COVID-19 : Care provider support

Support for providers

In response to the pandemic, The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead continues to work closely with all partners across the Frimley Integrated Care System, including Berkshire Care Association, to support providers of social care to deliver the best possible care to the Borough’s residents both in care homes and in the community. 

A letter was sent to Helen Whately M.P. – Minister of State for Care, Department of Health and Social Care on Friday 29 May explaining care home support in the Royal Borough.

That letter contained COVID-19 Payment and Additional Funding Guidance for Providers (dated Tuesday 5 May 2020) which has now been updated.  Please see the latest guidance for Providers on COVID-19 Payment and Additional Funding (dated Wednesday 22 July 2020).

The following local support is available to providers in the borough.

Infection Control Fund

On Wednesday 13 May 2020 the Government announced that it would make available a £600m Infection Control Fund for Adult Social Care and this was distributed to local authorities on Friday 22 May 2020.

The purpose of this fund is to support the implementation of infection control measures advised in the Care Home Support Package, particularly the restriction of movement of workers between different care settings and full payment for staff who are required to self-isolate.

Details of the allocation to the Royal Borough and local information on how Care Homes have used this additional support package within the Borough are contained in the Annex E reporting template.

Provision of emergency PPE

Where providers are unable to source PPE through their usual routes, they can access emergency stock, sourced via the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) or purchased by the Royal Borough, through an online portal PPE request form with same day contactless collection or delivery.  To date, the Royal Borough has been able to fulfil all provider requests for emergency supplies.  If required, the Royal Borough will support providers to register with the National Supply Disruption Response.

Apply for PPE

Testing for staff and residents

Alongside national testing options, local testing for keyworker staff and their families has been in place since mid-April provided by Frimley ICS.  For the borough, this is located at Ascot Racecourse and administered by the Schools Admission Team.  Local providers are able to arrange a test for the next day through an online portal COVID-19 Test booking form.  

For care home residents and people living in their own home, the Frimley ICS has developed a local testing pathway, providing a rapid response, to complement the national testing options. 

Book a test

Financial support to providers

On Friday 27 March 2020, the Royal Borough published guidance regarding additional payments for providers to meet their COVID-19 response.  This guidance was circulated to all providers in the borough and includes payments for additional PPE, staff overtime payments, agency costs, administration, recruitment and training costs.  Providers are paid quickly and on trust to ensure they have sufficient cash flow to source PPE and additional staff where needed. 

Additional payment guidance