ASC Provider Briefing - 10 March 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: an update on our Proud to Care Recruitment Campaign, information about invoices and payments from April 2023, details around market engagement for homecare commissioning, an invitation to an optimal handed care 3 day course, the new timetable for Aging Well's exercise classes, and invitations to a session on Treatment Escalation Plans, and Dysphagia Training.
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Please find the latest news and updates from Adult Social Care below:
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We have candidates waiting!
An update on our exciting My Time to Care campaign. We have had 285 expressions of interest, and have 42 candidates with the right to work in the UK, and a further 64 candidates who need sponsorship, as well as the remainder we are still in communication with.
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Clarity regarding Invoices and Payments for care providers on Adult Social Care Frameworks from April 2023
From 1 April 2023, Somerset County Council and the 4 District Councils will be replaced by the new unitary Somerset Council.
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Somerset Council will be the same legal entity as Somerset County Council as the ‘Continuing Authority’.
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Therefore, all current contracts will continue in effect as if Somerset Council had been the original contracting entity. Both the contractor and the council will continue to be bound by the obligations in the contract. No further action by either the council or the contractor is required to give effect to this transfer.
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Invoice name change from April 2023
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Invoices will need to be in the name of Somerset Council from 1 April 2023. Incorrect invoices may have to be returned for amendment.
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To avoid delays to payments, please continue to email your invoices to the correct finance team for approval, with completed delivery notes if relevant:
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As a reminder, the invoices need to follow Somerset Council’s agreed payment periods set out below:
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Please contact your existing contract manager or key contact if you have any further queries.
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PRIOR INFORMATION NOTICE
This is not a call for competition and is not yet a contract opportunity.
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** PLEASE NOTE: By Expressing an Interest in this event via the portal you are not confirming your place at the event. Please follow the instructions below to reserve your place. **
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The current contracts for Homecare services in Somerset expires at the end of March 2024 and we have a commissioning plan underway to have a new contract in place from April 2024.
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Is it considered that the current model and demand pressures have led to a service which isn’t as efficient as it could be and that the recommissioning of the service will provide an opportunity to look at different models that reduce inefficiencies and bring better outcomes for Somerset’s residents.
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The overall aim is to co-produce a more localised place-based offer which creates an environment for more collaborative working.
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Further to the initial engagement sessions held during October 2022 and the follow up in January 2023, we would like to continue the conversations by holding a further session in March. This is with a view to focussing in on the proposed scope of the re-commissioning activity, the proposed approach to the geography of Somerset and the benefits and challenges of the proposals in the delivery of homecare services in the future.
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A Market Engagement event will be held on 29th March 2023 between 10:00 and 12:00. Somerset County Council are inviting organisations, that might be interested in delivering these services either individually or in partnership with others to attend. The event will be an opportunity to inform and shape future options. Somerset County Council are keen to hear feedback from a range of providers as part of the wider consultation for this service.
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Organisations that take part will not be advantaged or disadvantaged in any way in any potential future formal procurement. Commercial confidentiality will be respected. This notice does not represent a formal commitment by Somerset County Council to undertake a procurement procedure.
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- Date: Wednesday 29th March 2023
- Time: 10:00 to 12:00
- Venue: Online - Microsoft Teams meeting
To attend this event please send a message through the e-tender system www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk providing the name of your organisation, the name of the person(s) wishing to attend (Max 2 per organisation) and a contact email address for each to enable us to send through the full details of the event and the invitation to the Microsoft Teams meeting. Please ensure that those attending from your organisation are the most appropriate to feed into the discussions. If you are unable to attend the event, the presentation, notes and associated documentation will be available through the e-tender system www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk.
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Please respond by the deadline of 12:00pm on 24th March 2023 if you wish to attend. Thank you.
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SCC reserves the right to cancel or re-arrange these events at its own discretion.
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Optimal Handed Care 3 Day Course
Optimal Handed Care are continuing to run their series of 3 day RoSPA Level 4 course in Advanced Moving & Handling – single handed care. This course offers a nationally recognised qualification which is a great opportunity for professional development and career progression. Those that qualify become Somerset’s Optimal Handed Care Ambassadors and will be offered further opportunities for practice and development at regular intervals. They will also be invited to neighbourhood and countywide support networks.
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The course is free of charge and is planned by Somerset County Council to become a mandatory requirement for all Registered Managers, Key Trainers and risk assessing Supervisors to attend. It is part of Somerset’s integrated health and social care strategy to provide optimised person centred care which is safe and dignified, using shared risk assessment, equipment and techniques. Their vision is for this approach to be used in all of Somerset’s acute and community hospitals, care homes and within individual’s own homes within the next 2 years.
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They are advertising 2 offers:
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- The OHC Clinical Core Group understand that it can be difficult for Care Providers to release their Managers, Key Trainers and risk assessing Supervisors for a 3 day course. With this in mind, they are inviting those people to apply for a “split course”, where they attend Day 1 (the theory day) one month and attend Days 2+3 (the practical days) another month. This split course, like the 3 day course is also free of charge and can be completed in any order.
- The OHC Clinical Core Group also understand that some Registered Managers and Deputy Managers may not be involved in delivering care support to individuals or do not wish to have the nationally recognised qualification. These Managers have the opportunity to attend Day 1 of the course as a stand-alone training session, to learn about the evidence base for this approach; the legal framework; risk assessment; and change management. These elements of the course will provide you with the essential information and skills to be able to manage the Care Workers within your organisation; support them to accept the necessary changes; and help you to deal with any challenges you might face.
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Course dates are as follows with no limit to the number of nominees for Day 1:
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14-16 March: Ambassador Course 4 at Bath & West Showground in Shepton Mallet – 3 Care Provider places are still available for the 2 practical days
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19-21 April: Ambassador Course 5 at Canalside in Bridgwater – the 2 practical days are fully booked but open to nominees for the reserve list
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5-7 September: Ambassador Course 6 – venue to be arranged
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26-28 September: Ambassador Course 7 – venue to be arranged
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17-20 October: Ambassador Course 8 – venue to be arranged
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To nominate yourself or one of your colleagues for a place on one of these courses, please email Nicky Cooper (OC Clinical Lead - nicky.cooper@somerset.gov.uk) and Sean Taylor (sean.taylor@somerset.gov.uk) in L&D with your name, job title, contact telephone number and email address.
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The OHC Clinical Core Group would also like to make you aware of a Review Day at Canalside in Bridgwater on Tuesday 16 May, with Debbie Harrison of A1 Risk Solutions attending as the main guest speaker. All of the newly qualified Ambassadors will be invited to a closed session in the morning and Care Provider Managers, Key Trainers and risk assessing Supervisors will be invited to join them in the afternoon for an interactive session exploring how the approach is being adopted in Somerset and the plan for the next 2 years.
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We are delighted to announce Age UK Somerset's Ageing Well service is launching new exercise classes across the county.
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Our new classes include Flexercise which has recently started in Henton and Bridgwater, and is coming soon to Wells and Bruton. Tai Chi QiGong is coming soon to Frome, and next month we are launching Movement to Music in Curry Rivel.
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Events
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A new STEP form is being developed
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Come and have your say in a virtual mentimeter session led by Dr Charlie Davis and Dr Lucy Knight.
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10am – 12 midday on Thursday 30th March 2023
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Please come to the session if you can and send the invitation on to anyone you think might be interested in contributing. We want to reach as many people as possible.
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Adult Speech and Language Therapy
Basic Dysphagia Awareness Training
2-3:30pm via Microsoft Teams
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Dates:
30th March
27th April
25th May
22nd June
27th July
31st August
28th September
26th October
30th November
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Join us for a 1 hour Dysphagia Awareness session followed by a question and answer session with a Speech and Language Therapist.
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This training is aimed at all levels of staff within care homes, and those working and supporting adults with Dysphagia.
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Upcoming Event Reminders
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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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