As we head into the winter months, it’s important to make sure that the local social care sector has the support it needs to keep residents and staff safe. In the coming months, Surrey’s social care settings will be benefitting from two key government funding schemes to do this.
First is the Infection Control and Testing Fund. Surrey has been allocated £11.6m from this fund for the period between October and March – the second highest allocation of any local authority. This can be used for infection prevention and control practices, to increase Covid and flu vaccine uptake among staff, and to conduct testing of staff and visitors. Social care settings have been receiving extra funding for these purposes since May last year, and this is the latest allocation.
Second, Surrey is also benefitting from £2.7m from the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund. Also available between October and March, the funding will help the county to recruit new staff and retain the existing dedicated social care workforce. This will be bolstered by a new recruitment campaign – “Made With Care” – which launched across the country earlier this month and will continue until March.
Together, these measures will help to support Surrey’s vital social care sector through the winter.