Managing and reporting COVID-19

Reporting and managing COVID-19 cases

This page provides guidance and information on what adult social care providers need to do if they have a positive COVID-19 case in their setting. Unless it is otherwise specified, the guidance relates to all care settings.

This page includes information on the following:

How to report COVID-19 cases
Capacity tracker
Outbreak management guidance

Quick links

If you require clarification or have questions, please contact DCC’s Tactical Provider Support Team (TPST): adultsc.adultcaretacticalprovidersupport-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

Please click the following links to find out further information about infection prevention control, vaccination and testing.

How to report confirmed COVID-19 cases

If there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 within a service providers should inform UKHSA. This is to best support providers in minimising a risk of an escalating outbreak.

For confirmed cases the following protocol needs to be followed:

Alert UKHSA by calling 0300 303 8162 or email swhpt@phe.gov.uk.
For regulated: providers must update CQC Home Care Tracker (Personal Care) or Care Homes Tracker (Care Homes).
Reporting should be made in accordance with advice offered by the Health & Safety Executive.
For staff members only: A RIDDOR report is required where the member of staff is known to have contracted coronavirus through contact with a confirmed positive case through the course of their work.

If other non-COVID 19 diseases are suspected immediately notify UKHSA by calling 0300 303 8162 – Option 1 – Option 1 again, or email swhpt@phe.gov.uk. This is to ensure that appropriate testing is undertaken, and any additional measures are put in place as quickly as possible.

Capacity tracker

The capacity tracker is a valuable tool in adult social care. The information provided goes towards significant updates to government policy in the areas of regulated care. Provider co-operation on completing the capacity tracker is appreciated. The data captured also helps:

Keep bed vacancy data up-to-date. If this data is captured daily, it avoids duplication of daily ring arounds by DDC’s discharge teams and supports effective discharges of patients from hospital.
Keep workforce data up-to-date to understand recruitment and retention challenges in the sector.
Record the number of staff and residents, known to have received the flu vaccine and COVID-19 autumn booster.
Record of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases in staff and residents to monitor prevalence of the virus and target support appropriately.

If providers have any queries about any of the above, please contact the Capacity Tracker team: capacitytracker-guidance@dhsc.gov.uk or the Support Centre 01916913729 from 8.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

Updating the capacity tracker

Providers are recommended to update the tracker on a daily/weekly and monthly basis.

Comparing your figures with Devon’s

Providers can check there performance against aggregated Devon figures. To do this, select Reports/Overview/Comparative analysis. Providers can compare against local STP, CCG or the Local Authority.

Video ‘How To’ guides

There is a number of video guides on the capacity tracker available. To access, providers need to view the User Guide.

Care home GP Clinical Leads list

Donna Schell (donna.schell@nhs.net) is the current South West representative for the Capacity Tracker. She schedules introduction and refresher demos including Q&A sessions for care homes and home care providers (details will be posted in the PEN newsletter). These sessions provide an opportunity to update provider on the most recent changes in the Tracker and urgent messages from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.

Contact details

For queries about the regular meetings or local South West issues, please contact: Donna Schell schell@nhs.netMobile: 07563644777
For care home ICF2/ASC fund weekly and monthly questions: Capacitytracker-guidance@dhsc.gov.uk
For any technical / system queries, please contact the Capacity Tracker team: capacitytracker@nhs.net
For the Capacity Tracker Support Centre on 0191 691 3729 or via email: capacitytracker@nhs.net
For interpretation of questions on the Tracker: guidance@dhsc.gov.uk
For home care survey questions: covidvaccineasc@dhsc.gov.uk
COVID-19 vaccination team (including interpretation of questions): ctcarehomenewvaccinationcovid19question@nhs.net
DHSC Workforce survey: Capacitytracker-guidance@dhsc.gov.uk

Outbreak control measures

During the period of outbreak any implemented measures put in place must be proportionate and based on a risk assessment carried out by the home in- line with current guidance. Measures may include:

Proportionate changes to visiting: some forms of visiting can continue if individual risk assessments are carried out. One visitor at a time per resident should always be able to visit inside the care home. This number can be flexible in the case that the visitor requires accompaniment (e.g. if they require support, or for a parent accompanying a child). End-of-life visiting should always be supported and testing is not required in any circumstances for an end-of-life visit
Closure of the home to further admissions (admissions may be possible following risk assessment on a case-by-case basis)
Cessation of transfers to other health and social care settings, unless essential/emergency
Closure of any co-located services such as on-site day care, based on a risk assessment
Restriction of movement of staff providing direct care to avoid ‘seeding’ of outbreaks between different settings
Limit movement of staff between units / floors / buildings / services within the same site and between sites and services
Block booking of agency staff, reducing use of multiple agency staff where possible.
Cohorting of staff to look after confirmed cases / exposed residents / residents who are not exposed, where possible
Isolation or cohorting of cases and contacts
Temporarily stopping or reducing communal activities
Increased frequency of cleaning (always recommended during outbreak.

Risk assessments – Return to Work

Staff identified working with patients or service users who are considered particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and are identified as a close contact will need a risk assessment carried out by a designated person in the workplace before they return to work. This risk assessment form can be adapted for this purpose.

Admissions during outbreak

Admissions are allowed:

Only following a robust risk assessment undertaken by the Provider
All admissions should have a PCR 72 hours prior to discharge and undertake a LFT immediately upon admission into the home
COVID-19 positive admissions or discharges should undertake isolation as per national guidance (as above). However, any isolation undertaken in an acute setting (hospital) can continue upon entering the home and does not need to restart upon admission
A provider’s Community Service Manager (CSM) or local HPT can advise on admissions during outbreak.

Further guidance on admissions is available from COVID-19 Admission Guidance