People working in care homes in England will need to have had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by October unless they have a medical exemption, under new laws to protect residents.
The new legislation – subject to parliamentary approval and a subsequent 16-week grace period – will apply to homes for older adults requiring nursing or personal care registered by the Care Quality Commission. The LGA said councils are already working very closely with local health and care partners to remove existing barriers to vaccine take-up, and that it was pleased the Government has listened to feedback by launching a further consultation on extending mandatory vaccinations to other health and care settings.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Any targeting of mandatory vaccination should be proportionate and appropriate to specific areas where take-up rates remain lower.
“It is only right that care workers are treated the same as their NHS counterparts…as any suggestion of being singled out could have adverse consequences for recruitment and retention of the care workforce.”
The recruitment and retention challenges facing social care have been highlighted in a recent report from the Commons’ Health and Social Care Committee.
It found workforce burnout across the NHS and care sector has reached an emergency level and poses a risk to the future functioning of both services, with staff shortages identified as the biggest driver.
The committee reiterated the LGA’s own calls for long-term reform of adult social care (see Once and for all), including for a people plan equivalent to that for the NHS. It said reducing the turnover rate in the adult social care workforce will also require long-term funding certainty.
Separately, a Public Accounts Committee report on the adult social care market has called for a comprehensive, cross-government reform plan for care, and a national care workforce strategy.
Cllr Fothergill added: “Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS, and action is urgently needed for the care workforce, including on pay, conditions, professionalisation, skills and training.”