Leads: Dr Sarah Damery, Dr Janet Jones, Prof Kate Jolly (Long-term Conditions) Dr Agnieszka Latuszynska (Organisational Sciences)

The project protocol was reviewed by the Theme 1 PPIE group, and the project was presented to the group at a later meeting, allowing input into the study design and in particular the topic guide for the interviews.

Dates: June 2020 – August 2021

Background:

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) must provide enhanced support services to all care homes from 2020. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic a small pilot of enhanced support for care homes was undertaken. COVID-19 put huge pressure on care homes, and Birmingham and Solihull CCG quickly put in place an enhanced programme of support at the start of the pandemic, delivered by Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust, Birmingham City Council, Mental Health Trust, hospices, and hospitals. The CCG is seeking evidence of the impact of this enhanced support.

Policy and Practice Partners:

Birmingham and Solihull CCG, Birmingham Community Health Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Co-Funding Partners:

Birmingham and Solihull CCG, Birmingham Community Health Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Aims and Objectives:

To use learning from the rapid implementation of enhanced multidisciplinary ‘wraparound’ support to care homes during COVID-19 to make recommendations that inform future service design and commissioning.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews with:

1. 15-20 managers and nursing staff within a number of nursing and residential care homes purposively selected to ensure representation according to level of engagement with the enhanced care home support model, type of ownership (independent vs. chain), size and Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings.
2. 15-20 staff involved in delivering enhanced care home support across BCHC, hospices, secondary care and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT).

Main Results:

This study is ongoing.

Conclusion:

Ongoing.

Implications for Implementation:

The findings of this study will inform the future commissioning of the service and identify the components of the enhanced support most valued by the care homes.