We're available to help Adult Social Care providers. This page brings together national and local coronavirus guidance for those who provide care and support.
Coronavirus outbreak management for care homes
Report a care home outbreak
If you suspect or have a coronavirus outbreak in a care home (more than 1 resident or staff affected), call Public Health England immediately
- your local Health Protection Team (HPT) will arrange testing for all residents and staff
- they will arrange a follow up test after 4 to 7 days for residents and staff who tested negative on the first round of testing (or who missed the initial test)
- staff and residents should be retested again 28 days after the last resident or staff had a positive test result or showed coronavirus-like symptoms. If no further cases are identified at this point, the outbreak is considered to have ended.
Any further cases after this point is a new outbreak and you must contact the HPT. Staff or residents who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 should not be included in testing (as part of regular testing or the whole home test at 28 days after the last identified case) until 90 days after either their initial onset of symptoms or their positive test result (if they were asymptomatic when tested).
If they develop new symptoms, they should be retested immediately.
Vaccinations for staff
You can read the government's guide on vaccinations for staff.
Care residents with symptoms
- PHE will send testing kits for symptomatic residents (limited to 10 swabs).
- PHE contact care providers directly with their result
Alternatively call 0300 303 2713 to contact the Governments ‘Pillar 2’ for testing.
Care residents and staff without symptoms
The Department of Health and Social Care recommends:
- staff should be tested twice every week
- residents should be tested every 28 days
Guidance can be found on the government's Getting Tested page.
Testing is arranged through the government's Pillar 2 testing programme.
Sheffield care staff with symptoms
- testing is available for Sheffield care staff who have symptoms, and their household members
- book with Primary Care sheffield or the government's Pillar 2 testing programme.
You can return to work after a positive test:
- if you have completed 10 days in self isolation
- and, are not symptomatic (no fever for 48 hours) they may still have a persistent cough and feel well enough to return to work
- you do not require a negative test to return to work
- government guidance explains more
Repeat testing for home care workers
Repeat weekly testing is available for home care workers through the government's Pillar 2 system.
Repeat testing in extra care and supported living settings
Regular testing is available for residents and staff in extra care and supported living settings.
Testing visitors to care homes
Government guidance for care homes receiving Lateral Flow Devices for testing visitors:
Antibody testing for Sheffield care staff
Antibody tests are used to see if you have previously had the virus. They are different from other tests which pick up whether you currently have the disease or not.
Tests are limited to:
- NHS staff
- care home staff
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Guidance
Read our guidance on using PPE along with the government's advice.
Emergency PPE for your organisation
We can supply up to 1 weeks supply of PPE if you meet the following criteria:
- you have explored your usual routes for PPE
- you are in critical need of PPE (with only 72 hours supply remaining)
- you have made every effort to secure PPE from additional routes and have contacted the Service Disruption Line
- the amount requested is proportionate and will bridge the gap to your next delivery
- your staff must have close, unavoidable contact with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases
- PPE is used in compliance with Public Health England clinical advice
- you have made every effort to redesign services to minimise the number of frontline workers in close contact with symptomatic people
You will be asked weekly for your order. If you do not require anything please complete all fields with 0 quantity. If you need the supply delivering to a different address please mark this in the notes box.