Guidance
This is Deborah Sturdy, Interim Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care's first blog of 2021 and one which she finds herself posting in unprecedented times. She is nonetheless honoured to have this opportunity to work with - not just the nursing profession - but the whole social care workforce, as together the sector strives to meet the continuing challenges of COVID-19.
On the first day the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was rolled out, HC-Ones Daneside Court care staff were fortunate enough to be among the first to be offered vaccinations. Understandably, there was some nervousness among colleagues around the vaccine being new. As Managing Director of HC-One’s family of care homes. Ruth Yates wanted to lead by example so, along with 12 other willing colleagues, she attended the Countess of Chester Hospital to be vaccinated.
If someone had told registered manager Melissa Jones three weeks ago her care home would be filled with the voices, laughter and tears of relatives being reunited with loved ones she wouldn’t have believed them. That was until she received an email from Cornwall Council looking for care homes to take part in a pilot for rapid COVID-19 testing for visitors...
Advice for people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support has recently been published. The guidance has been produced in part with the help and wise counsel of Simon Wilson and Katherine Wynne, two individuals with lived experience and a wealth of ideas to improve service provision and support for people with disabilities.
Anyone working in the care sector – and in residential care settings in particular – knows how vital infection prevention and control is in keeping residents, staff and visitors safe and well. The continued prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities only heightens our collective awareness of this essential line of defence. Back in April, Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, issued a call to action to CCGs tasking them to deliver ‘train the trainer’ sessions on infection prevention and control to all care homes by the end of May.
NHS staff are described, rightly, as members of the country’s frontline defence against coronavirus. That frontline is populated by another group of equally dedicated men and women: care workers. Paul Jenkins, Covid -19 Senior Briefing Officer here at the Department of Health and Social Care, explains the support provided to date and signposts services available to keep them well in mind and body.
Over a month ago, our Joint Chief Social Workers for Adults, Fran Leddra and Mark Harvey, used their Social Work With Adults blog to highlight the importance of maintaining human connections during the coronavirus pandemic.
It remains important for the care and support workforce - as well as NHS colleagues and our communities - to foster resilience in the midst of these challenges. The publication of new health and wellbeing guidance for care and support professionals is therefore hugely welcome at this time, as they explain...
Care and NHS colleagues have rightly been celebrated for their amazing dedication, kindness and bravery during this health crisis, but we must show the same appreciation and support for the thousands of unpaid carers across the country. Recently published guidance on GOV.UK is just one part of that...
How can NICE recommendations improve the quality of care for those diagnosed with dementia? Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive and Health and Social Care Director for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), shares her views on their latest impact report on dementia care.
The Care Provider Alliance (CPA) has been working alongside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS) and others to assess levels of confidence among care providers and encouraging planning and preparation. Government communications, which are designed to ensure that all employers - as well as all citizens – are ready for EU exit, have been ramped up. The CPA's Des Kelly assesses the level of sector readiness...
