The government’s Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund is worth £600 million to the social care sector, but how can operators ensure that the scheme works effectively for them?
In our latest video, Healthcare Management Solutions CEO Tony Stein and Monica Macheng, Partner at Bevan Brittan LLP, discuss the benefits and challenges presented by the scheme.
The fund, set up by the UK government, is intended to help operators manage infection control within their care settings. Although the idea was initially well-received, conditions for using the fund and how it is accessed have caused issues.
Monica Macheng, Partner at Bevan Brittan LLP, said; “The intention of the grant was to get the money to operators as quickly as possible. But I think some of the measures that come with the funding just means that those time scales start to look more and more unrealistic for a lot of operators and also local authorities.”
What Can the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund be used for?
The government has set out specific measures which the grants are allocated to support. All of these are designed to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in and between care homes. Some of the measures are also designed to help support the vital teams that work in care homes. For instance, one measure is to help operators ensure that staff who are isolating continue to receive their full wage.
The measures also include support for assisting staff with the practicalities of attending their place of work. As Tony Stein, CEO of Healthcare Management Solutions, explains; “We’re allowed to spend money on bicycles so staff don’t have to travel on public transport. So we’re making contributions to our staff to buy bicycles and pay for taxis.”
Healthcare Management Solutions has also been looking at innovative ways to implement infection control procedures when visiting resumes at care homes. Tony Stein said; “We’re actually buying gazebos so that when we’re allowed to let visitors into the homes, we can do that outside in a comfortable environment. That makes it easier for us to control infection from outside during visiting when that starts to become more possible.”
Advice on How to Get the Most from the Fund
In the video, Tony Stein and Monica Macheng explain some of the finer points surrounding the measures and the challenges operators have faced trying to access the fund. Tony also has some excellent advice to ensure operators can fully benefit from the scheme. You can watch the full video below.
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