Oxfordshire County Council : Social Care Provider Engagement

Improving Health Training Sessions For all staff supporting adults with a learning disability. Would you like to improve the health of your service users? Oxford Health are offering free training sessions for support staff.

The sessions will be focusing on healthy eating and exercise to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

• Healthy Eating & Drinking
• Physical Activity
• Understanding food and drink labels
• Meal Planning
• How Diet affects Mental Health
• How Sensory impacts diet and more

The programme is running once a week, for 4 weeks. The first session starts on 4th Feb 26 at 13:30 – 16:30 at Slade House, Oxford OX3 7JH. Places are limited so please book early by emailing helen.button@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

No One Should Face a Cold Winter

A warm, safe home is essential for good health and well-being of our Oxfordshire residents. Cold, damp housing can lead to serious health issues, including respiratory problems, heart disease, and mental health challenges across all age groups.

We're here to help.

There's support available to help our residents stay warm this winter and beyond. We've created a toolkit of resources (and attached here) to help you find the right support, from the Better Housing Better Health service, and warm welcome from local libraries and the award winning the Energy App.

Why is this important?

Investing in warmer homes is a proactive approach to improving health and reducing the risk of illness. By addressing the root causes of health problems, we can build stronger, healthier communities for all as a Marmot Place.

How you can help

Spread the word! Share our toolkit and the messages with your networks and community groups to ensure that everyone in need knows about the available support. The toolkit includes thermometer cards which can be ordered, as well as digital resources and text for newsletters and social media posts or whatsapp groups etc.

NEW in 2025

1. Working with our Adult Social Care colleagues we’ve made the link to the risk of falls from cold homes.
2. A quote from a local GP about the link to cold, homes and respiratory infections. Useful for when weather is not cold (less than 5C)

Download your toolkit today to learn more and start taking action.

Winter Warmth comms toolkit.pdf

Home care managers- helping-to-prevent-winter-deaths-quick-guide in Oxfordshire.pdf

Click Here to download the Toolkit

A warm, safe home is essential for good health and well-being of our Oxfordshire residents. Cold, damp housing can lead to serious health issues, including respiratory problems, heart disease, and mental health challenges across all age groups.

We're here to help.

There's support available to help our residents stay warm this winter and beyond. We've created a toolkit of resources (and attached here) to help you find the right support, from the Better Housing Better Health service, and warm welcome from local libraries and the award winning the Energy App.

Why is this important?

Investing in warmer homes is a proactive approach to improving health and reducing the risk of illness. By addressing the root causes of health problems, we can build stronger, healthier communities for all as a Marmot Place.

How you can help

Spread the word! Share our toolkit and the messages with your networks and community groups to ensure that everyone in need knows about the available support. The toolkit includes thermometer cards which can be ordered, as well as digital resources and text for newsletters and social media posts or WhatsApp groups etc.

NEW in 2025

1. Working with our Adult Social Care colleagues we’ve made the link to the risk of falls from cold homes.
2. A quote from a local GP about the link to cold, homes and respiratory infections. Useful for when weather is not cold (less than 5C)

Download your toolkit today to learn more and start taking action.

Winter Prep checklist for care providers-OCC-PH.docx

Dear Colleagues,

Please find attached a comprehensive Winter Preparation checklist for care providers. This resource was originally developed by our PH colleagues in Buckinghamshire and has been adapted for use in Oxfordshire.

Feel free to share this checklist with relevant colleagues and partners as appropriate.

Best Wishes

Shakiba

Dr Shakiba Habibula

Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Oxfordshire County Council

Hon. Senior Clinical Lecturer, Medical sciences Division, University of Oxford

Tel: 07392318880

Email: Shakiba.habibula@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Web: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND

Dear Care Provider,

We hope this message finds you well. We are writing to encourage you to take part in an important survey being conducted in partnership with the Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers (OACP). This year, we will not be hosting our own annual survey. Instead, we are working closely with OACP to gather valuable information and insights from providers like yourself.

Your participation is crucial in helping us understand the current landscape and ensure that the sector’s needs are accurately represented. The information collected will inform future planning and support for care services across the region.

For your reference, information on current fees can be found here:

Fees and reviews | Oxfordshire County Council

Thank you in advance for your time and contribution. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Many thanks for your hard work through the year. Please see link below to share to ensure we keep people as safe as possible.

Social care and community equipment services – change in provider

Good morning all,

Thank you for your continued commitment to supporting those who rely on care and support services.

Please find an attached letter highlighting the latest updates on infection prevention and control, winter preparedness, flu vaccination and visiting.

20251711 Flu uptake letter.docx

20251211_O_Winter 2025 IPC Letter to ASC Sector.docx

I would be grateful if you would carefully read this, share it with relevant people in your organisation and ensure that the guidance is actively promoted.

Your ongoing support is much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Claire

For Information : Earned Settlement Open Consultation.

1. Introduction and summary of proposed changes

The Home Secretary has announced changes to the pathway to settlement and launched a consultation on these, including how they should be implemented. The changes aim to ensure that the immigration framework remains fair, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of the economy and society. The government is concerned that that lower-wage migrant workers including those on the Health and Care visa, are less likely to make a net fiscal contribution over the long-term.

2. What’s being considered in the consultation?

• Increasing the default qualifying period for settlement from 5 years to 10 years, as set out in the Immigration White Paper Restoring Control over the Immigration System.
• Increasing the qualifying period for settlement to 15 years for those in the Skilled Worker and Health and Care routes in a role below RQF level 6 (this includes care workers and senior care workers).
• Introducing a “No Recourse to Public Funds” (NRPF) condition at settlement, aligning with existing visa conditions.
• Earned settlement criteria, requiring migrants to demonstrate sustained good conduct, contribution, and integration rather than automatic entitlement after a fixed period.

The considerations informing the redesign of settlement will be based on four core pillars, designed to ensure that applicants make a meaningful contribution to UK society and meet clear, measurable standards. These four core pillars will be: Integration, Contribution, Character and Residence.

3. What does ‘settlement’ mean and how is it changing?

• Settlement refers to a person’s right to live in the UK permanently without any immigration restrictions. It is also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
• The 2025 UK Immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System, introduced significant reforms to how migrants can settle in the UK.
• Settlement used to be granted, mainly based on a qualifying time in the UK. Migrants will now need to earn settlement by demonstrating sustained good conduct, contribution and integration.
• Currently, someone working here on a skilled migrant visa, can apply for settlement after 5 years of being here. The proposal is for this to increase to 10 years, and application will only be possible for those who:

1. Have a clean criminal record
2. Speak English to a high standard
3. Make a measurable economic contribution
4. Have no Debt in this country

• For people who are considered low-skilled/ low wage- including those who arrived on Health & Care visas, the settlement period is proposed to be 15 years (on the basis that this group represent significant fiscal costs to the UK, including high levels of dependents)
• Earlier settlement could be achieved for an outsized contribution to national life. The proposal describes examples of this such as high talent, high taxpayer, level of seniority in public services, and/or volunteered extensively in communities.
• Settlement will be quicker for spouses/dependents of British citizens, British nationals (overseas) from Hong Kong.
• It is proposed to delay settlement for those who contribute less to our public life. By this, the proposal describes people who:
  1. have claimed benefits
  2. have entered illegally
• There is a proposed 20yr settlement pathway for refugees (who will remain on core protection support).
• The Consultation is interested to hear specific views on settlement for:

1. Children
2. Members of armed forces
3. Victims of certain crimes

• In addition to proposing changes to those who qualify for settlement, and the period that they will have to wait to settle, this consultation considers the rights provided to those given settled status. Specifically, there is a proposal that welfare benefits should not be available to those who have settled status but reserved for those with British citizenship.
• The proposed changes to settlement will apply to everyone in the country today who does not already have indefinite leave to remain.
• Those with settled status will retain this. Migrants who are here as part of the EU Settlement Scheme, the Windrush Scheme, or the pathway to settlement for children in care/care leavers are out of scope of this consultation.

4. Engaging in the consultation:

The government consultation is open until 12^th February 2026 and you can participate here: Earned settlement - GOV.UK. The full detail of the consultation can be found on line, but in summary, the consultation focusses on three areas:

1. increasing the baseline qualifying period for settlement to 10 years
2. increasing the qualifying period for settlement to 15 years for those in the Skilled worker route in a role below RQF level 6 (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree), and
3. implementing a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition at Settlement.

The Home Office has committed to further engaging across government and with the health and care sector on the consultation and proposed changes and have said that they will provide further details on this in due course.