COVID-19: FUNDING

Below is a helpful table which indicates the different funding streams available:

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	√	√	Capacity Tracker completed at least weekly ICF Spend Tracker completed monthly (15^th)	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	√	√	Capacity Tracker Completed at least weekly RTF Spend Tracker completed monthly (15^th)	2/12/20 to 31/3/21
We have been made aware that this letter has gone out to providers via Hertfordshire County Council. Please click here to read the key highlights: Adult Social Care Rapid Testing Fund Additional Allocation for Care Homes
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 15^th April detailing actual spend and outcomes that have been delivered or funds will need to be repaid.					16/1/21 to 31/3/21
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

Uplift letters for Adult Disability Service market

These letters have been sent out via commissioning to the Adult Disability commissioned providers. Copies are below.

» Providers of Residential Care for Adults with Disabilities
» All Community Opportunity Providers
» Providers of Supported Living for Adults with Disabilities

Rapid Test Funds for Residential Care Homes

Latest Infection Control Funding letters here

» Download and read the urgent letter from HCC

Read the important letters relevant to your services below regarding the Infection Control Fund (ICF)

Community Services

Care Home Services

Small Providers

ICF Additional Allocation for Small Providers – 08/03/2021

» Read the latest correspondence

Workforce Capacity Fund (WCF): Providers must apply by 5th March

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 15^th 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 5^th 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.

Funding