More than £19milion is being shared out between Surrey care homes and providers to help keep coronavirus at bay.
Surrey County Council has been allocated £19.2million from the Government’s £600million Infection Control Fund which is ring-fenced to help social care halt the spread of Covid-19.
Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Public Health, said: “This new funding will be a real help to care homes in keeping coronavirus at bay so that Surrey residents can have confidence their loved ones will be safe and happy.
“The funds will enable homes and their incredible and dedicated staff to build on work they’re already doing to drive out the virus and prevent future outbreaks. They’re being supported by local public service partners who are committed to strong and high quality social care both now and in the years to come.”
Three-quarters of the grant – more than £14million – is being distributed to care homes in two instalments based on the number of beds at each facility.
The grant must be spent on measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19, maintain infection control, and support the resilience of the workforce. Uses might include reducing staff travel between care homes or employing additional staff where needed.
The remaining 25 per cent of the grant is being shared out in line with local priorities which the county council worked to determine alongside the Surrey Care Association and other partners. Other types of care provider – including home-based care and supported living services – will receive a share of this funding. A small proportion will be retained to contribute towards the costs of PPE purchased by the council prior to 13 July.
The county council has previously announced £10million in grants to help adult social care providers deal with the pandemic.
The funding comes on top of a package of support being coordinated locally by the Surrey Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of councils, the NHS and other public services. The support includes a named clinical contact for each care home, help with administering testing, ensuring effective infection control and sourcing of emergency PPE if needed.
Posted from Surrey News
