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Social Care Providers are playing a critical role in protecting and caring for the most at-risk citizens in our communities. These are challenging times and the leadership of social care in Wales really appreciates everything you are doing to keep people safe.
This document should be read in conjunction with the most recent advice from Public Health Wales (PHW) and Welsh Government.
The aim of this briefing is to keep providers informed of the latest updates, provide advice and respond to general enquiries
Topic | Detail | Link | |
Welsh Government Statements and News | |||
Coronavirus and the law: what has been done differently in Wales? | As the decision to impose widespread restrictions was taken on a UK-wide basis, most of the provisions are the same or very similar across the UK. However, there are differences in approach, some of which are significant. The main differences between the legislation applicable in Wales and the legislation applicable in England have been set out by the Welsh Government | https://gov.wales/
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Extra £40m to support adult social care in Wales | Additional guidance on this funding has just been issued to representatives of local authorities, and copied to representatives of adult social care providers. It covers the situation where local authorities wish to meet the additional costs adult providers are incurring as a result of Covid-19 by means of a supplement. It also provides clarification in relation to healthcare. I copy of this and the previous guidance issued is attached. This funding is to help ensure local authorities can address the additional costs resulting from Covid-19 that adult social care providers are experiencing. This will include additional expenditure providers that are incurring above that normally commissioned on items such as increased staff costs, more agency staff, or greater 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 being 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 be monitored. | Guidance issued on Initial £40 million | |
Guidance - Hospital discharge service requirements: COVID-19 | Health, social care, third and independent sector partners in Wales must follow this updated discharge guidance. Also available at this link is the webinar held on the 24th April 2020 and an FAQ document that has been published. | https://gov.wales/hospital-discharge-
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Coronavirus and personal protective equipment (PPE) | Summarises what we're doing to ensure people have the PPE they need to stay safe. | https://gov.wales/coronavirus-and-
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Testing for COVID-19 in care homes: consensus statement | Statement from the Technical Advisory Cell about testing for COVID-19 in care homes. | https://gov.wales/testing | |
Testing for coronavirus: weekly updates | Includes the number and results of coronavirus tests, who was tested and where they were tested. | ||
Testing weekly update 19 May 2020: coronavirus | Provides information about the number of people tested for coronavirus in Wales up to 17 May 2020. | https://gov.wales/testing-weekly-
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Joint letter from the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director General | The letter to all domiciliary care providers, directors of social services and the Chief Executives of all health boards provides an update of latest announcements and guidance related to health and social care. | ||
Statement from the 4 UK Chief Medical Officers on an update to coronavirus symptoms | New guidance from the 4 UK Chief Medical Officers on coronavirus symptoms. | https://gov.wales/statement-four- | |
Written Statement: Covid-19 Testing | The four governments across the UK have opened a new website for people with symptoms of coronavirus eligible to book a home test. This is an important part of our Test, Trace and Protect strategy and people across Wales can book a test through www.gov.wales/coronavirus or www.llyw.cymru/coronafeirws. | https://gov.wales/written-statement-
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Review of testing for COVID-19 | Review of our plan and improvements on testing key (critical) workers. | ||
Guidance - Coronavirus drive-through testing centres and mobile units | Critical workers in Wales with symptoms may contact thesetesting centres. | https://gov.wales/ | |
Welsh national COVID-19 test approach: May 2020 | Approach to COVID-19 testing in Wales. | https://gov.wales/welsh-
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Everyone in Wales with symptoms can book a coronavirus test | Everyone in Wales with symptoms of coronavirus will now be able to request a test as a new online booking service becomes available. | https://gov.wales/ | |
Guidance - Apply for a coronavirus test | Eligibility check for coronavirus testing and find out how to get tested. | ||
Welsh Government extends testing to all care homes | Coronavirus testing will be extended to all care home residents and staff - the move comes following the latest scientific evidence. | https://gov.wales/welsh- | |
Written Statement: COVID-19 Testing in Care Homes Update from the Minister for Health and Social Services (16th May) | Covid-19 testing in care homes is being further extended. Testing will also be offered to all symptomatic and asymptomatic staff and residents who have never tested positive for Covid-19 even where the home has not reported possible or confirmed cases.
Welsh Government will write to the sector on the process for increasing testing uptake including access to the UK Government Care Home testing portal. | https://gov.wales/written- | |
Vulnerable children and young people: coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions
| On 6th April the Welsh Government published information providing answers to Frequently Asked Questions about vulnerable children and safeguarding during the coronavirus pandemic.
It is of interest to anyone who works in this area or concerned with any of the issues raised.
The Frequently Asked Questions were updated and republished on 13 May. | https://gov.wales/
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Guidance - Coronavirus key (critical) workers | Who is designated a key worker, if their work is critical to the COVID-19 response. | https://gov.wales/
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Allied health professionals’ (AHP) role in rehabilitation during and after COVID-19 | This statement outlines our four nations’ collective strategic priorities and approach to AHP rehabilitation leadership during and after COVID-19. | https://gov.wales/allied- | |
Palliative Care Information and Resources during COVID-19
| Palliative Care Information during COVID-19 resources have now been published, providing information, advice and links to resources to support health, social care and third sector organisations to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic in relation to palliative and end of life care. The focus is on guidance and advice that will help achieve dignified and compassionate care at the end of life for adult patients who would not benefit from life support, or where this has not been successful and where their condition has deteriorated as a result of COVID-19. |
Letter from Prof Chris Jones 12 May
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Older People’s Commissioner | |||
| The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales wants to hear from older people living in care homes, their friends and family, and care home staff about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
The Commissioner wants to hear about
She also wants people to share examples of any action and good practice being delivered in care homes that is making a positive difference to older people’s lives |
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Help for Heroes | |||
Help For Heroes – Field Guide for Self-Care | Help for Heroes has made their “Field Guide to Self-Care” freely available to anyone who could benefit from it, but especially those frontline workers in our health and care systems.
The guide is an accessible resource to help people face the changes we are all dealing with since the Coronavirus outbreak started.
The materials have been developed with, and for, military personnel who have experienced traumatic events, and they are encouraging anyone who is struggling in the current challenging times to download it from the Help for Heroes website.
Guided meditation resources have now also been released in the Welsh language.
| Help for Heroes Mental Health Support Field Guide to Self-Care launched in Welsh | |
Able Futures | |||
Able Futures: Access to Work Mental Health Support Service |
Able Futures delivers the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service:
If you or any of your employees are experiencing issues such as anxiety, depression, grief or stress, or are struggling to deal with problems such as debt, disrupted sleep or relationship breakdowns that may be affecting your mental health, Able Futures can help you build resilience, tackle issues, feel better and learn new ways to manage your mental health throughout the ups and downs of life. | ||
All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) | |||
The All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) has launched a new NHS End of Life COVID-19 medicines service
| This service has been established to ensure rapid access to End of Life medicines 24/7.
Care home managers should also read the Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) standard operating procedure Running an END OF LIFE medicines reuse scheme in a care home or hospice setting.
This scheme is fully endorsed by the National Chief Pharmacist Group and supported by the National Clinical Lead, Palliative & End of Life Care, Wales. | https://www.awttc.
novel coronavirus | |
Social Care Wales | |||
Social care worker card benefits
| More than 25,000 digital copies of the social care worker card, which helps social care workers in Wales prove they are key workers, have now been downloaded. In recent weeks, almost all the major supermarkets have agreed to accept the card, as have Vodafone, AO.com and the apps Sleepio and Daylight. You can find a full list of the benefits available with the card in our FAQs pages – please check back regularly to keep up-to-date with the latest benefits. | https://socialcare.
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Working in social care: WeCare Wales jobs
| Social care employers: we want to help address the staff shortages you might be facing right now. To help you find the right people to fill your vacancies and support your business, we’ve created a jobs portal that will list current social care jobs in Wales. Post your job vacancies on Twitter and include the following details:
hashtag: #WeCareWalesJobs (you must include this). |
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