An army of volunteers could be needed this winter to tackle rising staff shortages in care homes fuelled by the looming requirement for all care home workers to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus, providers have said.

Robert Booth www.theguardian.com 

As the health secretary, Sajid Javid, urged care workers to book their jabs in time to meet the 11 November deadline for all staff in registered care homes in England to be fully vaccinated, the Independent Care Group said operators could be forced to hand back contracts to councils or close care homes and relocate residents because of a staffing crisis, exacerbated by ongoing vaccine hesitancy among a minority of staff. It is leading calls for retired nurses, doctors, carers, to be trained and DBS-checked to fill vacancies in case of a feared “winter meltdown” in staff numbers.

One in five workers on the books of a care worker agency in Sheffield are declining the vaccine, according to Nicola Richards, the director of Palms Row Healthcare. She also reported an “alarming” drop in the number of workers signing up, with many put off by the “no jab, no job” policy. She has been unable to provide temporary staff to some clients in recent weeks.

The government last month calculated that in a worst-case scenario as many as 68,000 care workers – up to 12% – could be lost as a result of the decision to make vaccination a condition of employment in care homes. A more likely prediction is 40,000, but care managers say that even small numbers of people refusing the vaccine will impact services because rotas are already threadbare, with well over 100,000 vacancies in the sector.

A survey at the weekend of care home managers by the Institute of Health and Social Care Management found 58% of operators believed they would have to lay off at least some staff by 11 November based on current rates of vaccination. More than a quarter (28%) of the 681 care operators who responded said they had already lost up to five staff. Three said they had lost more than 20 each.

Job adverts seeking replacements sometimes produce no applicants for posts that are highly demanding but pay on average just £8.50 an hour. Calls for a cash boost from the government to increase wages have so far gone unheeded. Post-Brexit restrictions on recruiting abroad had also compounded problems, operators said.

“We need some urgent funding to be put in place, like the government did with infection control, to enable providers to address pay within the sector and help them to recruit, because staff shortages are now becoming critical,” said Mike Padgham, the chair of the Independent Care Group. “Just when we need to recruit more people, [the government] put a block on it. It is like you are having to fight the pandemic and the government at the same time.”

HC-One, the largest private provider, is this week writing to all unvaccinated staff urging them to get their first jab by 16 September.

“It’s absolutely terrifying to think of what we have with winter pressure coming,” said Richards, who operates two care homes. “Over the last four weeks we have seen the staff challenges we had last April when we were hit hard [by the first wave of the pandemic].”

Workers were still citing beliefs over the vaccines’ impact on fertility, but Richards said many were refusing because they objected to social care being the only part of the health system where vaccination was being made a condition of employment. The latest available data, from June, showed that in London almost a quarter of staff were completely unvaccinated while across England the figure was 16%.

Richards called for the government to ease rules on recruitment from abroad after her fast-track application to bring in workers from countries like India was rejected. She will have to wait up to 12 weeks to find out if she can fill vacancies internationally.

On Monday Javid said in a message to care operators that vaccination “remains the most important tool for protecting your physical health and the health of the people you care for”. He said: “The ‘vaccination as a condition of deployment’ grace period ends 11 November this year, so if you haven’t booked your first or second dose, please do so as soon as you can.”

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is our responsibility to do everything we can to reduce the risk for the most vulnerable and, following extensive public consultation, we have taken an approach that reflects the experiences and concerns of both providers and people living and working in care homes.

“We continue to work with the care sector to encourage all adult social care staff to get vaccinated in local areas where vaccine uptake is lower so care homes are able to comply with the new regulations.”

A report last night pointed out that the Covid infection rates in the whole of Cornwall and in parts of Devon are now higher than some “red” list countries! – Owl

Holidaymakers visiting the English Riviera are being urged to take a lateral flow test before they arrive as ‘Covid-19 has not gone on holiday’.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

While visitors to Torbay and Devon are being welcomed by tourist boards, local authorities, and public health teams, a request has been made to make sure that anyone taking a trip doesn’t bring Covid-19 with them.

Rates in Devon are among the very highest in England, with all ten districts inside the top 14 of the 315 lower tier local authority areas, and neighbouring Cornwall at the very top of the list.

Mike Wade, Deputy Regional Director and NHS Regional Director of Public Health from Public Health England South West, told a media briefing on Wednesday that ‘Covid-19 has not gone on holiday’ and anyone with symptoms should be staying at home and getting tested.

And a spokesman to Torbay Council confirmed that they were joining other authorities who had asked anyone visiting the region to take a lateral flow test before doing so.

They said: “We welcome holidaymakers back into Torbay this summer and need everyone to play their part in keeping the area safe for us all.

“We urge everyone to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. If potential visitors develop symptoms suggestive of Covid-19 or are a close contact of a confirmed case we advise them not to travel until they have a negative PCR test. As with Torbay residents, we recommend visitors take twice weekly lateral flow (LFD) tests and do a test before travelling.

“Everyone is urged to wear a face covering in enclosed and crowded places, and to respect requests by business owners to do so. Please make space and check in with the Covid-19 app when visiting venues.

“Visitors can find information on where to collect LFD tests while visiting or book a PCR test if they develop symptoms or are identified as a close contact of a positive case, on our website at www.torbay.gov.uk/coronavirus.”

The Cornish tourist board had already asked holidaymakers not to visit without taking a Covid test, amid a rise in cases in the county.

Chief executive of Visit Cornwall Malcolm Bell told the PA news agency: “We are asking people not to come unless they have booked ahead and request they take a lateral flow test before, during and after (their) stay so that (people) can be safe and help us to manage the current spike.”

At the briefing, Mr Wade added: “Covid-19 has not gone on holiday and with a bank holiday and day-trippers, they need to protect themselves and others from Covid-19. Visitors should take a Lateral Flow Test before setting off, and if you have symptoms, you should be staying home and not travelling and close contacts should be encouraged to get a PCR test.

“Visitors should avoid queuing and pre-booking ahead for the activities that they want to do and pre-planning is important. We want visitors to know what to do if they become ill – where to get a PCR test, where they can self-isolate, or how to get home safely if they need to – and to wear face masks in busy indoor settings and to meet people outdoors if possible.”

He added that there had been a large influx of people to the region – ‘more than we expect to see in a normal season’ – and that people were opting to come to the South West rather than going overseas, and that rates were high in popular holiday destinations as a result of the mix of susceptible population and visitors driving up the rates.

And he said that it might not be for a further few weeks and when the holiday season is over before the high rates begin to reduce back down.

He added: “There will be a lag from when we start to see the impact and move out of the seasonal swell. We will see a slow down before a plateau, but then will probably see another spike as the young people take LFTs before going back to school, as rates are high in the 15-19s at the moment.

“We will see some turbulence but hopefully come mid-September we will start to see a stronger decline, but it is so hard to predict at the moment.”

Devon County Council added that they have throughout the summer months run a targeted social media campaign aimed at visitors/holidaymakers travelling into the county.

A spokesman added: “Those messages talk about the importance of taking regular lateral flow tests if asymptomatic (and point to our website for details of how and where they’re available), as well as the importance of wearing face coverings when indoors in public places; meeting outside where possible; and washing hands regularly.

“We’ve considered the impact of our messaging, and have not gone so far as to request holiday makers to take lateral flow tests before they come to Devon.”

Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, added: “We’re now seeing case rates rising again nationally. There are regional fluctuations, but the highest case rates are here in the South West.

“What we’re seeing now is not unexpected – with the removal of most restrictions and the opening up of opportunities for socialisation, positive cases are going to rise. Case rates are similarly high in other parts of the country that are popular to visit and where there’s a lot of socialisation, such as Blackpool, Isle of White, Bournemouth and Brighton.

“We should do everything we can to reduce the risk of transmission, to protect ourselves, our friends and families, but while people are not becoming as ill with the virus as they were, it’s a case of continuing to monitor the situation closely, and to be able to act quickly in response to any outbreaks of concern.”

It comes as all 10 areas of Devon have infection rates within the top 14 nationally at a lower tier authority level.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has England’s highest infection rate for the seven-day period up until August 20.

Sedgemoor sits second, with West Devon 3rd, Teignbridge 4th, Torbay 5th, South Hams 6th, Mid Devon 8th, East Devon 9th, Exeter 10th, Torridge 11th, North Devon 13th and Plymouth 14th.

In March 2013, Cllr. Graham Brown, Chair of East Devon Business Forum,  was uncovered by a Telegraph sting offering to get planning permission for cash. Last week former Mayor of Exmouth and recent town and district councillor until 2019, now alderman John Humphreys, was jailed for 21 years for serious sexual assaults dating back to the 1990s.

Whether or not a rotten apple taints the barrel, depends on how quickly and assiduously those in charge act to root out the problem, investigate and learn any lessons.

What those in authority have to demonstrate is integrity, transparency and candour. The long term reputation of the organisation depends on this.

Graham Brown 2013

In the case of Brown, he was thrown out of the Conservative party and, after a short delay, he resigned from the then Conservative controlled East Devon District Council (EDDC).

However, his case raised issues of corruption and how widespread that might have been. The “masterly inactivity” of the then Tory District Council in investigating his case is chronicled in this East Devon Watch post, published on the first anniversary of the Telegraph story breaking. 

 A police investigation eventually started after a 15 month delay, but fizzled out in November 2014 when Mark Williams reported to councillors in an e-mail of 12.11.2014 that the investigation “hasn’t identified (anything) worth pursuing”.

Just after that, at a meeting of the EDDC overview and scrutiny committee Tony Hogg, the then Conservative Police & Crime Commissioner spent an hour and a half batting away questions on the slowness of the police response.

“Nothing to see here” would seem to be a good summary of this episode. How can anyone have confidence in an organisation whose “Top Team” appeared, by inaction, to condone such behaviour? 

Perhaps this episode marked the point at which the Tories began to lose control of EDDC.

John Humphreys 2021

In the case of Humphrey, so far there is a distinct contrast. Cllr. Ian Thomas (independent) as Chair of the “New Guard” EDDC has issued a statement (24 August) extending his, and the council’s, sympathy to the two victims. He also said, regarding the honour of “Alderman” bestowed on Humphreys in December 2019:

 “In view of Mr Humphreys conviction and offences, I do not believe he is a fit person to hold this honour.

I will therefore be convening an Extraordinary General Meeting at 6pm on Tuesday 7 September with the sole recommendation being that the honour is withdrawn forthwith.

This will be the first time any such step will have been taken and recognises the gravity of his crimes.”

But in this case, as with Brown, there have been unexplained delays in the police investigation.

Humphreys was brought to justice by a long and complicated police investigation which started when the second victim told his girlfriend and mother of the abuse in 2005, some four four years after it happened.

Police took a statement but did not prosecute at the time.

In a victim impact statement, he said he had bad feelings against the police at the time and felt Humphreys ‘had been favoured because of his political connections’.

The case was reopened in 2015, ten years later, when the first victim came forward, telling officers that he was making his disclosures after 25 years of psychological trauma and sleepless nights.

It is to the credit of the District Crown Prosecutor and police investigating officer (who, as has been pointed out by Tim Todd, are women) that the case was successfully pursued.

Questions remain

But questions remain. Who decided to drop these cases?   And what links might they have had – or still have –  and what roles did they have in common with other people who may also have had council roles or links during that time? Who during this long period of time was made aware of decisions taken by the police? 

Footnote

The picture painted by Sasha Swire and others is that Humphreys was a very political person, well connected and active within the local Conservative party. This would have given him all sorts of power, access and influence.

So far Owl has failed to find any mention of the case or expression of sympathy to the victims on Simon Jupp’s twitter account. Perhaps he has been waiting for EDDC to make the first move. Nor has Owl found any mention on the East Devon Conservative association website. Is Humphreys still a member?