Category #carehomes Show all
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DHSC Submission- Information Regarding Providers at risk
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Section 277A of the Health and Care Act 2022 – enables the Secretary of State to require regulated providers of Adult Social Care to provide information relating to:
- themselves
- their activities in connection with provision of ASC in England
- persons to whom they have provided such care.
The Adult Social Care Information (Enforcement) Regulations 2022 came into force on 1st December 2022. It requires all ASC providers, regulated by the CQC, to update the mandated collection in the Capacity Tracker.
The reporting windows are between the 8th & 14th day of each month - or next working day if the 14th is a weekend or public holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions is accessible here.
Provider training & awareness sessions are available here
• These sessions are to help guide providers through the information requests, update methods and reports – they are informal events that offer providers the opportunity to raise any questions or seek clarification.
Important Reminders
- Multiple CT Registered Users recommended – to ensure sufficient cover during periods of absence. To register for a CT account, simply click on: https://capacitytracker.com/register
- Going Abroad - users are reminded that CT is not accessible outside the UK.
- Active providers with 0 service users or 0 staff – providers are required to submit a return, including a 'nil' return where services may not yet have commenced, ceased or are in the process of being updated with CQC.
- Active dual-registered providers that offer both home care and residential care – submissions are required for both services, including a 'nil' return if services are not being delivered. It is essential that providers ensure their CQC registration is up to date and that CQC are informed at the earliest opportunity if services are closed.
- For access and system guidance queries - please contact the Support Centre see details below.
- Change of staff - It is recommended that updating Capacity Tracker is included within providers staff leaver/new starter process with user accounts closed & new user registrations in place. This will ensure that you continue to receive important communications issued via Capacity Tracker and remain up to date with the information submissions.
- Any changes to provider regulated services/specialisms/bed capacity – Capacity Tracker uses CQC information. Until the CQC information is updated, it is essential the providers make CQC aware of any changes at the earliest opportunity and data submissions are maintained by completing a ‘nil return’, until the CQC information has been updated.
- Providers that are closing down/no longer active/changing registration or ownership - please notify CQC directly to de-register, see contact information below. It is essential data submissions are maintained by completing a ‘nil return’, until the CQC information has been updated.
- If you receive an enforcement notice from the DHSC partners, NHS BSA – it's important that providers who receive an enforcement notice to respond directly to the NHS BSA, see contact details below. We remain committed to supporting providers to be compliant with the ASC Information (Enforcement) Regulations 2022 and can ensure the appropriate support and guidance is in place.
Contact Information:
- For system support and guidance - please contact NECS Capacity Tracker Support Centre - 0191 691 3729 or necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net
- They are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, excluding public holidays)
- Changing registration, closing, change of ownership – please contact the CQC - T: 03000 616161, E: enquiries@cqc.org.uk, CQC Provider Portal (They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, excluding public holidays)
- If you receive an enforcement notice – please contact the NHS Business Services Authority Enforcement Team (NHSBSA) – T: 0300 330 2088 E: enforcement@nhsbsa.nhs.uk (They are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm)
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Oxfordshire Oral Health Needs Assessment 2023: Key Messages for Care Homes
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Findings from the Oxfordshire Oral Health Needs Assessment 2023 have now been published.
These findings have highlighted the importance of promoting and prioritising good oral health across the whole system, which includes care homes. Oral health and related factors such as number of teeth, bite force, and chewing problems have a significant impact on older adults’ quality of life and ability to function. Oral health has impacts on many other elements of health, including nutrition, and is therefore an important element within individual care plans.
Results from Oxfordshire surveys with stakeholders have highlighted general county-wide issues with access to NHS dentistry across all age groups. Impacts resulting from COVID-19 and NHS dental workforce limitations are being felt across services.
The report highlights issues with access to dentistry within care homes, and outlines that more support is needed to promote partnership working between care homes and dental services. Additionally, commissioners are recommended to fund for local initiatives which promote oral health in care homes, such as peer-to-peer support.
Recommendations from the report include:
- Prioritising oral health in care homes
- Wider collaboration across organisations and systems
- Raising awareness of NICE and CQC guidance which can help to support oral health in care homes
- Providing more training programmes and resources for care home staff
- More resources to empower residents to maintain good oral health
- Piloting oral health champions in care homes
Community Dental Services (CDS) have a wide range of oral health-related training available to care homes and staff:
- CDS have collaborated with Oxfordshire County Council and offer a level 1 toolkit for carers within care homes.
- CDS then can offer further level 2 training for care homes and staff which focuses on maintaining and promoting oral health through incorporating national guidelines.
- Care homes can also complete Lifelong Smiles, which is a level 3 accreditation programme.
Overall, it is important to prioritise oral health across all services to make a difference to the oral health of people in Oxfordshire. A summary of the Needs Assessment can be found here.
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Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) support for Care Homes
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Local authorities have overall responsibility for social care in their localities, whilst UKHSA supports Care Homes during an outbreak.
The BOB Integrated Care Board (ICB) IPC team can support Care Homes across the area with specialist IP&C advice.
ICB may be able to provide:
- Urgent IPC site visits as required for outbreaks or requested by local authorities or CQC.
- Scheduled virtual and face-to-face IPC overview, training including PPE, hand hygiene, IPC standard precautions.
- A quarterly IPC forum/Webinar for care home staff
- Support/guidance with care management of residents diagnosed with C. difficile or bloodstream infections such as E. coli, MRSA.
- Attend the monthly care home forum to support IPC issues.
- IPC services cover care homes, LD, supported living, residential care home and hotels.
- ICB will work collaboratively with the local authorities and UKHSA to support care homes.
- Support to care homes wishing to provide IP&C quality improvement projects e.g., improved hydration of residents or increase knowledge of staff vaccination benefits.
For more information, please contact the IPC team at: bobicb.ipc@nhs.net
Lydia Rylance-Knight: Head of Infection Prevention & Control and Vaccination
Zahra McKinstry: IPC nurse Buckinghamshire
Hilary Munube: IPC nurse Oxfordshire
Jintana Loss: IPC nurse Berkshire West
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CQC is changing
Share CQC is changing on Facebook Share CQC is changing on Twitter Share CQC is changing on Linkedin Email CQC is changing linkNew assessments starting from 21 November in our South region
From 21 November we will start using our new single assessment framework in our South region.
Between 21 November and 4 December we will undertake a small number of planned assessments with 14 early adopter providers, whilst continuing to respond to risk. We will then expand our new assessment approach to all providers based on a risk-informed schedule.
We are sharing more information with providers in the south separately and will be in touch with providers in other areas of the country to confirm when we'll start using our new approach with them shortly.
NOTE: At this stage our new assessment approach will not apply to services we do not rate or NHS trust well-led assessments. We'll be in contact with those providers with the detail of how we'll roll out our new approach with them.
The South region includes services registered in these counties: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire.
Catch up on our latest webinar
In the second of our 'CQC is changing' webinar series, you can hear from Amanda Hutchinson, Head of Policy, Regulatory Change and Dave James, Head of Adult Social Care Policy.
Amanda and Dave introduce quality statements and evidence categories, and the role they play in our new regulatory approach.
We talked through where these two elements fit in the wider new regulatory approach and what guidance is available to help you understand them. Sharing example quality statements to explore how we’ll use evidence categories to identify specific sources of evidence to use in our assessments.
How well do you understand how we're changing
To make sure we're sharing the right information at the right time about our new regulatory approach we'd like to understand how well you understand what we're changing.
Your feedback will mean we can give you more helpful information about our new regulatory approach.
Share your feedback on our latest guidance
We've recently published some new provider guidance that describes the evidence we'll use to assess individual quality statements for different types of providers.
We want to make sure this guidance gives you the information you need to understand this part of our new approach.
To help us understand that we'd like your feedback on the guidance.
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OxTrail - Something oxtraordinary is coming to Oxfordshire Summer 2024…
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OxTrail is Oxfordshire’s first ever sculpture trail, raising funds for Sobell House Hospice.
A team of over 30 life sized ox sculptures will be herded into positions throughout Oxford in the summer of 2024, creating an engaging, exciting event for the city its residents, businesses and visitors.
Each of the oxen will be uniquely decorated by local and international artists to form a vibrant and family friendly trail. Across eight weeks, OxTrail will encourage locals and visitors of all ages to explore Oxford’s iconic attractions, find some hidden gems, and engage with the community.
Care home fundraising
To get involved, you’ll need to commit to a fundraising target to help cover the cost of the fibreglass ox that you get to keep afterwards. We are asking each home to raise £1,000 to take part. You could ask for the support of local businesses. We will provide fundraising resources, advice and support, as well as a blank mini ox (approx 1.3m ( x 0.8m ( x 0.4m (width), ready for your residents to paint with your own unique design.
Resources will be available to support engagement with OxTrail for residents, loved ones and staff aswell as information about Sobell House, its services and support
Finally, we will provide tools to help with the creation of your fabulous ox design.
More information can be found here or by emailing oxtrail@sobellhospice.org. The registration form can be downloaded here.
We need your help to get mooo-ving across Oxfordshire!
