Government publishes new guidance to help care home managers with mandatory vaccine policy

The government has published new guidance for care home managers to ensure no one enters a care home unless they are fully vaccinated or are exempt.

On 11 November 2021, it will become law in England for anyone entering a care home to demonstrate they have had both doses of Covid-19 vaccine or have a medical exemption. The responsibility for ensuring everyone who enters the care home is vaccinated or exempt is ‘ultimately’ going to be down to the care home manager.

The only exemptions for people entering the care home will be for emergency assistance (eg ambulance, emergency plumbers), children under 18 and friends or relatives visiting a resident. The guidance states ‘visits from family and friends are vital for the health and wellbeing of people living in care homes. It would be unjustifiably detrimental to residents to deprive them of contact with, and care from, their loved ones.

'This includes the person is visiting a resident who is dying or visiting a person to provide comfort or support to a resident in relation to a resident’s bereavement following the death of a relative or friend.’

For care home staff, the guidance means they will only be able to continue to work inside a care home if they are fully vaccinated. The only exemptions are if the person is under the age of 18 or medically exempt.

Chief executive, Professor Martin Green said Care England will “be working tirelessly to support its members in the delivery of the policy.

“The 16-week grace period for providers has begun, with the regulations coming into force on 11 November. There has been a lack of central guidance, funding and leadership in helping to support adult social care providers in implementing the regulations.”

NHSX are considering how the NHS Covid Pass service will be used to demonstrate vaccination status. In the interim the visitor can demonstrate their COVID-19 vaccination records using the NHS COVID Pass service.

• the NHS App

• the NHS website – NHS.uk

• the NHS COVID Pass letter

Mandatory vaccines will be 'hugely detrimental to my business'

A 16-week period has been set before the regulations come into force to allow care homes to encourage their care workers to get vaccinated.

If care home workers are not able to provide proof of vaccination or exemption, then the guidance states ‘your manager should explore all options available to you. This could include moving you to an alternative role for which vaccination is not required. You should speak to your manager about your options as soon as you can. You should not assume that it will be possible for you to be redeployed.

'However, you should note that the regulations may provide a fair reason for dismissal if you are not vaccinated or medically exempt.’

The government estimates that by the time the vaccine becomes compulsory, around 87 per cent of the workforce would have had both doses but also predicts seven per of care home workers (around 40,000 staff out of 570,000 working in care homes in England) will refuse to have the vaccine.

One care home manager is calling on the government to make the Covid vaccine only compulsory for new employees, after staff told him they are leaving. He says it “will be hugely detrimental to my business and could potentially affect our ability to continue to operate as a nursing home.”

To have your say on whether you think the Covid vaccine should be mandatory click here

To read Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes: operational guidance click here