Our strength is your involvement | | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | | |
Hello...
Welcome to your weekly social care news curated by OACP
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Talking Care | Quarterly Network
Thursday 29 October
Howbery Park, Wallingford
Join OACP as we look at the implications of LGR and receive updates from Oxfordshire County Council.
Last call...
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Tri-County Conference
Addressing Challenges Celebrating Successes
Wednesday 4 November, Crowne Plaza, Marlow
Join OACP, BCPA and BCA at our first joint conference in partnership with NHS Thames Valley ICB.
High quality speakers local to you.
Tickets going fast.
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IHSCM | get £156 worth of FREE membership when you join OACP
Did you know that OACP Members get free access to IHSCM webinars and resources?
IHSCM is the leading management resource enabling you to build your leadership skills whilst supporting your professional development.
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IHSCM Membership is normally £156 per year or £13 per month
Your OACP Membership provides you with this for FREE for ALL of your management team
| | If you're not sure if your organisation is eligible as an OACP Member, please contact us. | | |
OACP Member Area update
Latest updates...
In the NHS section
- DHCT and insurance briefing
- DHCT Tiers and Tasks matrix
In the Data section
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Local wages summary: Sep 2026 analysis with 12 month tracker
- Coming soon: Care home occupancy survey 2026
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GOV.UK | Get adult social care data service
Use this service to view, explore and download adult social care data:
- check data on registered care homes and home care providers
- view statistics on unpaid carers
- explore local authority funding data
- see population needs by population size, age, health indicators, disability and economic factors
This data helps ASC providers and local authorities understand local demand, track trends and support planning and commissioning.
You can only use this service if you are the Nominated Individual or Registered Manager for a CQC registered care provider organisation, or are a Local Authority officer.
You need a GOV.UK One Login to sign in to this service, and it must be tied to your CQC registered email address or your gov.uk email address.
Read more
| | Care Association Alliance | Paper 02, Towards a National Workforce Settlement, October 2026 | | |
This is the second paper in the Care Association Alliance’s reform programme, prepared in partnership with the Institute of Health and Social Care Management, which sets out what that workforce needs.
It needs a recognised professional framework built on the
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existing Skills for Care Care Workforce Pathway, national professional levels, and a Fair Pay Agreement that is fully funded and tied to demonstrated competency. Not a new bureaucracy, and not a single national employer, but one recognised profession operating across many.
Read more | OACP
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Join Flourish Community and access the latest workforce insights
Flourish Community is a new space that is free to join for people working across adult social care to connect, share experiences and learn from others who understand the realities of the sector.
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Created for both care workers and leaders, the community brings together practical support, peer connection and sector expertise in one place. Members can join dedicated spaces covering areas such as leadership and CQC, take part in expert-led webinars, ask questions, share what is working and learn from others facing similar challenges.
It is also home to exclusive sector resources, including the first Click Pulse Workforce Report. Published in September 2026, the report brings together almost 800,000 responses from more than 57,000 people across 1,936 organisations, creating one of the most detailed pictures yet of workforce experience across adult social care. Produced in partnership with The Care Workers’ Charity, the findings show a workforce that remains strongly motivated by purpose, while also highlighting important questions around pay, leadership, development and the everyday experience of work.
As Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, says: “Care workers give so much to the people they support. When they tell us what is working, what is not and what needs to change, we owe it to them to listen – and we have a collective responsibility to act.”
The full report is available exclusively through Flourish Community, including breakdowns by role, region and workforce group, alongside analysis and evidence-led recommendations.
Join Flourish Community at flourish.co.uk/community/join
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King's Fund | New analysis on the future of social care
With demand rising, finances under pressure and access to support varying significantly across the country, the case for reform continues to grow stronger. This week, KF explore what a fairer social care system could look like, in a new long read that rethinks how support is funded and accessed. We also share new analysis revealing substantial local variation in access to long-term care, our response to the latest Skills for Care report and commentary on the growing pressures facing health and care infrastructure.
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Nuffield Trust | ADHD and autism: the destination is becoming clearer, but how do we get there?
There is a significant mismatch between the demand for ADHD and autism services and the NHS’s capacity to provide them, with remarkable waiting lists for assessments. After last week’s report from Professor Peter Fonagy described what could be done about it, Thea Stein explains that the challenge now is working out how to get there.
Read more
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ONS | UK armed forces veterans, England and Wales: 2024 and 2025
Do you specialise in the delivery of services for veterans?
These statistics provide percentages of local population and their ages for service planning.
Read more
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UKHSA | How to get the flu vaccine
All frontline social care workers are eligible to get the flu vaccine to protect yourself and those you care for. In some cases employers may offer the vaccine through work.
If your employer does not offer the vaccine you can access a free flu vaccine from the NHS by visiting your GP or local community pharmacy and self identifying as a social care worker.
The scheme is available to all frontline workers employed by the following types of social care providers:
- a registered residential care or nursing home
- registered domiciliary care provider
- a voluntary managed hospice provider
- Direct Payment (personal budgets) or Personal Health Budgets, such as Personal Assistants (PAs)
Read more
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Oxford Brookes | Healthy Extra-Care Homes
This study explores how indoor temperatures affect health and comfort in ECH and homes with home-based care.
This is for:
- Those living in an extra-care home
- Those living in homes with home-based care
- Those who are 65 years or over
Downlooad the flyer
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Oxford Brookes | HEARTH
As weather gets warmer and homes are upgraded to be more energy-efficient, the UK needs to make sure our buildings stay safe and healthy for everyone.
The HEARTH goal is to understand how heat affects people's health in places like care settings with vulnerable people, ensuring that as we move toward a greener future, our indoor spaces remain cool, safe, and comfortable for all.
This is for
- Residents living in non-NHS care homes and extra care homes.
- Staff working in non-NHS care homes and extra care homes.
Download the flyer
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University of Oxford | Falls prevention
Researchers from the University of Oxford are mapping the availability and provision of falls prevention exercise services offered to older adults across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The project will encompass community-based classes delivered and commissioned at all levels from local grass roots groups to large scale stakeholders.
If you have any information relevant to this project (you run activities relevant for this area) or know anyone who runs or commissions such classes, please email Samantha Welfare who is overseeing the project.
Samantha is an ARC Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Rehabilitation.
Please reply by the end of October 2026.
| | The Oxfordshire Trusted Assessor Service provides support Monday - Friday at the John Radcliffe Hospital and The Horton and now at all Oxfordshire Community Hospitals which have impatient beds. | | |
We take referrals on:
- local authority funded care home placements
- self-funders seeking a care home placement
- self-funders seeking a home care package
- complex local authority funded home care packages
To contact the Service:
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email oacp.taoxon@nhs.net
- Valerie Jarvis 07864 686 552
- Rachel Adams 07860 371 099
- Genna Manock 07594 781 730
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Are you making use of this FREE service?
- Thorough, unbiased assessments for individuals in hospitals needing ongoing care
- A single point of contact for care providers in Oxfordshire, so you don't have to deal with multiple people for updates
- Assistance with discharge planning to make sure a patient can go home safely and on time
| | Your support to overseas recruitment | | |
Oxfordshire | IR best practice
Oxfordshire County Council recently identified best practice regarding secondary employment and Right-to-Work checks and are sharing this example for learning and support.
Read the Best Practice example here | OACP
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Care Association Alliance | our big family
We are part of the largest national care association, the Care Association Alliance, with over 6,000 members across England as members of over 50 local care associations.
This informs us of current concerns, we can source potential solutions on behalf of you and it helps inform our local communications.
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Consistent, quality information
We mail out once a week on a Wednesday, so you know when to look out for it.
These updates provide summary advice on emerging issues and signpost providers to Government and other statutory agency advice as needed.
Reminder
We are always keen to hear from YOU. If you have anything you would like to share with provider colleagues, please send to the usual address.
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OACP Member offers | OACP works with the following suppliers to bring you market insight, quality products and expert advice.
Contact them today...quote 'OACP'
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A specialist law firm with extensive experience in Corporation, Immigration and Compliance Law. Aston Brooke is well placed to support care providers navigating the complexities of UKVI immigration laws and sponsorship compliance.
They also offer an invaluable opportunity for clients to access expert legal guidance, ensuring their ongoing compliance and sustainability in an evolving regulatory landscape.
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One platform
Complete care management
Confident compliance
If you’re reviewing your systems or thinking about how to make compliance more sustainable, this may be well worth exploring and we invite you to get in touch with CareLineLive.
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Whatever your goals, Citation will help your business to succeed with unrivalled HR and Health & Safety support and expertise for small and medium-sized business.
10% off your first contract as an OACP Member.
Find out more
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Flourish provide part funded online care training to support care providers in Oxfordshire.
Part-funding is provided by Oxfordshire County Council.
Find out more
Staff using the training can take advantage of a significant range of discounts and offers with Flourish Rewards.
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Gather provide cost-effective insight and engagement solutions.
Gain quick and easy feedback from your residents, NOK and employees, instantly analysed and accessible to help you confirm what you are doing well, and identify areas to strengthen your business.
Simple and effective engagement tools assist with new hire/apprenticeship evaluations, staff assessments, worker voice, and employee well-being. Giving you a stronger workforce, making recruitment easier, reducing absence and retaining staff.
Find out more or email team@wegather.info
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