Health Management and Policy Alert

Adult social care markets

House of Commons Public Accounts Committee -
This report concludes that while there have been many white papers, green papers, consultations, independent reviews and commissions promised by governments of all political persuasions, reform has not yet occurred. It welcomes the short-term support to help providers through Covid-19 but urges the government to set out plans for long-term funding and improvements to the social care workforce.

• Report
• Public Accounts Committee - news

Bridging the gap: transitional safeguarding and the role of social work with adults

Department of Health and Social Care - 

This briefing: describes what transitional safeguarding is, why it is needed and how the contribution of adult social work is essential to developing and embedding a more transitional approach to safeguarding young people into adulthood; focuses on sexual and criminal exploitation; and aims to inform, inspire change and celebrate the contribution of the adult social work sector.

• Briefing
• More detail

Adult social care and Covid-19 after the first wave: assessing the policy response in England

The Health Foundation -
This briefing outlines the impact of Covid-19 on adult social care. It analyses national government policy on adult social care in England after the first wave – between June 2020 and March 2021. It finds that support in some areas improved, such as access to testing and PPE, and the priority given to social care appeared to increase. However, it claims that policy on social care was often fragmented and short-term, creating uncertainty for the sector and making it harder to plan ahead.

• Briefing
• The Health Foundation - publications

Covid-19: assessment of hospital-associated SARS-CoV-2 infection and care home outbreaks

Public Health England -
This report uses a data linkage approach to assessing the contribution of hospital-associated SARS-CoV-2 infection to care home outbreaks in England between 30 January and 12 October 2020. The paper was commissioned by the Public Accounts Committee, via the Social Care Working subgroup.

• Report
• Public Health England - publications

The relationship between the adult social care sector and ICSs: time for action?

Good Governance Institute (GGI) - 

This paper brings together GGI's thinking around some of the key pieces of policy pertaining to the adult social care sector, as well as the learning from a series of interviews and a roundtable that GGI convened with ICS (integrated care systems) independent chairs, policy-makers and adult social care providers. Where relevant, we also present example of good practice from across the country.

• Paper
• More detail

Prevention in social care

Social Care Institute for Excellence -
Prevention in social care is about encouraging people to be more proactive about their health and wellbeing. It can increase independence and reduce or delay the need for care and support services. This briefing for local authority commissioners and managers sets prevention in the context of the Care Act and describes the role for commissioners and practitioners, including their distinct responsibilities and the benefits of a shared understanding and approach. It also explores both how prevention is understood in social care and the current evidence base.

• Briefing

Social care 360

The King's Fund - 
This year's report uses the latest available data to describe the key trends in adult social care as Covid-19 struck and suggests what the impact of the pandemic might be. It shows that many key indicators were already going in the wrong direction pre-pandemic and highlights priorities for improving and reforming the sector.

• Report

Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing for hospices

Department of Health and Social Care -
This guidance sets out how hospices can access Covid-19 testing for staff and patients on-site, for staff visiting patients in their own homes, and for visitors to hospices.

• Guidance

Fractured and forgotten? The social care provider market in England

Nuffied Trust -
This report warns that years of delay to social care reform and a fragmented market has left provider services unstable and without support for innovation. It argues that there needs to be a better understanding among policy-makers of how the market works and an acknowledgement that any reform to funding also needs to address the structural faults.

• Report
• Nuffield Trust - press release

Making vaccination a condition of deployment in older adult care homes

Department of Health and Social Care -
To increase vaccine take up among staff working in care homes, the government is considering amending the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This would mean older adult care home providers could only use those staff who have received the Covid-19 vaccination (or those with a legitimate medical exemption) in line with government guidance. The deadline for responding to the consultation is 21 May 2021.

• Consultation
• Department of Health and Social Care - consultations