Health and social work services

Tender description

The Adult Social Care Winter Plan was published on 18 September, setting out our plan for the next phase of the Covid-19 response and to achieve this, working alongside local authorities, social care providers and the NHS. In order to protect the vulnerable from Covid-19, the plan includes a commitment to deliver a designation scheme with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of premises for people leaving hospital who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are transferring to a care home. This procurement seeks to form an extension of, and enhancement to, the current health and social care system through entering into a block purchasing agreement that will offer additional and fixed capacity for eligible adults within a registered care home setting. This applies to care homes who provide accommodation for people who need personal or nursing care. This includes registered residential care and nursing homes for older people, people with dementia, and people with learning disabilities, mental health and/or other disabilities and older people. These individuals must be admitted into appropriate designated settings i.e.: that have the policies, procedures, equipment and training in place to maintain infection control and support the care needs of residents) and cared for there for the remainder of the required isolation period. These designated settings will need to be inspected by CQC to meet the latest CQC infection prevention control standards. The designation scheme does not apply to the following cohorts: — people who have contracted Covid-19 within the care home setting — there is no requirement to transfer Covid-19 positive residents from a care home into designated accommodation, as long as safe isolation and care is being maintained; — people using emergency departments who have not been admitted to hospital do not need to be transferred into designated accommodation; — people living in their own home, including sheltered and extra care housing or living in supported living do not need to be transferred from hospital into designated accommodation.