Coronavirus (COVID-19) Special Brief – 9 April 2020

Thursday 9 April

Guidance on funding social care providers has been published by the Local Government Association (LGA) and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS). This can be read here.
Today, we issued a response to the guidance. The proposed uplift of up to 10% for social care providers to address rising demand and costs caused by the pandemic is wholly inadequate. Thank you to our members who have been able to share and amplify our statement and key messages.
Alongside our statement, and with our Care Provider Alliance partners, we have written to Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Helen Whately, Minister for Care, calling for the government to increase the funding available to the care sector. We will, of course, update on any developments.
Thank you to everyone who joined today's Keeping in touch call on the Job Retention Scheme, and thank you to our colleagues at Trowers & Hamlins for their input. We have included further advice from Trowers & Hamlins in the resources section below on the scheme as well as on the Chancellor's announcement of a £750million funding package for charities. Please also visit the VODG member COVID-19 Response Hubs for further discussion.
Erika Murigi | Head of Communications and Public Affairs 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): key messages

  • Multiple pieces of guidance of great significance to our sector has been published today including on looking after people who lack mental capacity and for people providing unpaid care. Please see below for these publications, as well as the full LGA / ADASS statement on funding arrangements for social care providers.
  • Digital Social Care, in collaboration with NHS Digital, is offering support to providers around the use of NHSmail.
  • Our colleagues at Trowers & Hamlins have published a range of bulletins and legal updates relating to developments on the Job Retention Scheme and the government's £750m funding package for charities.
  • All feedback, please email [email protected]

Coronavirus (COVID-19): news

Letter from Director General, Prevention, Community and Social Care
Jonathan Marron writes to Directors of Adult Social Services about provision of services over Easter.
Emergency support over the bank holiday weekend
Over the bank holiday weekend providers may seek emergency support from your local Director of Adult Social Services at your local council and your Local Resilience Forums.
Joint statement on need for human rights and equality in care during COVID-19 crisis
78 organisations, including VODG, sign statement about upholding equality and human rights as organisations respond to the pandemic.
Skills for Care news
Skills for Care news includes fully funded virtual training programmes, safe and rapid recruitment and support for harnessing technology. Sign up to future SfC updates here:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance

Local government funding arrangements for social care
LGA and ADASS guidance on funding for social care providers to respond to pandemic.
Government guidance: providing unpaid care
Guidance for people who are caring, unpaid, for friends or family during the coronavirus outbreak.
Nursing and Midwifery Council: Information for employers
What employers need to know about professionals who have joined the COVID-19 temporary register.
Government guidance on looking after people who lack mental capacity
For health and social care staff who are caring for, or treating, a person who lacks  mental capacity.
NHS England and NHS Improvement: Visitor guidance
Sets out exceptional circumstances in which people in hospital can receive a visitor.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): sector response

Not-for-profit Sector COVID-19 Employee Survey
Agenda Consulting, a VODG investor partner, has launched a short pulse survey for employees in not-for-profit organisations to gather their feedback on:
  • The impact of recent changes on their working lives, their wellbeing and their ability to contribute effectively.
  • How well they feel their organisations are supporting them and responding to the crisis.
The purpose of the survey is to provide:
  • Valuable insight to participating not-for-profit organisations on how their people are feeling at this time.
  • Broader insight for the sector as a whole and ideas for how organisations might better support their people during this crisis.
There are no costs involved in participating in the survey or in receiving your organisation’s report. The survey will be open until midnight Sunday 19 April. To find out more please visit here.
Advice on secure email systems - NHSmail
Digital Social Care in collaboration with NHS Digital is offering to provide guidance and support around NHSmail to all social care organisations that operate across a national footprint.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources

Trowers & Hamlins | legal update|  coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs for employers
FAQs relating to the government's Job Retention Scheme.
Trowers & Hamlins | legal bulletin | £750m package to support frontline charities
Analysis of the announcement from a legal perspective.
Trowers & Hamlins | legal bulletin | £50bn UK State aid COVID-19 support scheme
Information about the "COVID Umbrella Scheme".
Stay Home, Save Lives Coronavirus campaign
Now includes Stay at Home resources specifically for the Bank Holiday Weekend. From Public Health England.
Learning disability and autism partners’ response to coronavirus
Summary of answers to FAQs from NHSE's webinar with learning disability and autism partners.
Learning disability and autism partners webinar (slidedeck)
Slides from the most recent virtual meeting of the learning disability and autism partners.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): meetings

National Mental Capacity Forum: Covid-19, DoLS, and Best Interests | 28 April | 16.30
Second of three webinars. Meeting will focus on the use of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
VODG member Keeping in touch meeting | 15 April | 11.00 - 12.00
The next virtual Coronavirus (COVID-19) KIT meeting will offer another opportunity for members to share issues and ideas. Register here.