Launch of new approach to boost vital adult social care workforce

Short-term staff called on to support care homes and home care services during the pandemic

The ‘Care for Others – Make a Difference’ advertising recruitment campaign launched to highlight varied, flexible long-term social care career opportunities. The public are being called upon to apply for rewarding short-term and long-term opportunities in the adult social care sector to support care home residents and those being cared for at home.

The impact of the new COVID-19 variant is being felt across the country and additional staff are urgently needed now to support the adult social care workforce where absence rates have more than doubled in recent months due to self-isolation. 9 in 10 local authorities in England have signed up to the community testing programme to offer regular targeted testing for people without symptoms. More than 70% of local authorities are already offering rapid testing to those who are unable to work from home

New postcode checker will launch to help those who need to leave home for work access rapid testing quickly, 232 local authorities are now rolling out community testing, covering a population of around 42 million people and identifying thousands of positive COVID-19 cases in people not showing symptoms, who could be unknowingly spreading the virus.

Designed and implemented by local authorities, community testing programmes are designed based on local authorities’ in-depth knowledge of the local area.

From Monday, anyone arriving who has been in a country on the UK’s travel ban list in the previous 10 days will be required to purchase a quarantine package. Bookings will be made through a dedicated online portal and will include:

• assigned government transportation
• food and drinks
• accommodation in a government-approved facility
• security
• welfare