccinated against measles
• Were born between 1980 and 1990, as you may not be protected against mumps
• Are planning a pregnancy
• Are going to travel abroad
• Are about to start college or university

Please can you support this work by printing the attached posters and placing them in a prominent position in your work setting if appropriate? If you would like any translated material or material in other formats please contact Jenny Myatt email: jenny_myatt@bathnes.gov.uk.
 
Further information on measles can be found here and more information about the MMR vaccine can be found here

Skills for Care

In January the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced the first version of the Care Workforce Pathway and the introduction of and funding for a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification, which are both projects Skills for Care has consulted and supported on with the sector. They also announced an uplift to the Workforce Development Fund this financial year, to expand access to learning and development and a new digital leadership qualification.

These initiatives will encourage learning and development opportunities for people working in different care services as well as supporting with the recruitment and retention challenges which we know employers are continuing to face. We look forward to seeing the impact this package can have for people working in care.

During January and February, we’re focusing on why it’s so important that you keep learning and how this links to better outcomes for the people you support. We’re helping you to look ahead and plan opportunities for ongoing learning and development in 2024. We’re signposting to funding for training, alongside helping you to explore ways you can refresh existing skills and find new learning to develop.

Introductory modules for managers

Based on the Manager Induction Standards, we offer 11 introductory eLearning modules covering topics including supporting and developing teams, effective communication, making decisions and managing resources. Each module aims to support new and aspiring managers in becoming an effective leader and can be completed flexibly. Employers can claim £50 per completed module from the Workforce Development Fund.

Delivering outstanding care

Tuesday 27 February 2024 I 10:00 – 15:30 I Zoom
This interactive seminar is for services who want to understand what Outstanding care looks like and how to deliver and evidence this. It’s primarily aimed at services currently rated Good but who want to progress to Outstanding, as well as newer services hoping to achieve this accolade in their first inspection.

NPSA Alert

An NPSA Alert has been issued regarding medical beds, trolleys, bed rails, bed grab handles and lateral turning devices. The actions include:

• Reviewing and updating your policies and procedures to ensure compliance and review and updating your risk assessments to ensure compliant and inclusive.
• Reviewing all residents who are currently provided with bed rails or bed grab handles to ensure there is a documented up to date risk assessment. Complete risk assessments for residents where this has not already been done and for each resident who is provided with bed rails or bed grab handles. 

As detailed on the alert the actions should be completed by 1 March 2024.

Food Recycle – what a great idea

Pigs are nature’s ultimate recycling heroes and in comparison to other farmed animals, pigs have evolved to digest a more diverse range of good.  Greystones Care Home have found a great way to recycle their left over food. Certain food left overs are given to the local farmer to feed to his pigs.

Community Dental Service

The Community Dental Service (CDS) provides dental care for people who are unable to access treatment from a general dental practitioner (GDP) because of special needs, or disabilities. This includes, for example, those individuals with mobility problems, learning difficulties or complex medical histories, and those who are housebound. The Service is provided across Bristol, Bath, Weston and Yate, and referrals are welcome from GDPs, GMPs, other health care professionals such as health visitors, carers and relatives. Home visits are available where patients are housebound, or where the disability is such that the individual would find it too difficult to visit a clinic, but this is at the discretion of the Service. New referral forms have been developed and can be found on the website. 
 
https://www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/your-hospitals/university-of-bristol-dental-hospital/what-we-do/primary-care-dental-service-(pcds)/referrals/

Save the Date – Activity Co-Ordinator Forum

The next Activity Co-ordinator Forum is taking place on Thursday 29 February 2024 at 10.30am. For any new members wishing to join the forum please feel free to join the group at Cleeve Court Community Resource Centre, Cleeve Green, Twerton, Bath, BA2 1RS. Please encourage your staff to attend.

Dorothy House Services Update

Dorothy House community nurse specialists offering urgent symptom control and support advice at weekends

From 1 February, our community nurse specialists will be offering a 7-day service, with additional working hours of 8.30am-4.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be two nurses covering our whole patch (B&NES, parts of Wiltshire and Somerset).

Contact with the team will continue to be via the 24hr Advice Line, 0345 0130 555. Calls will be triaged, and where deemed urgent, passed on to the community nursing team. Urgent criteria includes medication and symptom control issues or significant deterioration over the past 24 hours. The weekend service will be responsive to urgent need, and will not offer routine activity. 

7-day working will not impact timescales for ‘soon’ or ‘routine’ referrals, but does mean ‘urgent’ referrals received late on Friday or over the weekends will be triaged by a nurse specialist. Our teams will continue working closely with primary care out-of-hours colleagues to ensure the appropriate clinician responds to the call.

Wheelchair Provision

The wheelchair service has very strict criteria about providing wheelchairs especially in care homes unless for example complex postural management and family are taking the service user out off site daily. The wheelchair service suggests appropriate seating instead and transit wheelchairs should be provided by the care home. Referrals can be made by a GP or a Therapist https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/bristol-centre-enablement This link takes you to the main website but shows their strict criteria https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/bristol-centre-enablement/services-at-centre/wheelchairs-special-seating.

Prescription Ordering Direct Service (POD)

For those of you who will be affected by the service, a decision has been made by the ICB Executive Team to close the POD service which includes the Care Home POD service by the 30 June 2024 at the very latest. A decision has been made to keep a strategic lead for the MOCH technicians (medicines optimisation in Care Homes) and a strategic lead for the Dietetic team.

What does this mean for you?

• Monthly orders and Interim requests will revert to GP practice teams for processing
• Individual patient medication queries will go directly to GP practice teams
• Medicines reconciliation for all new patients will be done by the GP practice teams
• Patients receiving sip feeds on prescription will not have clinical reviews from the ICB team (mainly Swindon patients affected)
• The email address for queries will no longer be in use after 30 June 2024
• No routine patient facing support from MOCH or dietetic teams

The POD team will liaise with all affected GP practices and Care Homes to ensure as smooth a transition as is possible and confirm agreed timelines – you will be contacted in due course, please try not to panic. 
 
Please get in touch if there are any further details you need T: 01793 987656 | E: elizabeth.rushforth@nhs.net W: www.bsw.icb.nhs.uk

Technology Enabled Care (TEC)

Innovative practice and technology change are important tools to drive improvement and deliver better outcomes and experiences for people.  B&NES Council are currently exploring technology enabled care (TEC) such as sensors, alarms, AI, Alexa, electronic devices, interactive tables, robots etc and would like to hear from any providers about what they are already using in their services and how this is impacting on care delivery.

If your service is already using any TEC, we would be grateful if you could email  nicole_gibson@bathnes.gov.uk please and Nicole will make contact with you to find out more information.

Care Awards 2024

Don’t forget to nominate!

Browse the list of award categories available this year and decide which award is best suited to your nominee.  All nominations can then be made online via the link Nominate someone for an award — Care & Support West (careandsupportwest.com). You’ll also need: 

• Your name, your employer's name, your role, your email address, and telephone number
• Your nominee’s name, employer name, address, and contact details
• Details of relevant work or volunteering they’ve done
• Details of why this person deserves an award, how their work has made a difference, and/or other recognition they’ve received
• x2 supporting examples to back up your nomination - these can be from you (the nominator) or from other people who have been positively affected by their work
• Remember to write as much as possible when completing the nomination

The closing date for entries is 29 March 2024

CareFind

CareFind is a Free website available to all Adult Social Care Home providers to promote their Care Home services and vacancies to the public. 
 
Over 1,000 providers have registered for the sessions so far which are dedicated to providing support and guidance in helping create their public profile. 
 
CareFind recommend providers attend a training session as they provide support and understanding of how to complete the Public Profile, the benefits, and allow the opportunity for you to ask any questions.
 
Some of the training dates coming up are below, or you can click here for more dates.

 
If you have any queries when updating your information, please don’t hesitate to contact the Capacity Tracker Support Team 0191 691 3729 or necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net

Care Home and Alcohol Guidance

Alcohol IBA is a free short course which is available to all those working in a professional or volunteer capacity in B&NES.

This course aims to provide professionals and volunteers in Bath & North East Somerset with the tools and confidence to identify if individuals are drinking above lower risk levels, give simple, brief advice, and make referrals to appropriate services where necessary.

Please find attached new guidance for alcohol management on care homes and a poster for Alcohol Identification and Brief Advice training which may be of interest to care home staff. If IBA training is of interest to individual care homes please contact Leanne_Sheppard@BATHNES.GOV.UK, Health Improvement Officer, Public Health to arrange bespoke, inhouse training to cater to individual care home needs.

KPI Data Submission Dates

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are targets that help you measure progress against your most strategic objectives. We collate these on a quarterly basis and as a requirement of the contract the performance of the Services shall be monitored by the Council in accordance with the Contract, Risk Management and Quality Monitoring of Care Homes Policy, the terms of this Individual Service Agreement, the Services Specification, the Key Performance Indicators, and the respective ISA Forms for Service Users placed at the Home.
 
Please note the Quarter 3 submission date has already passed and anyone who has not submitted their KPI’s for this quarter please do so by close of play Friday 17 February 2024 

Wellbeing Resources

• BSW Wellbeing Matters Service

• Live Well B&NES

• Samaritans

• Hospice UK bereavement and trauma line

• Our Frontline

• Bath and North East Somerset Community Wellbeing Hub