Government pushes for all frontline care workers to be offered vaccine by mid February

The Department for Health and Social Care has written to local authorities, care providers and directors of adult social services in England providing details on how all frontline social care workers will be contacted to receive their offer of vaccine by mid-February.

In her letter written by the care minister, Helen Whateley expresses her concern that ‘the social care sector is even more diverse than healthcare’ with a large number of different private companies and individual service users being used in the care sector.

In recognition of this, the department has produced a standard operating procedure (SOP), which provides detail on how community-based social care workers in JCVI priority group 2 will receive a vaccine.

This is to ensure all frontline workers who have close personal contact with those who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 are vaccinated by 15 February.

The guidance states: If you employ social care workers who have not already been offered the vaccine you must:

• Make contact with your local authority DASS (director of Adult Social Services) and send them a list of your eligible staff

• Ensure each staff member receives the letter about consent from Public Health England and their letter of eligibility from your local authority

• Support staff to make informed decisions about getting the vaccine

• Support staff to have the vaccine, considering the COVID-secure logistics of releasing staff while maintaining appropriate care

• Keep staff records of vaccinations and report via the Capacity Tracker (as you do with flu vaccination)

’I would urge everyone to take up the offer of a vaccination as soon as it comes’

Ms Whately said: “I have seen for myself how incredibly hard the social care sector has worked throughout this pandemic to provide safe, compassionate care to some of the most at risk people in our society.

“Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and this guidance will help us offer a jab to everyone in the top four priority groups, including frontline social care staff.

“By getting vaccinated, care workers can help protect themselves from becoming seriously ill from Covid-19 so they can continue to be there for their family, friends, and the people they care for.”

Care providers will be working with local authority and local NHS vaccination teams to ensure all eligible staff can access a vaccination using local hospital hubs, local GPs, vaccinations centres or community pharmacies while ensuring continuity of care.

Sir David Pearson, chair of the COVID-19 Social Care Support Taskforce said: “The social care sector is even more diverse than the NHS and involves a significant number of different employers, including individual service users - this makes any vaccine rollout challenging.

“Throughout the pandemic we have strengthened relationships with local authorities, service users and providers and this additional guidance will play an important part in rolling out the crucial vaccine to staff working across the sector.

"This shot in the arm will give staff the protection they need to work our way out of the pandemic and back to life as we knew it.”

Chief nurse for Adult Social Care, Deborah Sturdy said: “Working on the frontline throughout the pandemic I have seen the fantastic health and care workforce rise to countless challenges to go the extra mile for those they care and support, and I know so many have been looking forward to the day a vaccine arrives.

“The guidance will help providers, councils and those on the frontline, social care nurses, home care workers or personal assistants understand what steps they have to take.

"I would urge everyone to take up the offer of a vaccination as soon as it comes, to give you the protection you need to do the job you have been doing so brilliantly throughout the pandemic.”

You can read the guidance 'Vaccinating frontline social care workers' issued by the NHS at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/vaccinating-frontline-social-care-workers/