Adult Social Care Providers and Personal Assistants

Financial Assistance

Infection control support for care homes

On 14th May the Minister for Care, Helen Whately, wrote to all Councils, including Rotherham Council, to outline the requirements needed to support homes to stop the spread of Covid-19

The Minister for Care acknowledged that councils and health partners are already working with care homes in their area to support them to manage the unique pressures that Covid-19 has placed upon them. She outlined the process required by Government to establish a clear understanding of the level of implementation in every care home across England, and to identify any issues in local areas and further support needs.

Council Chief Executive Officers with social care responsibilities were required to work with health system partners to agree a return by 29 May 2020 consisting of:

  • a letter that sets out a short overview of their current activity and forward plan;
  • a short template that confirms the current level of access to the support offer.
  • confirmation that Councils are carrying out a daily review of the local care market (including all relevant data, especially on care homes), and taking actions immediately where necessary to support them.

Letter from Chief Executive regarding Resilience Plan

Completed Care Home Resilience Template

Rotherham Councils response is as follows

Financial Assistance

Additional £600m of Government Funding to support providers through a new ‘Infection Control Fund’

In May ROUND 1 of the fund was designed to support adult social care providers to reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes and support wider workforce resilience. The fund was allocated to local authorities in addition to the funding already provided to support adult social care sector during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The allocation for Rotherham was £3,008,676 based on the total number of Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care home beds in the borough as of May 2020 with an area cost adjustment applied by Government.

See Round 1 Infection Control Grants given to Rotherham Care Homes

See Round 1 Infection Control Grants given to Rotherham Domiciliary Care and Supported Living

ROUND 2 Infection Control Fund - October 2020

The Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund was first introduced in May 2020. The purpose of this fund is to support adult social care providers, including those with whom the local authority does not have a contract, to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission within and between care settings, in particular by helping to reduce the need for staff movements between sites.

The Government announced on 1st October that the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund has been extended until March 2021, with an extra £546 million of national funding. This is a new grant, with revised conditions from the original Infection Control Fund.

Rotherham has been allocated a total of £2,733,864 in the second round of funding, 80% of which is to be allocated to care homes and community care providers on a per bed and per service user basis respectively within a prescribed national grant allocation formula.

Local authorities must use 20% of the funding to support the sector to put in place other COVID-19 infection control measures, but this can be allocated at their discretion. The specific use of the remaining 20% funding will be determined by the Council’s Cabinet in accordance with the specified grant conditions.

Payment of 80% of the Infection Control Grant will be made subject to the grant conditions and completion of a monthly return to RMBC indicating monthly spend and, for care homes, is contingent on completion of the NHS Capacity Tracker weekly and for community care providers (domiciliary care and supported living) contingent on completion of the CQC Covid-19 Survey weekly until 31st March 2021.

See Round 2 Infection Control Grants given to Care Homes.

See Round 2 Infection Control Grants given to Community Care Providers

Financial Assistance to support Adult Social Care Providers respond to Covid-19

See support and funds given to Contracted and Non-Contracted Adult Social Care Providers here.

Financial support for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Organisations to respond to Coronavirus (Covid-19)

The government has pledged £750 million to ensure VCSE can continue their vital work supporting the country during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including £200 million for the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, along with an additional £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts.

Guidence on Coronavirus Community Support Funds

Rapid Test Fund January 2021

Rotherham Council has received £740,833 from the Government’s Rapid Test Fund and as per the Government’s instruction, 80% of this funding is being passed to care homes across the Borough. Care homes have been allocated their share on a per bed basis. This funding is being paid in a single instalment on 3rd February 2021 and can be used to cover expenditure from 2 December 2020 to 31 March 2021, any funding that remains unspent at this point will be reclaimed and returned to the DHSC.

View Rapid Test Fund allocation to care homes.

Payment is being made subject to the grant conditions and completion of a monthly return to RMBC indicating monthly spend and is contingent on completion of the NHS Capacity Tracker weekly.

The fund is only intended to support additional rapid testing using LFDs. Existing regular PCR testing for staff and residents must continue as per care home COVID-19 testing guidance for staff and residents.

Local authorities must use 20% of the funding to support the social care sector in relation to rapid testing but this can be allocated at their discretion. The specific use of the remaining 20% funding will be determined by the Council’s Cabinet in accordance with the specified grant conditions.

Adult Social Care Infection Control and Testing Fund - April 2021

The Infection Control Fund and the Rapid Testing Fund funding streams have been consolidated by Government and extended until June 2021

Local authorities have been requested to pass on 70% of the new IPC allocation to care homes on a ‘per beds’ basis, and CQC-regulated community care providers on a ‘per user’ basis; and 60% of the new rapid testing allocation to care homes on a ‘per beds’ basis.

The Council is distributing funds totalling £1,125,644 as follows:

Extension to Adult Social Care Infection Control and Testing Fund - July 2021

he Infection Control Fund and the Rapid Testing Fund funding streams have been extended until September 2021.

Local authorities have been requested to pass on 70% of the new IPC allocation to care homes on a ‘per beds’ basis, and CQC-regulated community care providers on a ‘per user’ basis; and 70% of the new rapid testing allocation to care homes on a ‘per beds’ basis.

A proportion (£39,549) of the 30% discretionary element of the RTF Community Care Funding was also allocated to CQC Regulated Community Care Providers on a ‘per user’ basis.

The Council is distributing funds totalling £909,441as follows: