£600 million Infection Control Fund announced

Care Providers in West Cheshire will benefit from a national £600 million Infection Control fund to tackle COVID 19.

The fund is to be ring-fenced for social care and will be distributed on behalf of central government by the council to help the care sector bring in measures to reduce the  transmission of the virus. The first of two funding instalments was released to Cheshire West and Chester at the end of May with the second due to be released in July 2020.

In order to ensure that the majority of funding reaches the front line as quickly as possible 75% of the first instalment must be passed from the council to care homes as quickly as possible so that they can implement infection control measures. 

The second instalment, to carry out further measures, will be contingent on the first being used for infection control. 75% of the second instalment is also required to be passed on to care homes.  However, Government has given councils the discretion to allocate the remaining 25% of funding from both instalments to support wider infection control measures which could mean support for domiciliary (home care) providers or providers of supported living services. The council has asked the care market to respond to a short survey to help inform their decisions around the allocation of this discretionary element  

Care providers will be required to use this funding to improve infection control measures in their care homes.  One such measure will be to reduce the movement of staff working between different care settings and limit movement between units or wings in the same care home. 

Councillor Val Armstrong, cabinet member for adult social care and health at Cheshire West and Chester said, “Our care homes, and those working in them, are at the forefront of the battle with Coronavirus.  We are all painfully aware of the human cost of this virus to both residents and staff in the care sector nationwide, which has been devastating.  This new package of measures will help cover some of the financial cost of controlling infection in settings caring for and nursing some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

A national wellbeing package for social care staff has also been rolled out on the new CARE app including two new helplines, led by the Samaritans and Hospice UK. Social care staff will be able to speak to trained telephone advisers who will provide a non-judgemental, listening ear, safe space to offload and signposting to other services.

You can read more about the Infection Control Fund here : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/care-home-support-package-backed-by-600-million-to-help-reduce-coronavirus-infections