Providers of Health and Social Care will know that since the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic local authorities have been collecting data on services via the Capacity Tracker. This was to support the commissioning of services and management of risk at local, regional and national levels.

At the current time there is little standardisation of information collected. The government’s health and social care data strategy “Data saves lives: reshaping health and social care with date” sets out a vision of transformation in adult social care data so that people who draw on support have access to information and can make informed decisions.

From 31^st July 2022 the department of health will mandate a core set of data which providers have up to now been submitting through the capacity tracker. This information will be collected form provided on a monthly basis. Providers are required to update their data by the end of the 14^th day of each month. The first set of monthly data will be due to be submitted by 14^th August 2022.

The capacity tracker will have data required by local authorities in addition to mandatory information required by the department of health. The mandatory data for care homes includes:

·       care home bed vacancies:

·       maximum capacity

·       occupied or used

·       (vacant) reserved

·       (vacant) accepting admissions

·       (vacant) not available for admission – reasons bed not available (mandatory from 16 September 2022)

·       workforce resourcing including absences:

·       total headcount of directly employed registered nurses

·       total headcount of directly employed care providing staff

·       total headcount of directly employed non-care providing staff

·       total headcount of agency or bank registered nurses

·       total headcount of agency or bank care providing staff

·       total headcount of agency or bank non-care providing staff

·       number of directly employed registered nurses absent, COVID-19 related

·       number of directly employed care providing staff absent, COVID-19 related

·       number of directly employed non-care providing staff absent, COVID-19 related

·       number of directly employed registered nurses absent, not COVID-19 related

·       number of directly employed care providing staff absent, not COVID-19 related

·       number of directly employed non-care providing staff absent, not COVID-19 related

·       COVID-19 vaccination:

·       number of directly employed staff known to have had the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

·       number of directly employed staff known to have had the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

·       number of directly employed staff known to have had the COVID-19 vaccination booster in the UK

·       number of directly employed staff self-certifying as being fully vaccinated abroad

·       number of agency or bank staff known to have had the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

·       number of agency or bank staff known to have had the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

·       number of agency or bank staff known to have had the COVID-19 vaccination booster in the UK

·       number of agency or bank staff self-certifying as being fully vaccinated abroad

·       number of residents known to have had the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

·       number of residents known to have had the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

·       number of residents known to have had the COVID-19 vaccination booster in the UK

·       number of residents known to have had the second COVID-19 vaccination booster in the UK

·       flu vaccination (seasonal: 1 September to 31 March):

·       number of directly employed staff known to have received this season’s flu vaccination

·       number of agency or bank staff known to have received this season’s flu vaccination

·       number of residents known to have received this season’s flu vaccination

·       visiting:

·       if residents have been able to take part in visits in and/or out of the care home

·       the visiting options currently being supported

·        

From September 2022 it is recognised that the vaccination policy will include the launch of the autumn booster campaign and there will be a change to the Covid-19 vaccination questions form September onwards. Care home providers will have a new set of data to report upon from October 2022:

·       number of directly employed staff known to have received a full primary course of the COVID-19 vaccination

·       number of agency or bank staff known to have received a full primary course of the COVID-19 vaccination

·       number of residents known to have received a full primary course of the COVID-19 vaccination

·       number of directly employed staff known to have received an autumn booster*

·       number of agency or bank staff known to have received an autumn booster*

·       number of residents staff known to have received an autumn booster*

For domiciliary care providers, COVID-19 vaccination questions will be replaced with:

·       number of staff known to have received a full primary course of the COVID-19 vaccination

·       number of staff known to have received an autumn booster*

It is believed that the collection of this information from providers will assist local and central government with:

·       supporting efficient commissioning and systems assurance

·       managing national, regional and local risks

·       assisting with evolving situations, like COVID-19

·       ultimately, helping to facilitate the care of individuals

To read the guidance in full please visit: Adult social care provider information provisions: guidance for providers on data collection - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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