Organisations will need to consider their individual circumstances and operating model. If you are running more like a residential facility the Care Home guidance will be more applicable, if your staff are travelling around between services it is best to use the Domiciliary guidance and it you are a smaller sheltered housing or supported living services with separated flats utilise the Non Healthcare Setting guidance. Providers will need to consider how to operationalise recommendations according to their individual circumstances. Please find links below.
- Non-Health Care Setting guidance
- Domiciliary Care– How to work Safely in Domiciliary Care
Additional resources for Domiciliary care: - Care Homes – How to work Safely in Care Homes
View the new letters from Public Health England for Residential settings and a letter for Homecare, which you can share with families if your staff are concerned that families may be flouting the guidance or making it more difficult for you to manage infection control.
» See the Residential letter here
» See the Homecare letter here
Additional Guidance for Supported Living Providers to consider
Cleaning and Waste Management-
| What should we be doing with waste for suspected cases in Homecare and Supported Living? | If client/patient is suspected/confirmed to have Covid 19 then waste should be double bagged. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within the room. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being disposed of as normal. Waste will include PPE used and also personal waste (such as used tissues, continence pads and other items soiled with bodily fluids) and disposable cleaning cloths. |
| Why are you required to label and date laundry? | Linen must be laundered in line with local policy for infectious linen. All linen bags must be stored in a designated safe lockable area whilst awaiting laundering. Attention must be given to placing the linen in a red soluble bag and then placing in an impermeable or nylon polyester bag, the outer bag must state “infectious linen”. If linen is sent to an off-site laundry, the laundry should be made aware of its nature, and written guidelines should be agreed and followed regarding its transportation and handling – This would include details of labelling the linen
» View the supporting PDF for Social Care here |
| When is a deep clean needed and what does this entail? | Frequent cleaning of well used touch points along with the communal areas of the home, resident’s bedrooms, staff rooms general surfaces and equipment must take place during the course of an outbreak. When an outbreak is declared to be over then a post outbreak deep clean can take place. This would usually commence 14 days post the last new case but here discussions must take place with HPT prior to any decisions being made.
Care homes should have access to cleaning manuals – these must include the specifications of how items and areas are routinely cleaned. A combined detergent/disinfectant solution at a dilution of 1,000ppm available chlorine or a general-purpose neutral detergent in a solution of warm water followed by a disinfectant solution of 1,000ppm can be used (follow the manufacturers recommendations on dilution, making and storage). » View the supporting PDF for reducing the risk of transmission here The post outbreak deep clean should start from the least affected area/unit of the home progressing to the most affected area/unit. Once the post outbreak deep clean has been completed nominated staff members should spot check the cleaning standards prior to sign off.
» View the supporting PDF for managing outbreaks in acute and community settings here See attached document which could be used by care homes as a framework to build upon following an outbreak situation |
Taking Daily Temperatures of Staff – Where possible good practice is to take temperatures of staff on a daily basis this will help spot possible signs of COVID-19 infection and reduce the risk of spread. Any temperature over 37.8 could be a symptom and clinical guidance will need to be followed and and staff may need to self-isolate