COVID-19 Insight: Issue 3

In this month’s report, we explore further the need for providers and other organisations to collaborate to tackle COVID-19. We look at what concerns have prompted us to carry out a number of inspections in recent months, and at the challenges that providers have faced in caring for people detained under the Mental Health Act or subject to a deprivation of liberty.

We want these insight reports to help everyone involved in health and social care to work together to learn from the first stages of the pandemic. This includes:

• sharing and reflecting on what has gone well
• understanding and learning from the experience of what hasn't
• helping health and care systems prepare better in the future.

Better care through collaboration

In this section, we look at:

• the importance of collaboration among providers
• views on shared local vision for services
• the importance of shared governance
• the challenge of ensuring enough staffing capacity.

We have included three examples of collaboration between services to help show how this can work well.

Section 1: Better care through collaboration

Responding to feedback about care services

In this section, we look at:

• the issues that have prompted us to inspect a number of services
• our new campaign: Because we all care.

Section 2: Responding to feedback about care services

Financial viability and stability in the adult social care sector

In this section, we look at:

• the financial impact of COVID-19 on adult social care services
• data on the number of adult social care services registered with us.

Section 3: Financial viability and stability in the adult social care sector

The impact of COVID-19 on the use of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

In this section, we look at:

• data on the number of applications for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
• the challenges faced by providers in balancing restrictions with upholding people’s rights.

Section 4: The impact on the use of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

Protecting people's rights under the Mental Health Act

In this section, we look at:

• providers’ duty to follow the Mental Health Act
• the challenge for providers in providing a safe and therapeutic environment.

Section 5: Protecting people's rights under the Mental Health Act

Our data

In this issue, we update data including:

• numbers of outbreaks in care homes
• outbreaks and staff absences in homecare services
• numbers of deaths of people detained under the MHA.

Section 6: Our data