Agenda item

The Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to provide an update on directions received from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

On 18 September 2020, the DHSC published a policy paper entitled “Adult Social Care: our COVID-19 winter plan 2020 to 2021”. The paper set out the key elements of national support available for the social care sector for winter 2020 to 2021, as well as the main actions to take for local authorities, NHS organisations, and social care providers.

In support of the health and social care sector, the DHSC described their commitment, details of which were included at paragraph 4 of the submitted report.

The DHSC paper outlined the key actions to be taken by local authorities and NHS organisations in support of collaboration and best practice entering into the winter. The key actions were contained at paragraph 5 of the submitted report.

Staff from Adult Social Care, Public Health and Commissioning had worked throughout the pandemic (to date) in order to deliver effective support to users of social care, their carers and the providers that the Council worked alongside. Considerable learning from the “first wave” had been incorporated into preparations for the winter and confirmation had been provided to the DHSC, as required, that the recommendations of the 18 September 2020 paper would be delivered during winter 2020 to 2021.

On 13 October 2020, the DHSC had written to all Directors of Adult Social Services describing the details of the designation scheme, assured by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), of premises for people leaving hospital who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were transferring to a care home. The requirements of the “Designated Settings” scheme were included at paragraph 9 of the submitted report.

The designated settings process would be operated by the CQC providing assurance that each ‘designated accommodation’ had the policies, procedures, equipment and training in place to maintain infection control and support the care needs of residents.

Local authorities were asked to identify sufficient designated accommodation to meet current and future demand over winter and notify the CQC of those facilities by 16 October 2020. Five care homes within Middlesbrough had volunteered to participate in the scheme and the CQC were duly notified. Based on demand for COVID-19 positive discharges, modelled by James Cook University Hospital, that had been reduced to three potential care homes in Middlesbrough with the focus being on sites where a separate stand-alone unit existed or a setting with separate zoned accommodation.

It was important to note that the CQC had a limited capacity to undertake assurance visits and the option was therefore not available to seek to have all residential care homes approved as “designated settings” (nor do all care homes possess the necessary physical infrastructure). In practice that meant that, for individuals who were COVID-19 positive and in need of a care home placement at the time of hospital discharge, they would be required to be placed initially within a “designated settings” care.

Members commended the effective support provided by staff from Adult Social Care throughout the pandemic.

OPTIONS

Not applicable - the Council was required to comply with the DHSC direction.

ORDERED

That the requirements placed on the Local Authority resulting from the DHSC’s “Adult Social Care: our COVID-19 winter plan 2020 to 2021”, and their subsequent letter of 13 October 2020 outlining the arrangements for “Designated Settings”, be noted.

REASONS

The Council was required to comply with the DHSC direction.