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ASC Provider Briefing - 02 December 2022
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Dear Care Provider Colleagues,
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Welcome to this week's briefing.
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We hope you will join us at next week's Learning and Engagement Meeting. Details in the Events section below.
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This week in the briefing: some requests from Proud to Care, a reminder about the survey about Optimal Handed Care, a Move More and Stay Well resource, information about Nursing Associates in Social Care, details about Somerset's 'Warm Welcome' spaces, and the usual events and reminders.
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Please find the latest news and updates from Adult Social Care below:
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Tell us your vacancies!
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Our exciting ad campaign will be having its soft launch in the coming weeks, and as part of the recruitment activity linked with it, we need your vacancies.
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Tell us your stories!
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Do you have any staff who have an interesting journey working in social care? Maybe they have changed careers, obtained some qualifications, or really stand out as a passionate carer. We are wanting to hear these stories for upcoming campaigns and for our website. If you are interested, email proudtocare@somerset.gov.uk and Tash will send over some questions or set up a short virtual meeting with the staff member to discuss.
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Reminder: Optimal Handed Care Survey
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The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. In doing so, you will be helping us to plan our free training offer in 2023. It will also allow us to consider ways in which we can support you to ensure that you have access to the necessary training facilities and equipment for your teams. Thank you!
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Move More and Stay Well reconditioning leaflet
Last year we produced a resource with some of our partner organisations supporting both older people and professionals working with this population group to keep active to support physical reconditioning following the pandemic, but also to help reduce isolation and loneliness.
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This year we have re-produced the FREE Move More and Stay Well leaflet, which includes details for a range of physical activities that are available across Somerset both at home and out in the community.
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Many of these groups/services are available via self-referral, others will require a referral from a health professional and will vary in cost with some being free to attend.
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All the groups have the potential to support adults to improve strength and balance leading to improved mobility and the reduction in falls.
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These resources are available to pre-order now and will be sent out to you within the next few weeks.
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We would appreciate it if you could share with your colleagues and across your networks.
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Nursing Associates in Social Care
The Nursing associate role is relatively new initiated by the NHS long term plan to bridge the gap between care assistant and registered nurse. The role was piloted, mainly in NHS trusts, starting in 2017, and training encompasses all four fields of nursing to produce a practitioner with varied knowledge and experience. An apprenticeship route, offers experienced care assistants a chance to progress their careers into nursing. On completion, a Nursing Associate is registered with the NMC with their own PIN and autonomy. Outlines of the programme and course requirements are highlighted in the fact sheet attached and although an apprenticeship route is often the preferred there is an option for direct self-funded entry. Whilst it is important to focus on the benefits of the nursing Associate as a stand-alone role it can also be used as a stepping stone to become a registered nurse.
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With more Nursing Associates qualifying nationally, the role is becoming established into acute settings and has prompted the expansion of the role into primary and social care. There are countless benefits to a nursing Associate role in a social care setting although uptake of the role has been slower into these areas. The Kessler report highlights both the benefits and challenges surrounding this by breaking them into three narratives; labour case, business case and care quality. It suggests that one way to overcome these challenges is ensuring that information surrounding the role is presented in a format most appealing to providers with emphasis of the advantages of having another registrant rather than other routes for carer career progression. As part of my role moving forward I hope to explore what this means further and create a presentation for providers to present the role and its benefits in the most effective format. I would be grateful for any feedback to achieve this.
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As mentioned above, there are many benefits to this role in social care settings, these are discussed in detail along with guidance on the implementation of the role in the skills for care document attached. The programme offers a clear progression pathway for carers and can be an effective tool to both recruit and retain staff in social care, with an apprenticeship route making this more accessible. It improves workforce capacity to meet the ever increasing clinical need of the people in their care and therefore enables the registered nurse to work at the upper limits of their role. This can help with the signs of deterioration being spotted and escalated in the most timely way which can have an implication to reliving pressures in other services. Also, a nursing associate role can allow people to be supported in advance care planning and enable dignified death in their home setting.
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These benefits are just to name a few, and with the broad nature of the role the adaptions to how a nursing associate can fit into different settings appears limitless. Guidance from CQC highlights regulations for consideration before employing a nursing associate and how this will be monitored.
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If you would like any more information about anything mentioned or what has been achieved in opening placement options I am always happy to talk about it.
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Nursing Associate Practice Facilitator
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Top tips for Retention
Skills for Care and Partners in Care and Health have developed a guide to 'top tips for retention', in conjunction with councils and care providers, to support senior officers, employers and councillors involved in the adult social care workforce. The guide provides tips, suggestions and links to resources. Click the link below to find out more.
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Somerset ‘warm welcome’ spaces opened across County
Somerset County Council together with District colleagues are supporting the rollout of “Warm Welcome” spaces across the County. As temperatures fall this winter and energy bills skyrocket, these venues will provide places where people can find warmth, company, and support.
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Over 70 spaces are now open to anyone who wants somewhere warm and welcoming to go, with many more planning to open their doors in the coming weeks.
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The venues include Somerset County Council libraries, village halls, churches and café’s, and will provide a warm and friendly environment where people can socialise, stay warm and access information and support for their wellbeing.
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The locations have all signed up to the ‘Warm Welcome Charter’ – a set of five core principles that every warm space adheres to:
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You’ll get a Warm Welcome as well as a warm space
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Everyone is treated equally, with dignity and respect
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Our Warm Welcome will be a safe space
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We will not tell anyone about you visiting a Warm Welcome
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It doesn’t matter why you need a Warm Welcome
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Local charity, Spark Somerset, has been providing practical advice and guidance to those wishing to set up and run Warm Welcome spaces. CEO, Katherine Nolan, said:
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“It has been amazing to see such a positive community response during these difficult times. Community groups and venues have rallied to open their doors to Somerset residents – and for many people these spaces will be a lifeline.”
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Cllr Adam Dance, Lead Executive Member for Public Health, Equalities and Diversity said:
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“We know that living in a cold home can have a number of negative impacts on people’s health and wellbeing. With temperatures beginning to fall, we want to let the public know that they can visit any of our warm welcome spaces to feel warm, welcome and get information on further support should they need it.”
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“Additionally, these spaces are a great place to find company and enjoy a friendly chat with someone during the colder months.”
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Latest Covid-19 Outbreak update
(Friday 02 December 2022)
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We are currently seeing increased numbers of COVID outbreaks in care settings. Please continue to take infection, prevention, and control precautions.
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Events
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Learning Engagement Meeting
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Agenda - 6th December 2022 - 2pm to 4pm
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- Clinical skills Team
- Nicky Cooper – Update/feedback on Optimal handling Care event 8/9 November
- Lauren Dyer – Somerset Activity and Sports Partnerships (SASP) – love to pedal and exercise and activity
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Larch Team – good news story joined by Manager Molly from Arthurs Court
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- Mental Health – Orange button community awareness scheme
- Q&A
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Transference of Care Discussion:
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- Urgent Community Response
- Falls response and MANGA equipment funded offer
- Q&A
- Discharge summaries
- Discharge planning meetings
- Training for care providers to facilitate discharge
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Open floor discussion on Hospital Discharge
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Transference of care discussion for 3rd January 2023 suggestions
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Conference: Making Research Matter in Practice
When: Wednesday 8 February 2023
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Where: Engine Shed, Station Approach, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6QH
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Join the University of Bristol for a half-day research event where they will be showcasing findings from the latest research projects on adult social care based in the Centre for Research in Health and Social Care, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol. The projects presented are funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research.
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The event is open to the general public, commissioners of adult social care services, people working in adult social care, including independent agencies and local authority teams, and people with lived experience of accessing social care services.
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This is a hybrid event; attendance will be online and in person. A light lunch will be provided for people attending in person. Registration is FREE.
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Upcoming Event Reminders
- Care Provider Learning Engagement Meeting, Tuesday 6th December, 2-4pm. View details on website.
- Call to Action: Improving Dysphagia Management in the South West, Wednesday 7th Devember, 10am-1pm. Register online.
- Mouth Care Matters: Looking After People's Oral Health; A Training Session for Health & Social Care Professionals, Tuesday 6th December 9.30am to 11.30am. More details on Maxcourse
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Please continue to share or promote these briefings and our webpage to others in your organisations.
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Our incident room mailbox and contact details (see below) remains operational during core working hours so please get in touch if you have any urgent concerns or queries we can look to assist you with.
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Somerset’s Provider Engagement Team
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Adult Social Care (ASC) COVID19 Response Team
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