RECENT NEWS

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued updated guidance for care home residents and workers with Covid-19 symptoms.

Social care workers in Wales are to be given a one-off bonus payment of £500 in recognition of their efforts in helping to tackle the coronavirus crisis.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is to adopt from 4 May an emergency support framework (ESF) that underpins its regulatory approach during the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK government has removed VAT on the purchase by businesses and individuals of personal protective equipment (PPE) for three months amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Care providers fear for their own organisations’ future survival as they fight to help older and vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by the Independent Care Group (ICG) trade body.

A Nottingham care home has successfully managed to contain a Covid outbreak and save lives thanks to the hard work of staff.

The Alzheimer’s Society is asking care home managers and other workers to complete a short survey to find out the challenges they face in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.

Sanders Senior Living has won planning permission to build a 77-bed care home in Worcester expected to be open for residents by summer 2021.

Legal & General later living business Inspired Villages has acquired a 12-acre site in Bedfordshire with planning permission for a 200-bed development.

A group of healthcare workers and scientists across the North of England have been awarded £3.4m for a health data programme that will initially focus on improving monitoring of residents in care homes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Planning permission has been granted for a care home on a Lincolnshire development that forms part of a wider residential scheme delivered by Charterpoint Group.

Labour has called for the UK government to create a ‘Chief Care Officer’ position in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock that sets out six action points to address the growing Covid-19 crisis faced by social care.

Cloud-based software provider Sirenum has built a free app specifically to help care homes manage staff during the Covid-19 crisis.

Care providers warned fresh Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Office for National Statistics data showing the number of deaths in care and nursing homes from Covid-19 could be below the true figure.

Care homes urgently need more input from GPs and other community clinical leaders to ensure front line managers can cope during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the National Care Forum (NCF).

Contract cleaners Swish Clean has completed a decontamination programme free of charge for a nursing home in South Gloucestershire amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Representative body Care England has called for urgent action after receiving member feedback that some local authorities are requiring providers to accept Covid-19 positive individuals to receive emergency government funding.

Trade body Independent Care Group (ICG) has warned social care providers may go bust in the coming weeks unless the UK government steps up funding for local authorities to tackle Covid-19.

Beautiful South stars Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott are to give a special one-off gig in Sheffield this October only available to care workers.

Surecert has beaten off competition from 1,600 other projects to be awarded a UK government grant to develop a digital platform to connect people with care job and volunteering opportunities during Covid-19.