COVID-19: FUNDING
Fund Name | Care Homes | Community | Care Market | HCC Commissioned Providers (HCC Clients) |
Requirements | Dates |
Infection Control 2 (ICF2) Staffing costs associated with infection control (See Table in Appendix 1) |
£427 per Bed x2 |
£140 per client x2 |
√ | √ |
|
1/10/20 to 31/3/21 |
PPE Portal | PPE Supplies ordered by Providers | √ | √ | |||
Additional Financial Support (for PPE not available from the portal and reasonable costs above that funded by ICF2) |
On a claim basis – Provider additional claim form to be completed and submitted monthly |
|
√ | To 31/3/21 (proposal to extend to July 21) | ||
Rapid Testing Fund (RTF) Additional Staffing costs associated with LFTs |
£286 per Bed |
£100 per client For Supported Living, Flexicare and Day Care only |
√ | √ |
|
2/12/20
to
31/3/21 |
We have been made aware that this letter has gone out to providers via Hertfordshire County Council. |
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Workforce Capacity Fund |
Strand 1 – Is an emergency pool which is limited in size and focused on responding to extreme situations that may place individuals at risk if not resolved. It also acts as HCC resource to ensure that its statutory responsibilities under the Care Act are delivered in such circumstances. Access to this pool is determined by HCC leads on the outbreak cell and there is a clear escalation process within that structure. If however, you feel you do need more general support (but not a crisis) then please contact assistance@hcpa.co.uk and HCPA can link you into the recruitment team who will be able to find you new staff, this will save you in recruitment costs. Strand 2 – If providers are able to increase capacity in their own workforce either with overtime or moving people from part time to full time or bring extra staff in, then you are able to give HCC a proposal by submitting a funding request template. This funding cannot be used to cover additional staffing costs already covered by the ICF2 or the RTF above. Please do be aware that any request will need to comply with the conditions of the grant and must deliver measures to supplement and strengthen adult social care staff capacity to ensure that safe and continuous care is achieved to deliver the outcomes detailed below. A final claim form must be submitted by 15th April detailing actual spend and outcomes that have been delivered or funds will need to be repaid. |
16/1/21
to
31/3/21 |
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Care Providers in Financial Difficulty | Contact acscommissioning.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk or assistance@hcpa.co.uk if any further support required to discuss the circumstances in which the council may be able to support |
» Providers of Residential Care for Adults with Disabilities
» All Community Opportunity Providers
» Providers of Supported Living for Adults with Disabilities
Read the important letters relevant to your services below regarding the Infection Control Fund (ICF)
Community Services
- ICF Additional Allocation for Community Services – 08/03/2021
- For HCC non-contracted CQC regulated Community Care Providers [.PDF]
- For HCC contracted Community Care Providers [.PDF]
- ICF Spend Tracker – Community Providers [.XLS]
Care Home Services
- ICF Additional Allocation for Care Home Services – 08/03/2021
- For HCC non-contracted Care Homes [.PDF]
- For HCC contracted Care Home Providers [.PDF]
- ICF Spend Tracker – Care Home Providers [.XLS]
Small Providers
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) are trying to make the very best use of the Workforce Funding and while they have set aside some money for emergency crisis staffing centrally, they are now able to offer providers who have had difficulties with workforce funding the opportunity to put in a claim from this fund. Please use the form attached – if you are successful in your request HCC will ask you to invoice them for the amount agreed.
In addition, you will need to complete a final claim template (similar to the one attached) to confirm your actual spend and activity and submit that to ACS.CarePayments@hertfordshire.gov.uk by the 15th April 2021. Any unspent funds will need to be returned to HCC so that they can return them to the government, in line with the terms of the grant. Applications for funding will be assessed against the amount of the grant available and the clearly defined intent of the grant detailed below.
This funding is open to all types of CQC registered provider and services may be contracted to HCC or not to claim the funding.
The guidance for the grant details of the following:
Outcomes to be achieved by the Workforce Capacity Fund grant funding
This funding is to ensure that safe and continuous care is achieved to deliver the following outcomes:
- maintain care provision and continuity of care for recipients where pressing workforce shortages may put this at risk
- support providers to restrict staff movement in all but exceptional circumstances, which is critical for managing the risk of outbreaks and infection in Care Homes
- support safe and timely hospital discharges to a range of care environments, including Domiciliary care, to prevent or address delays as a result of workforce shortages
- enable Care providers to care for new service users where the need arises
The grant conditions also detail the following allowable uses of the funding
Incentivising take-up of additional hours
Local authorities and providers can maximise the capacity of existing social care staff by using this funding to:
- pay overtime rates to encourage staff to work shifts additional to their usual or contracted hours
- cover childcare costs to allow staff to take on hours they would usually be unable to work due to child caring responsibilities
- pay for care staff’s transportation between their home and place of work. This could involve paying for fuel costs or paying for private transport such as taxis. Staff should avoid lift sharing arrangements and travel solo in their own vehicle where possible
- enable care providers to alter shift patterns to allow for more flexible working patterns that increase the number of hours able to be worked by staff
- enable care providers to overstaff at pinch points to lessen the impact of any staff absences should they arise
- enable care providers to provide payment in lieu of annual leave in excess of the statutory minimum entitlement only, to increase the number of staff working during the period up to 31 March 2021
It may also be helpful for care providers to note that the Working Time Regulations 1998 were amended in March 2020 to enable workers to carry forward their statutory leave into their next two leave years where it is not reasonably practicable for a worker to take some or all of their leave as a result of the effects of coronavirus.
Payments to Providers (Only available to CQC registered Care Providers)
Local authorities must only transfer this funding to a care provider on condition that the recipient provider:
- uses it only for measures that deliver additional staffing capacity and are in accordance with the grant conditions
- will return any grant amount to the local authority that is not spent on those measures
- if requested to do so, will provide the local authority or Department with relevant information to evidence that the funding has been spent in accordance with the measures outlined in the Grant Determination and Grant Conditions
- will, by request, provide the department or local authority with an explanation of any matter relating to funding and its use for the purposes of being assured that the money has been used in an appropriate way
Please fill in the form and return to ACS.CarePayments@hertfordshire.gov.uk no later than 5th March.
HCC would like to advise you that this tight timescale and window of opportunity is due to the grant timescales and cannot be changed.