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ASC Provider Briefing - 06 January 2023
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Dear Care Provider Colleagues,
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Welcome to this week's briefing.
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This week in the briefing: a letter from Hayley Peters, Chief Nurse, and Mel Lock, Director of Adult Social Care, information about help with Urgent Care, a recap of this week's Care Provider Learning and Engagement Meeting, a guide to Flu and Covid-19 for care providers, a special offer from the RCPA, a newsletter from the Social Care Training Team, some resources around Oral Health, and invitations to training by St Margaret's Hospice and the Proud to Care Campaign Launch Event.
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Please find the latest news and updates from Adult Social Care below:
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Letter to care providers and the voluntary sector
We write to you today to ask for your help and support. We have an excellent track record of working very well together - the NHS, social care, and the care and the voluntary sectors. When people in Somerset need our support, and our services come under pressure, we pull together to find solutions and provide care and support where it is needed.
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We are writing to you today to ask for your help to work through a very difficult period for the NHS in Somerset. We are facing unprecedented demand for hospital services and expect this to continue for some time. This is as a result of a combination of:
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- the large number of people who need treatment, many of them with flu, COVID-19 and RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus),
- the increase in people who need treatment in winter. Many of them are very ill and this puts additional demand on NHS services, and
- the need to prepare for the impact of industrial action on our services during January.
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As a result of these factors, large numbers of people in Somerset currently need NHS hospital services and are likely to in the coming weeks. Departments like our Emergency Departments - that treat and or admit patients - are exceptionally busy. These areas cannot currently admit all the patients who need hospital care because our wards are full, partly due to difficulties in discharging patients with the level of support that they need.
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None of these issues are new. We planned together for increased pressure on NHS services and ways to manage that within our organisations and in partnership with social care, the care sector and the voluntary sector. However, we are now at the point where we need to go further to alleviate pressure on hospital services in Somerset so that we can admit those patients who need hospital care.
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We are therefore asking for your support. We have provided some specific actions below that are designed to ensure we care for as many people safely in the community as we can and move people back into the community efficiently and effectively when they no longer need hospital services.
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- Consider whether care home residents need hospital care or could use admission avoidance services or if the complex care GP could assist
- Respond to requests for placement within care services and care homes as quickly as possible, on the day of request
- If a care home resident is being discharged from hospital, please support us to discharge them as quickly as possible whether late in the evening or on the weekend, and be as flexible as you can about the information provided ahead of their discharge
- If a care home resident attends an Emergency Department, or comes to a hospital for a diagnostic test or for any other reason, please accept them back as quickly as possible even if late in the evening or at the weekend, so that our hospitals can admit other patients
- Accept multiple transfers at a time where applicable and if this is not your routine policy
- Ensure care home residents have an up-to-date TEP and that the plan is adhered to
- Consider whether it is possible for potential residents to be assessed by telephone rather than being physically reviewed by the care home manager
- Have a nominated deputy to take referrals when the care home manager is not available
- If the Trusted assessor is not used by your care home, would you be willing to allow the trusted assessor to assess on behalf of your home?
In addition, we want to hear your thoughts or any ideas that you have on how we can work flexibly together and actions that we can take to ensure that together we can care for all those who need our services. Please share them via ASCCOVID19@somerset.gov.uk. Together we will work through this difficult period and do our best for people in Somerset.
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With best wishes and thanks,
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Hayley Peters
Chief Nurse
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
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Mel Lock
Director of Adult Services
Somerset County Council
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Help with urgent care at home for your patients - within two hours of being referred
Ahead of the planned ambulance and nursing strikes later this month, and with continuing winter pressures, we wanted to remind you, that Somerset Urgent Community Response is here to help your patients over 18, who are at risk of a hospital admission if they are not seen urgently.
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Somerset Urgent Community Response provides a two-hour urgent assessment in your care home for patients, who without urgent assessment and follow-on treatment would be at risk hospital admission.
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The need for an urgent assessment may be due to a clinical condition such as:
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- Falls: Level 1 (no injury falls), level 2 falls (fall with minor injury). Urgent Community Response teams have Mangar lifting equipment at base to respond rapidly to avoid ambulance call outs.
- A new or acute problem (such as an infection), an exacerbation of a chronic condition, where the condition can be safely treated out of hospital, but without treatment may mean that the individual is at risk of hospital admission.
- Serious illness where treatment at home is in keeping with the person’s wishes as part of a pre-agreed treatment escalation plan.
- Patient in receipt of palliative care who may in a crisis wish to be treated at home or usual place of residence as part of a pre-agreed treatment escalation plan rather than be admitted to hospital. This will be with the full understanding that the same level of diagnostics and support may not be provided in the community.
This service is operational 7 days per week 8am – 8pm and can be accessed by calling SPL 07149 836700 option 1. The UCR service is delivered by district nurses, including advanced clinical practitioner’s and rapid response teams across the county.
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If you aren’t sure whether a patient might be suitable, please call the Somerset Primary Link who will be able to advise you.
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Somerset Urgent Community Response
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Somerset Care Provider Learning and Engagement Meeting 3rd January 2023
That’s a wrap on the first LEM of 2023. A very informative meeting with lots of guest speakers and fantastic audience.
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Thank you to the Guest speakers. It really is great to have you attend and share your expertise and knowledge.;
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1.Jessica Carvell from YDH Dementia Team
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- Delirium presentation, Q&A
- MCA/BI Somerset Competency framework, Q&A
3. Kerrie Jose and Emma Savage, Deputy Director of Quality and Improvement, Integrated Care Board presenting:
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- Patient Safety Incident Response Framework
Thank you to all that joined the meeting: Care Providers, Health and Social care colleagues. I look forward to seeing you all at the next LEM.
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- Jude Glide - Clinical Skills taster training session and presentation on catheter care and catheter passports
- Jason Mckenna - Quality Assurance and commissioning team - Talk on Medi-equip
- Olivia Blunn – SLT Dysphagia presentation and Q&A
LEM topics and transference of care discussion topics:
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Please do get in touch if you would like to see certain speakers, have particular health and social care colleagues in attendance, provide topics for discussion or offer to be a guest speaker.
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Rachel Caunce, Care Provider Support Officer
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UKHSA Quick Guide to Covid-19 and Flu for Care Providers
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UKHSA has produced a Quick guide to managing Influenza (flu) in a care home setting and a Quick guide to managing COVID-19 in a care home setting. You can download and view them here.
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We are pleased to invite you to join the Registered Care Providers’ Association. The RCPA is the Somerset-wide member association for providers of health and social care and support. It was established in 1981 by a small group of care provider organisations to provide support and advice to other provider organisations across the County.
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Special Offer: If you join by the end of January 2023 then you will receive a 10% discount on your first year of membership
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As an RCPA member you will benefit from:
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- Comprehensive range of policies and procedures for Home Care, Care Homes and Supported Living
- Discounted tickets to our Annual Conference
- Regular member calls & e-bulletins - access to our member forum, discussion and sharing of good practice
- Preferential rates on DBS and other employment checks
- Access to the Workforce Development Fund
- Opportunities to meet, collaborate and lobby lead stakeholders in the sector; e.g. Somerset County Council, Somerset CCG, NHS Trusts, CQC
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These are just some of the benefits and a full list can be provided on request. If you would like further information or would like to join our association then please email us at admin@rcpa.org.uk
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Social Care Training Team Newsletter
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The Social Care Training Team have shared their January newsletter, featuring a story from a carer learning skills to better care for her partner after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Read the newsletter here.
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Oral Health
Oral health is an essential part of everyone’s overall health.
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The Care Quality Commission expects registered managers to take account of nationally recognised guidance, including guidance from NICE.
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Evidence about how you support residents to maintain good oral health will help you demonstrate that your service is both effective and responsive.
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Events
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Tuesday 17th January, 3-5pm, at Taunton Conference Centre, Bridgwater and Taunton Conference, Wellington Road, TA1 5AX
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Please join us for the launch of My Time to Care, a bold and inspiring new social care recruitment campaign which aims to transform the way people think about social care: empowering carers and celebrating the brilliant and varied work they do on a daily basis.
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Join us to view a premiere screening of our brand new Proud to Care adverts, which have been made with Bristol-based brand challenger agency ORCA. The six films were shot on location in Somerset and feature real Somerset carers and the people they care for.
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This event will be our chance to celebrate them and their work, and network with other industry professionals.
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We will also hear from guest speakers – including some of the stars of the campaign - on how and why we are reframing the narrative when it comes to working in social care.
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There will be refreshments on offer including cakes and hot drinks.
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We will be filming parts of the launch event for social media, if you would not consent to being in the published footage, please email steven.salter@somerset.gov.uk.
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Training for Care Professionals
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Train the Trainer—running a Simulation
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All sessions 9am to 4.30pm
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Curious about Simulation and how it can help improve efficiency, outcomes, and teamwork? Join us for a 1-day course where we will teach you the techniques of simulation and equip you to run simulations in your own area of work. We will help you to design a scenario that works for you, run a simulation start to finish, and debrief afterwards. This is a fun, practical session so come ready to share thoughts and ideas.
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Open to all, clinical and non-clinical, no previous Simulation experience is necessary.
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Course dates and locations
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- Thursday 4 May - Taunton
- Thursday 30 November - Yeovil
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Cost: £10 (This booking fee is non-refundable)
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Management of malignant wounds
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Both sessions 9.30am to 1pm
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This workshop covers the causes and characteristics of malignant fungating wounds and explores the best strategies to help alleviate the distressing physical and psychosocial symptoms often experienced by patients as well as their families.
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The workshop will be facilitated by Lynn Cornish and Louise Wonham from the Tissue Viability Team at St. Margaret’s Hospice.
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Course dates and locations
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- Thursday 6 April - Taunton
- Thursday 8 June - Yeovil
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Cost: £10 (This booking fee is non-refundable)
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Caring for someone who has died and supporting their loved ones
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This session explores the practicalities of what happens to a person after they have died as well as how to support their families and loved ones during this time.
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This is an interactive session.
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Course dates and locations
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- Thursday 18 May, 1-3pm - Taunton
- Thursday 19 October, 10am-12pm - Yeovil
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Cost: £10 (This booking fee is non-refundable)
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Upcoming Event Reminders
- Care Provider Learning Engagement Meeting, 7th February, 2-4pm
- Conference: Making Research Matter in Practice, Wednesday 8th February 2023, in person (Bristol) and virtual. Details on Eventbrite.
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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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