Overview
Regularly updated guidance and information can be found on this website and at:
- Interactive COVID-19 data for charities and funders
- The Care Provider Alliance’s COVID-19 Resources Page
- The government’s COVID-19 advice page
- The government’s Social Care Guidance Portal
- Social Care Winter Plan
- Social Care Taskforce Report
- COVID-19 information governance advice
The tabs at the top of this page contain more specific pieces of information and guidance which you need to know. Please note those who are shielding because they are extremely vulnerable (updated 18.11.20) have further specific guidance.
If you have any questions about guidance or have questions for DHSC about COVID-19 please let us know at [email protected] and we will seek a response.
We are also working closely with other members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Adult Social Care (APPG) to influence parliamentarians.
Guidance on lockdown, social distancing and easements:
- COVID-19 Winter Plan – 23.11.20
- New Tier System Summary – 23.11.20
- Lockdown 2 Restrictions – updated 20.11.20
PHE, DHSC & NHS are developing guidance for a variety of professional groups on handling the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in the UK. This section gives a quick overview of guidance. Please see the tabs at the top of the page for further information and guidance.
Overview of Guidance and Important Information
- COVID-19 Winter Grant Scheme – 23.11.20
- Safer Travel Guidance for Passengers – Updated 20.11.20
- Social Care Winter Plan– updated 20.11.20
- Guidance for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for employers here and employees here Updated 19.11.20
- Guidance on steps to take before claiming through fulough scheme – Updated 19.11.20
- Guidance on accessing testing – Updated 19.11.20
- PPE Portal (Clipper) – Updated 19.11.20
- Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS test and Trace – updated 19.11.20
- Flu immunisation guidance for social care staff and providers – 19.11.20
- Pulse oximetry to detect early deterioration of patients with COVID-19 in primary and community care settings – updated 19.11.20
- Guidance for people receiving direct payments – Updated 18.11.20
- Guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities – Updated 17.11.20
- List of LRF and LA contacts – updated 16.11.20
- Step by step guide to Job Retention Scheme – Updated 13.11.20
- Key Workers: Guidance for who constitutes key workers & Guidance for parents and carers – Updated 12.11.20
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): looking after people who lack mental capacity (DoLS) – Updated 11.11.20
- Working safely during COVID-19 – Updated 11.11.20
- FAQs on Designation Scheme – 11.11.20
- Testing Privacy Notice – with details about home testing – Updated 11.11.20
- Guidance for managing a funeral during the coronavirus pandemic – updated 10.11.20
- SSP Guidance: How to claim SSP paid to employees – Updated 10.11.20
- Infection Control Fund Round 2 Grant Conditions – updated 9.11.20
- Supporting people outside of their home – updated 6.11.20
- Guidance on ‘Visiting arrangements in care homes for the period of national restrictions’. Updated 5.11.20
- CPA Visitors’ Protocol – updated 5.11.20
- NHS Test and Trace in the workplace – updated 5.11.20
- Guidance for care staff supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults – 5.11.20
- Guidance for those providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults – 5.11.20
- Guidance for providers of services for people who use drugs and alcohol – updated 5.11.20
- Supported Living Guidance – updated 5.11.20
- Guidance for public mental health and wellbeing – updated 4.11.20
- Admissions to care home guidance– Updated 4.11.20
- Face Coverings – Updated 4.11.20
- Guidance on the provision of home care – updated 4.11.20
- How to work safely in care homes – Updated 2.11.20
- How to work safely in domiciliary care – Updated 2.11.20
- Guidance for hostels or day centres for people rough sleeping – Updated 30.10.20
- Launch of Kickstart Scheme – updated 30.10.20
- DHSC PPE Q&A – 23.10.20
- Royal College of Physicians: Advice and guidance on discharging to care homes – 22.10.20
- Guidance on PPE & Infection Prevention and control guidance -Updated 20.10.20
- Designation Scheme Information – 13.10.20
- Provision of night shelters – 13.10.20
- Social Care Taskforce Report – 12.10.20
- Test and Trace Guidance – Updated 8.10.20
- NCF Analysis of ICF Round 2 grant conditions – 1.10.20
- Antibody testing programme – Updated 1.10.20
- PPE Strategy – updated 29.9.20
- Management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings – updated 28.9.20
- Winter Economy Plan – 24.9.20
- Guidance for first responders and those in close contact with symptomatic people – Updated 22.9.20
- NCF Analysis of Social Care Taskforce Recommendations versus Winter Plan – 21.9.20
- Infection Control Fund Information – updated 21.9.20
- £500 for those with low incomes asked to self-isolate – 20.9.20
- Social Care Workers Flu Immunisation Campaign – 17.9.20
- NHS Test and Trace QR Codes – Advice for NHS and care homes – 21.9.20
- Letter from Stuart Miller (DHSC) to care sector about rising cases – 11.9.20
- Expansion of saliva testing trials and wider capacity – 3.9.20
- Reuse of medicines in a care home or hospice – Updated 2.9.20
- Care Act Easements: guidance for local authorities – updated 1.9.20
- Social Landlords and Moving House – updated 29.8.20
- Six-month Notice Period – 28.9.20
- Guidance for public health officers: potentially infectious persons– updated 26.8.20
- Self-isolating after returning to the UK: your employment rights – 14.8.20
- Guidance for young carers and young adult carers – updated 13.8.20
- Guidance on providing unpaid care to friends and family – updated 13.8.20
- Guidance on Primary Care Standard Operating Procedures – updated 11.8.20
- Restoration of Community Health Services – updated 10.8.20
- Stop using Randox Testing Kits – updated 8.8.20
- NCF Analysis of Supported Living Guidance – 6.8.20
- Points-Based Immigration System – Updated 4.8.20
- Announcement of rapid 90-minute saliva testing – 3.8.20
- Letter from DHSC Revision of Whole Homes Testing Schedule – 31.7.20
- Testing Matrix – 31.7.20
- Health and Care workers to self-isolate on return from high-risk countries – Updated 31.7.20
- PPE illustrated guide for community and social care settings – 31.7.20
- Guidance for care of the deceased with suspected or confirmed coronavirus – updated 31.7.20
- Self-isolation for health and social care workers returning to UK from high risk countries – 31.7.20
- NHS Test & Trace Business Plan – 30.7.20
- Extension of self-isolation period – 30.7.20
- Letter from Minister for Care about infection control fund – 29.7.20
- Revised testing factsheet – 27.7.20
- CPA Business Continuity Guidance – Updated 24.7.20
- CPA Guidance on EU Settlement Scheme – 24.7.20
- Expansion of Flu Vaccination programme – 24.7.20
- NCF Analysis of visitor to care home guidance – 22.7.20
- CQC Provider Collaboration Reviews – 16.7.20
- Testing in Care Homes: DHSC Stats – 16.7.20
- Delay of LPS – 16.7.20
- SCIE Guidance on best interests decisions and DoLs – 16.7.20
- Cleaning of non-Healthcare settings – 15.7.20
- Making your own face coverings – 15.7.20
- Anthony Collins briefing on Shielding Guidance – 14.7.20
- CPA Briefing on NHS Responders Programme – 14.7.20
- Risk Reduction Framework – 10.7.20
- Care Home Support: Council Transparency Data – 9.7.20
- Purchasing medical devices for social care MHRA – 9.7.20
- Dom Care COVID-19 prevalence survey – 9.7.20
- Care Home Support Package+MSC Letter-Updated 9.7.20
- Chancellor’s Summer Financial Statement – 8.7.20
- CQC rapid reviews of local areas response – 8.7.20
- Guidance on steps to take following the death of a person working in social care + bereavement resources – Updated 7.7.20
- Extension of Tax Cut to VAT until end of October – 3.7.20
- Announcement of re-testing for care homes – 3.7.20
- DHSC letter – New Testing Strategy – 3.7.20
- Local Outbreaks Plans Explainer – 3.7.20
- Unlocking Lockdown for day centres – 3.7.20
- Guidance for taking swab samples – 2.7.20
- Exceedances in Leicester – 2.7.20
- Top Tips for Tricky Times – series of crib sheets to support care homes – 2.7.20
- Guidance on safeguarding adults with dementia – July 2020
- Cardinal Mask Recall – 26.6.20
- NCF’s analysis of admission to care home guidance – 19.6.20
- Letter to social housing residents – 19.6.20
- CPA Briefing note on infection control grant reporting – 12.6.20
- HSE warning on KN95 Masks – 11.6.20
- Transport and Travel Guidance – 11.6.20
- Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund – Updated 8.6.20
- Expansion of whole home testing – 5.6.20
- Infection Control Grant FAQs – 5.6.20
- Guidance note for local authority commissioners – updated 4.6.20
- Accessing nurses redeployed to social care – Updated 2.6.20
- BGS Good Practice Guide on managing the COVID-19 pandemic in care homes – Updated 2.6.20
- Letter from DHSC about Test and Trace for social care workers – 29.5.20
- CQC interim guidance on DBS and other recruitment checks -29.5.20
- Join Social Care Recruitment Platform – 28.5.20
- CQC Guidance on Mental Capacity Act -Updated 26.5.20
- FAQ on LA Care Home Support Planning – 22.5.20
- Note on the Capacity Tracker – 22.5.20
- Protocol for care homes and funeral directors – 21.5.20
- Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Package for Social Care Staff – 15.5.20
- CPA Briefing: Insurance, Risk and Liabilities – 15.5.20
- Guidance for charitable homelessness and rough sleeping organisations – 14.5.20
- Guidance on safeguarding in faith-based organisations – 13.5.20
- Letter from Rosamond Roughton – Roll out of whole care home testing – 13.5.20
- Guidance on dementia in care homes and COVID-19 – 12.5.20
- Advance Care Plan guidance and editable template–11.5.20
- The government’s Health and wellbeing of the adult social care workforce – 11.05.20
- DHSC Response to deaths of workers in social care + process for reporting – 11.5.20
- New Testing Route Announced by Minister for Care– 7.5.20
- Verification of Death in Times of Emergency – 5.5.20
- Bounce Back Loans – 4.5.20
- Managing a Fall that may require an ambulance during COVID-19 – 4.5.20
- Guidance on Priority Medicines for Palliative and End of Life Care During a Pandemic – 1.5.20
- CQC Emergency Support Framework – 1.5.20
- NICE Rapid Guidelines – Managing symptoms (including at the end of life) in the community – 30.4.20
- HMT & DHSC: The Furlough Scheme and Adult Social Care -Updated 27.4.20
- Guidance for Remote Verification of Expected Death – 24.4.20
- Guidance for those involved in managing COVID-19 deaths – 21.4.20
- Joint statement on Data Collection and Trackers – 17.4.20
- Social Care Action Plan – updated 16.4.20
- PPE Plan – Updated 15.4.20
- DHSC’s letter about the Parallel Supply Chain – 1.4.20
- Joint Statement: Supporting disabled people through the coronavirus outbreak – 31.3.20
- Text, Explanatory Notes and Summary of The Coronavirus Bill – 26.3.20
- DHSC’s ethical framework for adult social care – 19.3.20
- Resources such as leaflets, posters, guides and resource packs can be found here.
- Helix Centre end of life care toolkits for carers at home
- RCGP COVID19 Resource Hub
- Association of Palliative Medicine – COVID-19 and Palliative, End of Life and Bereavement Care in Secondary Care – Role of the specialty and guidance to aid care.
- The Care Policy and Evaluation Centre at LSE and the International Long Term Policy Network have produced a resource hub of materials on social care and COVID-19 from around the world. Read more here