Guidance regarding the general enforcement of data collection has now been released. If you work in homecare or if you work in private nursing then you will know how impactful things like this can be. Bespoke care packages are often offered by social workers as well as those who work in mental health. It was suggested that data be collected from people through avenues such as this but now the guidance regarding it has now been clarified. The Department have said that they are not going to issue any notice to anybody before the end of April this year. A fine is going to, of course, be a last resort. The level of the financial penalty is going to be around the same amount as the CQC registration fee. It is important to know that there are going to be four stages that make up the general enforcement process and that this is going to take place over a set number of months. Stage one is going to involve getting in touch with providers to make sure that they are given support and guidance before the upcoming submission date.
Stage two is going to be very similar to stage one and stage three is going to act on those who are not providing data. If someone is not providing data then they are going to be served with a notice of intent. They are going to receive a final notice, and from this point, formal representation can then be made to explain why they are not being compliant. When representations have ultimately been received, if the provider is yet to make any attempt to comply then they could well be given a fine which is going to carry on having an impact on the provider until they eventually reach compliance.
If you work in the sector of private nursing, homecare or even in mental health then you will know how much the energy crisis has been impacting bespoke care packages as well as social workers across the UK. That is why the government have now chosen to announce that the energy bills discount scheme is going to apply to new businesses. It is also going to give charities a level of support, while aiding the public sector. This is going to take place from April with the aim of it being to replace the scheme that is in place right now. The current scheme is set to end on the 31st of March and the new scheme is going to run until the 31st of March next year. Companies are going to get a discount on their high energy bills but it is important to know that this will not affect domestic customers. Even though the government are giving domestic customers a discount on their energy bills, it is important to know that this is going to end soon.
The government have not announced whether or not they plan on extending this but right now it is not looking likely. The main reason for this is because it is not possible to carry on giving domestic users a discount when the energy crisis doesn’t look to be going anywhere, any time soon. Only time will tell what the future holds in regards to this but at the end of the day, it is impacting those who work in the care sector the most. The main reason for this is because they do not qualify for the commercial discount and a lot of people are struggling as a result. This is especially the case for those who work for themselves.
Steve Barclay has come out to say that this is the worst flu season that the country has seen in well over a decade. If you work in private nursing, then there is a high chance that you have seen a decline in mental health for those who work as social workers as well as those who offer bespoke care packages. If you work in private nursing or if you work in homecare then you are far more at risk of catching it as well. The health secretary has come out to say that he has strong feelings of regret for patients who are not receiving a good standard of care.
Figures have shown that more and more people are now sick with the flu and that numbers are going up all the time. Barclay has said that the rise has happened very quickly and that it has happened far earlier than expected as well. At the end of the day, delayed discharges have not contributed well at all to the current situation and this has doubled the numbers which is the last thing that anyone needs. Of course, there has been a lot of criticism regarding the way that the government have handled the pandemic so far and it looks like things are only going to get worse from here. Who knows what the future holds but right now it looks like not enough is being done to try and support those who need it. A lot of people are trying to do what they can to prevent strikes as well but this is not proving to be successful. The plans for the future are unclear right now but the government are trying to do what they can to book more beds residential homes.
If you work in the sector of homecare or if you offer bespoke care packages then you may be interested to know that the scheme to give free PPE to those who work in the health and social care has now been extended. This is going to affect those who offer mental health support as well as those who work in private nursing. It is also going to impact social workers as well. The government have announced that they want to keep on providing this kind of safety gear to people up until March of next year. They have said however that if stocks deplete during this time then they may need to pull the plug, so it is important to be mindful of this.
The government have also released a statement, saying that their aim to support those who work on the frontline is a priority and that they want to do everything they can to support NHS trusts. They know that those who work in primary care are at the most risk and they also want to ensure that a lot of people receive PPE free of charge if this is a necessity. They have the general aim of ensuring that staff as well as their patients are protected from Covid-19 as much as possible. At the end of the day, free PPE is going to help relieve some of the burden that the healthcare sector is under but right now it’s not enough. Staff also want to make sure that they are given a pay rise and that they are not being overlooked when it comes to their mental health at home. Staff are working long hours for very little pay and this is something that a lot of people have an issue with.
