On behalf of Warrington, our Mayor Cllr Maureen Creaghan, sends sincere condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family, following the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. Read the Mayor's full statement.
Adult social care - Coronavirus update
Care home visiting
We are working with care homes across the borough, to ensure government guidance is being followed regarding people keeping in touch with their loved ones.
We are asking care homes to encourage and promote contact and communications between residents and their families. Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed.
Where there has been a coronavirus outbreak within a home, face to face visiting can only take place in exceptional circumstances.
We have provided all homes with a risk assessment template, including examples of what may constitute an exceptional circumstance that may assist them in taking those decisions.
From 8 March, care home residents are allowed one regular visitor. The visitor will need to wear PPE, have received a lateral flow test and they will need to keep physical contact to a minimum during the visit.
Read more about the guidance for care home visiting on the government's website.
Adult social care and our providers in Warrington are supporting up to 2,600 vulnerable people in their homes and in care settings every day. The outbreak of coronavirus has led to the disruption of a number of services and there is likely to be some continued disruption for the foreseeable future.
We are following and reviewing government guidance to ensure we are able to respond to the latest advice. We are working closely with our care providers to ensure they are following infection control guidelines, so they are able to deliver safe care, and that together we can continue to fulfill our duties under the Care Act to provide appropriate services.
The government has introduced new legislation under the Care Act known as “easements”. These can be applied if the workforce is significantly depleted and/or demand on social care has increased to an extent where it is no longer possible to comply with all duties. This has not been necessary in Warrington, and we do not currently plan to apply any easements to our Care Act duties. However, if in the future we do need to take these steps, we will inform you, and keep these changes to the minimum necessary, and for the shortest time required.
Our main priorities at this time are:
- Supporting our most vulnerable people and their carers to stay safe and well in the community
- Working with partners to support timely and safe discharge from hospital, arranging care at home or in an appropriate care setting while longer term planning takes place
- Continuing to support our care providers to deliver quality and safe services and to respond to the risks associated with COVID-19
- Understanding the wider impact of COVID-19 on the safety and wellbeing of individuals and staff and responding accordingly
While we are working closely with our care providers and other agencies to minimise disruption to our services, we are also asking for the support of individuals and their families to try to ensure that together, those who are most vulnerable, can receive the care they need and are effectively safeguarded.
To report a concern, please call 01925 443322.
As more information emerges, recommendations may change, so keep up to date with the national guidance on the gov.uk website, as this is updated regularly.