Information for care providers

Support for care homes

On 20 July 2021 a self isolation requirements letter was sent to all care providers regarding the government announcement that that there could be exemptions permissible to the self isolation requirements for health and care staff under exceptional circumstances. This involves a “test to release” approach whereby PCR and lateral flow tests are used to enable asymptomatic staff who have been fully vaccinated, and continue to test negative for Covid, to remain at work during the self isolation period.

On the 16 July 2021 a letter was sent to all care providers giving an update on specific guidance for social care providers following the Prime Ministers briefing relating to the lifting of most of the remaining legal restrictions on Monday 19 July 2021.

On the 14 May 2020, the Minister of State for Care, Helen Whatley, wrote to all councils with responsibility for social care requiring them to provide a care home support plan by 29 May 2020.

We welcome the opportunity to set out Derby’s approach to supporting its care homes at this difficult and critical time. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have worked closely with care and NHS partners across Derby and Derbyshire to ensure a robust and considered coronavirus (COVID-19) response for care homes.

Derby City Council and its partners want to thank everyone who is working tirelessly within the care home sector to protect vulnerable people during the pandemic and hopes that the approach laid out will go some way to offering further support and reassurance.

On 29th May 2020, Derby City Council published its letter to care homes outlining its plans for support, as well as its financial table of funding support offered to providers.

Please also find further information where we are working jointly with our Derbyshire County Council and Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group colleagues to support residential care providers on the Derbyshire County Council website.

Updating the Commissioning and Market Management Team

Providing us with accurate information as soon as you are able to will allow us to manage this situation to the best of our ability, and effectively identify where there is the most critical need.

If you provide care home or community services, please make sure you register on and complete the NHS Capacity Tracker.
You need to complete all the information required on the NHS Capacity Tracker on a daily basis.

Capacity Tracker

The capacity tracker poster for care homes can be printed off and used as a prompt for which sections of the Capacity Tracker need updating when, and with contact details should you have a problem or query.

Keeping in touch

If you need to speak to one of the team, please contact the Lead Commissioner or Market Manager for your area of care and support.

Name	Email address
Yvonne Short - Lead Commissioner Accommodation	yvonne.short@derby.gov.uk
Ian Chennery - Market Manager Extra Care and Care Homes	ian.chennery@derby.gov.uk
Alice Sanghera - Lead Commissioner Communities	alice.sanghera@derby.gov.uk
Christina Waters - Market Manager Home Care and Support and Accommodation	christina.waters@derby.gov.uk
Felicity Coxon - Market Manager Day Opportunities	felicity.coxon@derby.gov.uk

Latest guidance

The government have published guidance on

Public Health England has published guidance, including on infection prevention and control in healthcare settings.

Public Health England has also published posters in various formats to be displayed at entrances to hospitals, GP practices and community pharmacies and other settings to provide people with advice on what to do if they have the symptoms of COVID-19.

The Care and Health Improvement Programme has worked with partners including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services to produce some questions and answers to support Personal Assistants (PAs) to access COVID-19 vaccinations as part of national priority group two (frontline adult social care workers). These headline messages and questions and answers are based on queries received by Skills for Care, Think Local, Act Personal, In-control, and Disability North.

The COVID-19 pandemic raises particular challenges for care home residents, their families and the staff that look after them. The NHS are working with tech firms to help care home residents and patients connect with loved ones.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The Government has published guidance for personal protective equipment (PPE).

Public Health England have provided support for taking off personal protective equipment, and issued an explainer video and case studies showing how the PPE guidance works in practice for the social care sector.

Residential and domiciliary social care providers

If you are a CQC registered provider of residential or domiciliary social care, you should access the national PPE Portal.

If you have any problems with the PPE Portal or the quality of stock, please contact their Customer Service Team on 0800 876 6802.

Emergency PPE

We may be able to help with emergency PPE if you are a support living, day opportunities or short breaks provider and:

cannot obtain PPE from your normal supply route to support additional COVID-19 needs
are down to 2 days or less stock for your Derby provision,

Please email COVIDCMMT@derby.gov.uk with the subject 'Emergency COVID PPE Request'.

Day Opportunities Covid related PPE

We may be able to help with PPE which is additional to meet COVID related need in line with current COVID Government Guidance.

Please email COVIDCMMT@derby.gov.uk – with the subject line DAY OPPS PPE REQUEST so it can be picked up easily. You must attach your latest COVID risk assessment to the request.

Please remember that requests can only be made through the COVIDCMMT inbox and your request will go through an approval process which may take up to 5 days.

If your request is approved you will need to collect the agreed allocation of PPE from our PPE Hub at Kedleston Road. You will be contacted by the PPE Hub to arrange collection.

Covid related PPE will be available until end of June 2021.

Testing staff for COVID-19

There is a programme of testing in care homes for both staff and residents currently in operation.

Testing is now being made available to more key workers. More information on getting tested has been published on GOV.UK.

Please note testing is most effective within 3 days of symptoms developing.

Requesting a test

To request a test slot and confirm eligibility please email ddccg.covid19keyhcwtesting@nhs.net, including:

a name and contact telephone number for the person requesting a test
which location they will be accessing

Walk-through test centres

There are four walk-through test centres in Derby:

Sussex Circus Housing Office, Chaddesden
Austin Sunnyhill Children's Centre, Browning Street
Morleston Day Centre, Morleston Street
West End Community Centre, Mackworth Road.

Drive test centres

There are also two drive test centres available, depending which is most convenient for colleagues:

Burnaston Toyota Plant, Derby
Motorpoint Arena car park, Nottingham

Individuals must be able to drive or be driven to the test centres by someone from the same household. Unfortunately, these centres are not walk in, and cannot test people who arrive on foot, public transport or by taxi.

Vaccination Priority Groups

The COVID-19 vaccination programme for Derby and Derbyshire is following the priority order which is set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The NHS are leading the vaccination programme, more information is available from Joined Up Care Derbyshire.

The priority order has been developed by the JCVI based on clinical evidence gathered during the pandemic. This prioritises groups of people in order to minimise loss of life and to ensure health and social care systems can continue to operate safely. Further details about this can be found at GOV.UK - JCVI advice.

If you want to know more about the approach to the way in which the vaccines are being prioritised in Derby and Derbyshire, please see the Vaccination Priority Groups Report.

Hospital discharges

In response to managing COVID-19 in our hospitals, national guidance has been issued that says hospital discharges must be carried out within two hours of a patient becoming medically fit.

Local NHS and adult social care services have made the decision that all hospital discharges requiring ongoing support will use a Trust Assessment Approach/D2A documentation.

This decision will take effect immediately. It is our intention that the assessment will provide a clear and accurate view of the client's needs and how then can be best met.

Here is the leaflet being used by the hospital teams for people who are being discharged as part of this arrangement.

If your request is for a service in Derby, please contact Derby City Council Adult Social Care Commissioning and Market Management team, please email carebrokerage.duty@derby.gov.uk.

Working safely

Care homes

Guidance has been published on how to work safely in care homes.

This has been updated from the previous version of this document, and now provides updated guidance on the use of gloves (2 November 2020)

Home care

Guidance has been published on how to work safely in domiciliary care.

Employer guidance

Guidance for employers and business on coronavirus is available from the government, which includes the Business Emergency Relief Fund
Government advice also includes key worker guidance and changes to DBS ID checking guidelines. There is also interim guidance on DBS and other recruitment checks from the Care Quality Commission
There is information about staff and volunteering to help fill workforce gaps
A coronavirus awareness course is available from Skills for Health
Infection prevention and control is vital to the wellbeing of people who need care and support

Accessibility resources

Signhealth is providing a videos of summaries of key coronavirus guidance in BSL
Public Health England stay at home guidance, translated and in easy read
NHS guidelines translated into 32 languages by Doctors of the World
Easy read information on COVID-19 from Mencap
Public Health England resources in accessible formats
COVID-19 guidance for providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping
The hand washing rap, produced to help people who have a learning disability
Staying alert and safe - social distancing