CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): WEEKLY UPDATE FOR CARE PROVIDERS - Wednesday 6 May

Welsh Government

Extra £40m to support adult social care in Wales

• This funding is to support local authorities to address the additional social care costs resulting from Covid-19. This will include additional expenditure providers are incurring on items such as increased staff costs, more agency staff(not including nursing), enhanced cleaning and infection control.
• It is ring-fenced for adult social care and included in the Covid-19 Local Government Hardship Fund established recently. It is to help ensure adult social care providers can maintain their care provision and be able to respond to any additional demand for care which arises. This allocation will be closely monitored to ensure it remains able to do this.
• Further details have just been issued to representatives of providers and local authorities and are in the attached email. Should adult care providers be experiencing such costs they should discuss this with their commissioning local authority. Whilst this announcement is about adult social care, the situation in children’s care is also being monitored.

40 million social care support

https://gov.wales/extra-ps40m-support-adult-social-care-wales

Written Statement: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Shielding Update

• A Written Statement has been made by the Minister for Health and Social Services about the additional 21,000 patients who have been added to the Welsh Shielded Patient List.
• They will receive a letter from the Chief Medical Officer in the next few days.

https://gov.wales/written-statement-coronavirus-covid-19-shielding-update

CMO letter to extremely vulnerable people: support explained  

Updated guidance on shielding arrangements following the announcement of additional 21,000 patients being added to the Welsh Shielded Patient List.

https://gov.wales/cmo-letter-extremely-vulnerable-people-support-explained

Letter for unpaid carers to access medicines across Wales

Identifying carers can be difficult for professionals. To combat this Carers Trust Wales, Carers Wales and Welsh Government have developed a letter for carers of all ages which explains why they might need extra support and understanding. This standard letter will be made available to local authorities and carers services across Wales to help in areas where no other forms of identification are already in place.

https://carers.org/news-and-media/news/post/38-organisations-work-together-to-improve-unpaid-carers

Written statement on carers

• The Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan AM made a written statement Monday 4 May, highlighting support for unpaid carers across Wales. 
• She clarified carers’ rights under the new coronavirus legislation and how local authorities should take account of key principles when making decisions with individuals and carers, as well as how Welsh Government is supporting the third sector, working in partnership with a range of organisations.

https://gov.wales/written-statement-written-statement-carers

Supporting social care during the coronavirus outbreak

• The Welsh Government has summarised the range of measures being taken to support the social care workforce through the Covid-19 pandemic.
• This includes information about:

• funding
• PPE
• testing
• regulation and inspection
• residential and nursing care
• domiciliary support services

• safeguarding and much more.

https://gov.wales/supporting-social-care-during-coronavirus-outbreak

Covid-19 Hospital Discharge Service Requirements (Wales) – UPDATE

• The guidance (updated on 30 April) sets out the Hospital Discharge Services Requirements for health, social care, third and independent sector partners in Wales and the actions that must be taken immediately to enhance discharge arrangements and the provision of community support.

• The link includes:

• An update to the guidance in relation to stepup and step-down arrangements and Covid-19 testing prior to discharge
• A webinar presentation.

https://gov.wales/hospital-discharge-service-requirements-covid-19

Free Access to NHS Wales’s eLearning Platform for Nurses working in Social Care

• Learning@Wales is an NHS Wales national learning platform that hosts more than 350 courses.  These courses are available to organisations that provide a service to the public sector in Wales, including residential care homes.
• There are a wide range of free courses available to support staff particularly during the Covid-19 outbreak. These include topics such as infection and prevention control, and safeguarding.

• For further information about how to create an account please see the attached flyer.

NHS Elearning platform access

Coronavirus (Covid-19): shielding infographic

• An infographic showing what people needs to do if they have received a shielding letter from Welsh Government.

https://gov.wales/coronavirus-covid-19-shielding-infographic

New volunteer prescription delivery scheme to support those shielding or self-isolating

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Minister for Health and Social Care has announced new arrangements to ensure people who are shielding or self-isolating can continue to get their prescription medicines in partnership with the National Pharmacy Association, Wales’s third sector organisations and Royal Mail.

https://gov.wales/new-volunteer-prescription-delivery-scheme-support-those-shielding-or-self-isolating

Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing: your questions

An updated version of questions and answers to understand who will be tested for Covid-19.

https://gov.wales/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-your-questions

Welsh Government extends coronavirus testing in care homes

All residents and staff in care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus will now be tested for the virus, the Welsh Government announced on 2 May 2020.

https://gov.wales/welsh-government-extends-coronavirus-testing-in-care-homes

Written statement: Coronavirus testing in care homes

A written statement by the Minister for Health and Social Care on who will be tested in care homes.

https://gov.wales/written-statement-coronavirus-testing-care-homes

Revised Coronavirus Rules: Update from Chief Nursing Officer

Not being able to take a car ride could worsen conditions for individuals with a learning disability, autism, dementia or some mental health conditions. 

Car journeys were not included in the changes to the Regulations because a car journey is not included as exercise. 

As the list of reasonable excuses set out in the Regulation changes is not exhaustive the above circumstances can be allowed.

Car journeys should be used sparingly and keep journeys to local areas. 

https://gov.wales/revised-coronavirus-rules-for-wales-unveiled

https://gov.wales/health-protection-coronavirus-restrictions-wales-amendment-no-2-regulations-2

Welsh Health Circular

Guidance for local health boards and NHS trusts on the reuse of end of life medicines

in hospices and care homes (advice applies only during the Covid-19 pandemic)

• General principles and circumstances in which it may be acceptable to reuse medicines

Guidance on the reuse of end of life medicines

ADSS Cymru

Covid-19 and BAME written statement on measures to protect the care workforce

• ADSS Cymru, along with NHS Wales Employers and Welsh Government, has released a statement on the measures they will undertake to protect the care workforce

• The statement follows the minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething’s statement on 21 April on the emerging evidence of the impact of Covid-19 on individuals with BAME backgrounds.

https://gov.wales/sites/default/
files/inline-documents/2020-05/covidbamemeasurestoprotect
thehealthandsocialcareworkforceeng.pdf

Statement by President of ADSS Cymru Nicola Stubbins thanking care workforce

• The statement was released on Thursday 30 April, and in line with the Clapforcarers campaign.

• The statement gives assurance that ADSS Cymru is working to support and protect the care workforce.

https://www.adss.cymru/en/blog
/post/message-of-thanks

Social Care Wales

Resources to support people with dementia from BAME communities

• Meri Yaadain has a number of helpful resources to support people with dementia from BAME communities and their families, including advice about Covid-19 and Ramadan.

www.meriyaadain.co.uk/information/

Social care worker card update

• More than 23,000 digital versions of the social care worker card have now been downloaded.
• The card aims to help social care workers in Wales prove they are key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Hard copies of the card have been sent to everyone on the Register of Social Care Workers. They are being sent to workers who are not yet registered later this week.

socialcare.wales/service-improvement/social-care-worker-card-faqs

Social Care Wales Covid-19 pages

• Social Care Wales is continuing to review and update its Covid-19 pages.
• In the last week, we’ve added information, signposting and resources about:

• residential and nursing care homes
• support for homelessness and substance misuse during the pandemic
• a series of blogs about Covid19.

• Our Covid-19 dementia pages have also been updated to include more resources about:

• communication
• understanding distress

• activities and keeping fit.

socialcare.wales/service-improvement/information-and-resources-to-guide-you-through-covid-19

Save the date: Monday, 18 May (2-3pm) and Wednesday, 20 May (2-3pm)

• The first Cwtch care home digital peer support networks will be run on Zoom, giving care home managers and staff access to advice and an opportunity to share ideas and solutions with each other.
• It will focus on supporting older people and those living with dementia.
• The Cwtch, facilitated by independent facilitators and supported by Improvement Cymru and Welsh Government, will:

• offer a safe space to share practical day-to-day solutions and solve problems
• draw on the expertise and skills across Wales within the homes
• offer a space for support and peer supervision

• signpost to further expertise.

WeCareWales TV advert premiers on 6 May at 8:58pm on ITV Wales

• The advert showcases the critical work taking place across Wales in care homes in the current climate and will be aired on ITV between 6-18 May.
• It will also be showcasing on S4C and Channel 4 online.

WeCareWales TV Advert Press Release

Promote this work through your social media:

Twitter: @WeCareWales

YouTube: GofalwnCymruCares

Facebook: WeCareWales

Instagram: GofalwnCymruCares

Hack Covid-19

If you have a Covid-19 related challenge you think technology could help with, this is for you. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us all think differently about what we do and how we do it.

Many of those working within health and social care will be grappling with the challenges of delivering services. While businesses, universities and others will be enthusiastically seeking opportunities to use their skills and knowledge to develop new products and services to meet these challenges.
 

The Hack Covid-19 event is about connecting the people with the challenges to the people with the solutions to access funding and support opportunities.

http://www.m-sparc.com/hackcovid

Care Inspectorate Wales

Fire Safety and Prevention Advice for Care Providers

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has produced fire safety and prevention advice for care and healthcare providers during the coronavirus pandemic:

https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/your-safety-wellbeing/in-business/care-providers/