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Escalation processes

December 2020

Your contingency plan should outline your escalation process, which identifies who you’d contact if you couldn’t resolve any issues.

CPA guidance on particular issues, such as supplies of medicines etc, includes more detailed information about roles, responsibilities and escalation processes.

The following information summarises the escalation processes available to care providers.

If you experience a problem with – for example the supply of a product or service - you should try to resolve the issue by speaking to the supplier or seeking an alternative.

If you are still unable to resolve the issue and it will impact on your ability to deliver your service, you should notify:

  • your local authority and/or health commissioner (even if they do not commission services from you, as they have a general responsibility to ensure local people’s needs are met)
  • the Care Quality Commission.

The local authority may also raise issues with your Local Resilience Forum, or you may jointly agree that you should contact the Local Resilience Forum direct.

DHSC letter – 21 December 2020§

The DHSC has written to care providers and local authorities on 21 December, outlining arrangements and steps they can take to prepare. The letter includes:

  • Messages for adult social care providers preparing for EU transition
  • Summary of actions taken by the Government on continuity of supply
  • Responding to local supply disruption – update for adult social care providers and local authorities

Download Preparing for End of Transition Period letter, 21 December 2020

Contacts§

Local Resilience Forum (LRFs)§

Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) are multi-agency partnerships made up of representatives from local public services, including the emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, the Environment Agency and others. The LRFs aim to plan and prepare for localised, immediate incidents and catastrophic emergencies. They work to identify potential risks and produce emergency plans to either prevent or reduce the effect of any incident on their local communities.

LRF and LA contact details (Updated 15 December 2020): This list was developed to specifically support with PPE supplies.

LRF contact details (last updated June 2019): This list was last updated on GOV.UK in June 2019 so it may be out of date.

Department of Health§

If issues cannot be resolved at local or regional level, you may wish to raise issues with the Department of Health: ASCContingencyHub@dhsc.gov.uk

PPE supplies§

If you are not registered on the PPE Portal, you can access COVID-19 PPE through your local authority or local resilience forum PPE contacts.

If the LRF or PPE Portal is unable to meet your urgent PPE needs, should you contact the NSDR 24/7 hotline on 0800 915 9964.

Data security and transfers§

On 1 January 2021, the UK will become a “third country” for data protection purposes unless an adequacy decision is reached with the EU (see CPA/Digital Social Care briefing). If you have any questions or need support on the issue raised here, please contact data.eu@nhs.net.

National Supply Disruption Response Team (NSDRT)§

If the LRF or PPE Portal is unable to meet your urgent PPE needs, should you contact the NSDR 24/7 hotline on 0800 915 9964.