➥ See guidance from national bodies – including Department for Health and Social Care, Care Quality Commission and Public Health England. Further guidance on specific areas can be found in the sections below.
➥ Social care provider resilience during COVID-19 - guidance to commissioners
Social care providers might find this guidance useful it picks up on points that we know are a concern.
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥ COVID-19: providing home care
This document is regularly updated and brings together guidance for social care staff, registered providers, local authorities and commissioners who support and deliver care to people in their own homes in England. It covers:
- personal protective equipment
- clinically extremely vulnerable people and care groups
- hospital discharge and testing
- government support for social care
- information collection and governance
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19: testing for homecare workers
This guidance sets out how homecare agencies in England can order regular tests for their homecare staff. It has been updated to add that directly employed self-employed personal assistants who provide care that requires them to come within 2 metres of the person they support and who support adults over the age of 18 are eligible for regular testing.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥COVID-19: how to work safely in domiciliary care
Government guidance on how to work safely in domiciliary (home) care during the COVID-19 pandemic including the uses of PPE and frequently asked questions.
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥ Hospital discharge service: policy and operating model
This document sets out how health and care systems can ensure that people:
The Department of Health and Social Care has also published Hospital discharge service: action cards to summarise the responsibilities of health and social care staff in the hospital discharge process and sets out how roles will change in line with the policy and operating model.
➥ CQC has launched an emergency support framework
It provides a structured framework for the regular conversations that inspectors are having with providers and covers the following four areas:
- Safe care and treatment
- Staffing arrangements
- Protection from abuse
- Assurance processes, monitoring, and risk management
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ CQC publishes first insight document on COVID-19 pressures
The CQC have published an insight document focusing on adult social care. It reviews data on outbreaks, deaths and availability of PPE and highlights the impact of COVID-19 on staff wellbeing and the financial viability of adult social care services. It also outlines future areas of focus, including infection control both within and between services, how local systems are engaging social care organisations in the management of COVID-19, and how care for people from vulnerable groups is being managed through the crisis.
⇨ Read the insight document
➥ Registration with CQC and changes to statements of purpose during COVID-19
The CQC have developed information for those making an application to change their statement of purpose to meet the demands of COVID-19 by increasing capacity or seeking temporary change of use.
⇨ Find out more.
➥ COVID-19 guidance for people receiving direct payments
This Government guidance is for those people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support.
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥Updated: COVID-19 providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
This guidance is for people who are providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
⇨ Read the updated guidance
➥ Information for individual employers and their personal assistants
The DHSC confirm that personal assistants (PAs) are included in the definition of key workers. If your PA is being challenged they should follow the steps below:
- contact their direct payment provider (for example their local authority or care commissioning group) to ask if they have a letter or something that validates the PA is a key worker and can share with their child(ren)'s school
- provide the school with a copy of their contract of employment.
➥ COVID-19) testing for personal assistants
How personal assistants working in adult social care in England can access weekly COVID-19 testing. Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19 guidance on reuse of medicines in a care home or hospice
This guidance details how to run a safe and effective medicines reuse scheme in a care home or hospice during the COVID-19 outbreak. It gives details about using medicines labelled for one patient who no longer needs them for another patient.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Delegating medicines administration
The CQC have produced some updated guidance on delegating medicines administration for care workers.
The CQC have pulled together a page detailing medicines information for adult social care providers which details emergency legislation and changes that are happening due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
➥ RIDDOR reporting of COVID-19
HSE have published information about RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) and the reporting of COVID-19. This information provides registered managers guidance on completing a RIDDOR report when staff may have contracted COVID-19 at work.
➥ COVID-19 Changes to the Care Act 2014
The guidance sets out how local authorities can use the new Care Act provisions, created under the Coronavirus Act 2020, to prioritise care and support for those who need it most during the COVID-19 outbreak.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Use of Mental Health Act
This guidance concerns the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of the Mental Health Act and supporting systems to safeguard the legal rights of people receiving mental health, learning disability and autism services, including specialised commissioned services.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Updated: COVID-19 antibody testing
The Government guidance has been updated to reflect the launch of the new antibody testing service where care workers can now sign up for antibody tests and have them delivered to their homes rather than having to travel to have them done.
Antibody tests are used to check whether a person has had COVID-19. Whatever the result from the test, people must continue to follow the same guidelines as everyone else to protect themselves and others from the virus.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ UPDATED: COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plan and guidance
The COVID-19 PPE plan details the government’s plan around guidance, distribution and future supply.
➥ PPE portal - how to order emergency personal protective equipment: The portal can be used by eligible health and social care providers to order and receive PPE
⇨ Find out more
➥ Infection prevention and control
This guidance outlines the infection prevention and control advice for health and social care providers involved in receiving, assessing and caring for patients who are a possible or confirmed case of COVID-19.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Guidance for stepdown of infection control precautions within hospitals and discharging COVID-19 patients from hospital to home settings
Advice on appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions for stepdown in hospital or discharge to home or residential settings.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Coronavirus: infection prevention and control in care homes
This recording (3 April 2020) from Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Improvement colleagues in the South East covers protecting yourself and others, PPE, how to isolate residents and caring for those at risk of COVID-19.
➥ Infection Prevention and Control Q&A Session
This Q&A session will give you information and guidance on a range of issues and queries raised by those attending and some submitted in advance. The recording is applicable for all Registered Managers and IPC leads in all services.
➥ Coronavirus: infection prevention and control in domiciliary care
This recording (April 20) from Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Improvement colleagues in the South East specifically looks at responding to COVID-19 issues for the domiciliary care sector and other care at home environments. It covers the key principles of reducing the spread of COVID-19, understanding how and when to use personal protective clothing, and the changes that you and staff need to make to your daily work.
Duration 1 hour | Coronavirus: infection prevention and control in domiciliary care from Skills for Care on Vimeo.
➥ Guidance for safe handling of the deceased
This advice is designed to assist people who are required to manage the bodies of deceased persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance has been developed to ensure that:
- the deceased are treated with sensitivity, dignity and respect
- people who need to come into contact with the deceased or who work in services providing care for the deceased are protected from infection
⇨ See full guidance
➥ Video: Putting on and removing PPE
This video from Public Health England, shows how to safely put on and take off the Personal Protective Equipment when caring for people with symptoms of COVID-19.
➥ Guidance on hospital discharge service requirements
Guidance on how health and care systems should support the safe and timely discharge of people who no longer need to stay in hospital.
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥ Supported living services during COVID-19
This guidance is for providers of supported living settings.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19 testing service for extra care and supported living settings
The Government has published some guidance on regular retesting for extra care and supported living settings that meet the eligibility criteria.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19: provision of home care
This guidance aims to answer frequently asked questions from registered providers, social care staff, local authorities and commissioners who support and deliver care to people in their own homes, including supported living settings, in England. It includes information on PPE, shielding and care groups, hospital discharge and testing and Government support available.
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥Visiting arrangements in care homes
Guidance reflects that from Monday 17 May care home residents will be able to have more named visitors and more opportunities to make visits out with no need to self-isolate when they return
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Guidance on limiting staff movement between care homes and other care settings
Care home providers should continue to limit staff movement between settings in all but exceptional circumstances to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection. This guidance sets out what’s expected of providers on the routine movement of staff and how to manage the risks of movement in those exceptional circumstances.
⇨ Read the guidance
To help support this, the Care Provider Alliance have outlined a staff movement risk management framework that care homes can use to manage restriction on staff movements.
➥ Testing for professionals visiting care homes
This guidance sets out the testing policy for visiting professionals who may need to visit residents within care homes to provide services which needs to be implemented by 22 March 2021. It also covers the importance of visiting professionals using PPE appropriately and following the relevant infection control measures when visiting a care home including hand hygiene and distancing.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Care home vaccination follow-ups
The COVID-19 vaccine has now been offered to residents at every eligible care home with older residents across England. The small remainder have had their visits deferred by local directors of public health for safety reasons during a local outbreak. Those homes will be visited and vaccinated as soon as NHS staff are allowed to do so. This article details who to contact if your care home in England with older residents has not yet been offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
⇨ Read the article here
➥ Guidance for visits out of care homes
This guidance applies to residential care settings for older people and adults of working age. It outlines how residents can safely visit friends and family outside of the care home.
From 17 May 2021, care home residents may leave their care home to spend time outdoors (avoiding crowded spaces) and take part in outdoor exercise not involving close contact with others. Residents will also be able to go to medical appointments (excluding overnight stays in hospital), a workplace, educational setting, and day centres without having to self-isolate on their return.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ All care homes to receive free winter supply of vitamin D
The Government recently announced that 2.7 million vulnerable individuals in England will be offered a free winter supply of vitamin D. All care homes will automatically receive a provision for their residents, while individuals on the clinically extremely vulnerable list will receive a letter inviting them to opt in for a supply to be delivered directly to their homes. Deliveries will be free of charge, starting in January, and will provide 4 months’ worth of supplements to last people through the winter months. Read more here
The Government has also published guidance on who should take the supplements and how to take them safely. Read the guidance here
➥ Discharge into care homes for people who have tested positive for COVID-19
Guidance on the designated settings scheme for people discharged from hospital to a care home with a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test..
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Step-by-step guidance for care homes to order medications
The Local Government Association (LGA) and NHS have published guidance for care homes to order medications online for residents via proxy access to their GP online services account. Hosted on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website, the guidance provides examples of all the documentation needed and explains the data sharing, staff training, information governance, confidentiality, set-up and communication requirements needed between care homes, GP practices and pharmacies.
⇨ Find out more here
➥ Updated: Admission and care of residents in a care home during COVID-19
This guidance is regularly updated and details how to protect care home residents and staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
⇨ Read the updated guidance
➥ COVID-19: how to work safely in care homes
Government guidance on how to work safely in residential care and nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic including the uses of PPE and frequently asked questions
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥ NHS Capacity Tracker
The COVID-19 Hospital Discharge Service Requirements guidance requires care homes, NHS community hospital beds and hospice beds to be recorded on the Capacity Tracker. Providers of care homes must register and update it regularly to ensure a clear understanding, locally and nationally, of bed capacity and other business information.
➥ COVID-19: Management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings
Provides advice and guidance on the management of staff and patients or residents in health and social care settings who have been exposed to COVID-19. It includes:
- staff with symptoms of COVID-19
- staff return to work criteria
- patient exposures in hospital
- resident exposures in care settings
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥ COVID-19 Guidance on redeploying workers and involving volunteers
* The government is in the process of revising this guidance.
Guidance on coronavirus testing, including who is eligible for a test and how to get tested.
There are different routes to arrange testing:
- Self-referral - All social care workers, personal care assistants and unpaid carers with symptoms. Also available for someone you live with, if they have symptoms, and you are an essential worker.
- Social care workers and residents in care homes (with or without symptoms) can get tested via an employer portal if the residents are over 65 or have dementia.
- Care workers and nurses who will be swabbing residents in care homes should complete the online care home swabbing competency assessment before carrying out swabbing.
Self- referrals can be tested at regional drive-through sites, home testing or mobile units. The Government website provides more detail on the routes to get tested, types of test, and has other useful resources such as a video and how to administer them and how your results will be obtained.
The Government introduced a ‘test and trace’ service on 28 May 2020. This service will track the contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and advise them to self-isolate for 14 days. This applies to the member of staff contacted; the care worker will have to self-isolate for 14 days, as should their non-work contacts. This does not mean that colleagues will automatically need to self-isolate.
However, if a care worker has a positive test, the test and trace team will contact them; their co-workers and residents need to be referred to the Health Protection Team. This does not mean that all the co-workers they came into contact with will have to self-isolate for 14 days if PPE has been used and was not breached. You can find further guidance on managing exposure (including breaching of PPE) to COVID-19 in health and care settings here. This guidance also includes information on undertaking risk assessments in respect of staff exposures in the workplace.
➥ COVID-19 self-test help
This guidance has been developed to help those people who have been asked to self-test. Read the guidance
There is also a useful step-by-step guide for care home staff and care home managers who are self-testing at home and reporting results. Read the guide.
➥ Updated: COVID-19 antibody testing
The Government guidance has been updated to reflect the launch of the new antibody testing service where care workers can now sign up for antibody tests and have them delivered to their homes rather than having to travel to have them done. Antibody tests are used to check whether a person has had COVID-19. Whatever the result from the test, people must continue to follow the same guidelines as everyone else to protect themselves and others from the virus.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Updated guidance on testing in care homes and additional rapid testing for staff
Plans to increase testing in care homes have been accelerated in response to the new strain of COVID-19 and£149m has been made available in a new grant for costs associated with staff and visitor testing. The funds can be used for setting up testing areas, staff training and for staff time. Find out more here
As part of this, care homes can use lateral flow tests to test staff twice a week, in addition to the weekly PCR test which is detailed in the Care home COVID-19 testing guidance document.
There have also been some updates to the guidance on getting tested for COVID-19
➥ COVID-19: Lateral flow testing in adult social care settings
This guidance explains how adult social care services can prepare and manage on-site lateral flow testing.
This can include testing of:
- people who work in social care
- professionals visiting a social care service for work
- people getting care and support from social care services
- people visiting someone who gets care and support
Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19 testing for adult day care centre workers
This guidance sets out how open day care centres providing essential care in England can order weekly PCR testing for their staff. The aim is to reduce infection risk in adult day care centres that are currently open for essential activities and to identify any positive cases in these settings as early as possible.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19: health, care and volunteer workers parking pass and concessions
This guidance has been updated to provide notice of the decision to withdraw the emergency parking pass guidance by 21 June 2021 as part of the government’s roadmap for lifting COVID-19 restrictions.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥COVID-19: Making and registering a lasting power of attorney (LPA)
If you want to make an LPA now, you can still do so as long as you follow government guidance on social distancing and self-isolating
Lockdown restrictions are easing and guidance on meeting family and friends has changed. Witnessing the LPA must be done in person so you will need to follow government guidelines on social distancing when signing the forms.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19: health and wellbeing of the adult social care workforce
Advice for those working in adult social care on managing your mental health and how employers can take care of the wellbeing of their staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
⇨ Find out more here
➥ Testing for coronavirus before hospital
Sets out how and when to use a PCR home test kit to test for COVID-19 before a hospital procedure. Read the guidance
➥ Every Mind Matters Campaign
A survey commissioned by Public Health England (PHE), reveals the impact COVID-19 has had on adults’ mental wellbeing across the country. The research found that almost half (49%) felt that the pandemic has impacted negatively on their mental health and wellbeing. Find out more.
As a result PHE has launched a nationwide Better Health - Every Mind Matters campaign to support people to take action to look after their mental health and wellbeing and help support others such as family and friends.
➥ UK Chief Medical Officers' statement on the self-isolation period:
A change to the self-isolation period from 14 to 10 days has been announced.
⇨ Find out more here
➥ Care BadgesThe Department of Health and Social Care is providing CARE badges free of charge to staff employed across the adult social care sector. This is to recognise their critical work, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak.
⇨ Find out more here - This will allow you to order badges through their trusted third-party supplier APS Group.
➥ COVID-19: letter to clinically extremely vulnerable people
⇨ Find out more here
➥ COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable
Updated information on meeting friends and family inside and outside the home. Read the guidance
➥ COVID-19: Adult social care winter plan 2020-2021
The Government have released the winter plan which sets out the ambitions for the sector and challenges facing adult social care this winter.
It covers several areas including preventing and controlling the spread of infection in care settings and supporting people who receive social care, the workforce and carers.
The plan applies to all settings and contexts in which people receive adult social care. This includes people’s own homes, residential care homes and nursing homes, and other community settings.
⇨ Find out more here
➥ Social care sector to receive £269 million to boost staffing levels and testing
The Government have issued information detailing increased funding to protect and support staff and residents in care homes and those receiving help in their own homes.
- New £120 million fund for local authorities to boost staffing levels
- £149 million grant system to support increased testing in care homes
The funding aims to protect and support the social care sector, including care homes and domiciliary care providers, by increasing workforce capacity and increasing testing. The new £120 million funding will help local authorities to boost staffing levels by providing staff where shortages arise, support administrative tasks so experienced and skilled staff can focus on providing care and help existing staff to take on additional hours if they wish with overtime payments or by covering childcare costs.
⇨ Find out more here
The Government have issued guidance on the extra £120 million funding including the local authority grant allocations for the fund, information on restrictions and payment, identifying and implementing measures to increase workforce capacity and other resources that are available.
⇨ Find out more here
➥ Overview of adult social care guidance COVID-19
DHSC has published an overview of the latest guidance and support for adult social care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This page will be updated to reflect new DHSC, NHS and PHE advice.
➥ Updated: COVID-19 guidance for those looking after people who lack mental capacity
Guidance for health and social care staff who are caring for, or treating, a person who lacks the relevant mental capacity.
⇨ Read the document.
Additional guidance: The Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) during COVID-19
This guidance has been updated to cover testing and offering a vaccine to someone who lacks the relevant mental capacity. Read the updated guidance here
Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019: Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS)
The Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) were introduced in the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019. LPS will provide protection for people aged 16 and above who are or who need to be deprived of their liberty in order to enable their care or treatment and lack the mental capacity to consent to their arrangements, in England and Wales. These documents provide the latest information on progress towards their implementation. Read more information
➥ Flu Vaccination winter 2020 to 2021: who should have it and why?
This government guidance provides information on who and why people should have the flu vaccine this winter. It details how you can protect yourself and your family against flu and why it is very important that people who are at increased risk from flu should have the vaccination.
⇨ Find out more
The National Care Forum and Quality Compliance Systems have worked together to create a comprehensive guide to getting winter ready for care professionals. The guide contains information on IPC, discharge from hospital, IT and staff wellbeing to help manage the dual burden of winter flu and COVID-19.
⇨ Read the guidance
➥ Use of air conditioning and ventilation during COVID-19
HSE have has produced some information about fans, air conditioning and ventilation during COVID-19, which can be found on their website.
⇨ Read the information here
➥Who pays? Determining responsibility for NHS payments to providers
This revised Who Pays? guidance sets out a framework, for the NHS in England, for establishing which NHS organisation has responsibility for commissioning an individual’s care and which has responsibility for paying for that care. It is published for implementation by commissioners from 1 September 2020.
⇨ Read the information here
➥ COVID-19 Stay at Home guidance
This guidance is for households with a possible COVID-19 infection clearly explains how long you and your household must stay at home, how to reduce the spread of infection in your home and what you can do to get better.
⇨ Read the guidance.
➥ COVID-19: DHSC ethical framework for adult social care
Guidance on ethical considerations for local authorities and adult social care professionals planning their COVID-19 response. It’s aimed at planners and strategic policy makers at local, regional and national level to support planning and organisation of adult social care in response to COVID-19.
⇨ Download the framework.
➥ Guidance on key workers
The government has produced guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining educational provision which defines who a key worker is.
At a time when the social care sector and its workers are under unprecedented pressure, this section is about looking after yourself and the people you work with.
The aim of social distancing, self-isolating and shielding is to protect people whilst slowing the spread of coronavirus and support the Government’s recovery plan to return life to as near normal as we can, in a way that is safe. Social distancing, as far as possible, is very important in care settings, particularly in care homes where visitors from outside the home are permitted.
Social distancing is about limiting the ability of the virus to be transferred from one person to another. Government guidance on social distancing explains what you can do and the distance you should maintain from other people to reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted between people.
Self-isolation aims to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to allow a person with possible or confirmed coronavirus time to recover from its effects. Anyone who suspects they have symptoms or have tested positive for the virus should follow this guidance about staying at home. They should get tested if they have not done so in the past two days. The guidance was recently updated to extend the self-isolation period to at least ten days from the onset of symptoms or a positive test. If you have a fever at the end of the ten days of self-isolation, you should seek medical advice and continue to isolate. People who live in a household with a symptomatic person should self-isolate for 14 days.
If you have been in close contact with somebody who has the virus, you need to self-isolate for 14 days in line with the test and trace guidance, as do members of your household. There is guidance for those care workers who support someone who has COVID-19. You do not have to self-isolate if you have been protected by PPE, unless it is breached. You must also self-isolate if you, or someone in your household, has returned from certain countries abroad.
⇨ See the full details.
Shielding aims to protect those at greatest risk if they contract COVID-19 by limiting the contact they have with others and reducing risk of infection. Government guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (CEV) has been updated with important additional advice. A letter will be sent to all CEV individuals outlining the guidance and informing them about how to seek support. Additionally, all adults with Down’s Syndrome are now included as people who are CEV and should be contacted by their GP to discuss their needs.
The advice for people who live in ‘local lockdown’ areas, where risks are thought to be higher, may be different. For a regularly updated list of areas affected, and for information on what to do and how to manage the outbreak, please see local guidance.
⇨ See local guidance.
Support for your mental health
If you're worried about your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak, many organisations have guidance that can help you. There is also support one-to-one if you are feeling stressed or anxious. You might be having more tough days, feeling worried or overwhelmed or you maybe you have things on your mind that you want to talk through.
➥ Guidance:
A new online section of the Samaritans website helps those struggling with mental health related to COVID-19 emergency. It includes practical tips to help people impacted by social distancing, remote working, worries about friends and family etc.
Our frontline offers round-the-clock one-to-one support, by call or text, from trained volunteers, plus resources, tips and ideas to look after your mental health. Text FRONTLINE to 85258 for a text conversation or call 116 123 for a phone conversation – all in confidence, with a trained volunteer, at any time.
Mind has compiled some reliable information and tips to help you cope during this time. It includes practical advice on how to cope when you have to stay at home because of coronavirus, looking after your wellbeing, and where to find more help. It also includes further information about Coronavirus and your rights to social care, bereavement and grief, loneliness etc.
Every Mind Matters (NHS) has information about looking after your mental health, helping others and where to get urgent support and advice. This online resource covers a range of new resources, designed specifically to help manage mental wellbeing during coronavirus, include a tailored COVID-19 Mind Plan, COVID-19 specific content for individuals and their loved ones, and support for specific mental wellbeing issues such as anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping. The website signposts people to activities such as mindful breathing exercises, help reframing unhelpful thoughts, and muscle relaxation.
➥ Support:
Samaritans have trained volunteers who can help with confidential listening and signposting to specific support you might find helpful. They have introduced a confidential emotional support line for social care staff:
☏ 0300 131 7000 available from 7:00am-11:00pm seven days a week.
Free 24-hour listening support is available so you can talk to them about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult.
☏ Call free on 116 123.
A Shout service is available offering confidential 24/7 crisis text support for times when you need immediate assistance.
Text "SHOUT" to 85258 or visit Shout Crisis Text Line.
In some social care services you may have staff who have had to shield or staff you have had to furlough. You may need to recruit staff while maintaining social distancing. See below information covering furloughing and government support, recruitment and risk assessment (staff, who are new, who are returning after self-isolation, or at higher risk from COVID-19).
Risk assessment
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many restrictions on care services, due to the risk of infection to the people care services support. In turn, many other risks have been identified – risks to the health of the workforce, around visits to care homes, visits to clients’ homes for domiciliary care, in returning to work after an infection, in using equipment and so on. Being aware of the main principles of risk assessment, and being able to apply them to different hazards, is a valuable skill.
There are five main steps to creating a risk assessment, and these are listed by the Health and Safety Executive
Hazards might include using equipment, such as PPE, incorrectly, or may be to the person, such as stress. Hazards might have different effects on different people, so identifying who is at risk is also important.
Evaluations involve judging the level of the risk and the likelihood of it happening. Precautions can reduce the likelihood and are actions you take for everyone to reduce risk, for example, isolating people with COVID-19 from others, keeping medication in a locked cupboard or making sure that there is an appropriate place and space in someone’s home to put on and take off PPE. Mitigation is an action taken to reduce the potential harm of a known risk, for example providing additional training to someone on infection control.
Sometimes, a person will be at greater risk than others doing the same activity. Each care setting will have a different set of risks, for domiciliary care a considerable risk is sessional use of PPE between clients and whilst driving. We know with COVID-19 that people from black and minority ethnic families, older people, people with underlying conditions and women who are pregnant are at greater risk of harm from COVID-19. In this case, you will need to evaluate the risk as greater and think of ways it can be mitigated. It’s important that you keep a record of your risk assessment activity, and that it is reviewed regularly, or when the context changes. An example of a changed context is when COVID-19 emerged: infection control risks and precautions needed to be reviewed and changed.
There are lots of templates for risk assessment, but it’s important to understand the risks in a specific context, for example a care home, a workforce or an environment. Developing skills in risk assessment helps in improving process. It’s also important to remember that it’s not possible to make all activities risk-free, but knowing what risks there are, and thinking about precautions and mitigations will make your assessments much more effective.
Employers across all social care settings are currently facing additional workforce challenges brought about by coronavirus (COVID-19). Adult social care employers of all sizes have a duty of care to secure the health, safety and welfare of members of staff and people who use services.
To support you to assess and reduce COVID-19 risks to your workforce, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a COVID-19: adult social care risk reduction framework covering measures you could put in place across the workforce and for individuals.
For employers continuing to recruit throughout the pandemic, government agencies have developed emergency processes which support faster recruitment of staff to the sector. CQC COVID-19 interim guidance on DBS and other recruitment checks is for providers recruiting staff and volunteers to health and social care services in response to COVID-19. You may also find the CQC Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page contains further useful information. Right to work checks have been temporarily adjusted during the pandemic, making it easier for employers to carry out checks remotely. And the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has set up a dedicated webpage containing factsheets, updated guidelines and news stories related to DBS and coronavirus.
Employees unable to work because they have coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, or are self-isolating or shielding, are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Find out if you can claim back up to two weeks of SSP via the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme.
For those employers who have been faced with the difficult decision to release staff on temporary leave (‘furlough’) due to COVID-19, find out if you’re eligible to claim employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The scheme includes employees who are unable to work because they are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) or have caring responsibilities resulting from COVID-19. HM Revenue & Customs has created a step by step guide to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which explains the information employers need to provide to claim and ACAS has provided a range of furlough letter templates free to download.
Parents returning to work after statutory parental leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave and parental bereavement leave) will be eligible for the furlough scheme even after the 10 June cut-off date. Find out more here.
From 1 August 2020, employers will be asked to contribute towards the cost of furloughed employees’ wages. Find out more information on how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is changing.
Both employers and employees should try to be as flexible as they can about holiday during COVID-19, taking into consideration everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing. Where employees have been unable to take their full annual leave entitlement because it is not practicable to do so, rules on carrying over annual leave have been relaxed and workers can carry over up to four weeks’ paid holiday into the next two holiday leave years. Detailed guidance covering holiday entitlement and pay during COVID-19 has been published here.
For employees who may be facing additional hardships at this time, some charitable organisations and Unions are offering financial and welfare assistance. The Care Worker’s Charity, for example, has established a COVID-19 Emergency Fund providing grants related to self-isolation or other unexpected costs, including funeral costs. UNISON has set up a COVID-19 Response Fund and can provide one-off grants of £250 to members in difficulty due to coronavirus, or other financial assistance for those experiencing unexpected hardship.
For providers employing international employees, you can direct staff with any queries or concerns to the Home Office COVID-19 guidance for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents, which includes contact details of the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre.