What is the Infection control Fund?
On 15th May 2020, the Government announced a new fund which has been ringfenced for social care. This new £600 million fund has been given to local authorities to specifically help care homes tackle, and hopefully, halt the spread of the COVID-19, Coronavirus.
The fund is designed to help care homes meet the costs of implementing procedures to reduce transmission of the virus and protect staff, patients and residents.
The funding will be distributed to councils based on the number of care home beds in their area, and once a need has been identified the care home will receive the funds quickly.
The first amount of funding up to 75% has already been paid to local authorities and the remaining 25% should be available in July.
What can the Infection control Fund be used for?
When care homes apply for a share of the fund they will be advised the uses that fund can be used for, but generally it’s to ensure that staff and residents are supported and teh care home is taking suitable measures in line with government advice.
- Ensure staff are paid their normal wages
- Ensure staff work in a single care home and are not contracted across multiple locations – the fund will help compensate for loss of earnings
- Limiting staff to specific floors/wings or social groups
- Recruit additional staff
- Limit use of public transport, the fund will help use hire firms or even to provide a specific in-house vehicle
- Providing additional accommodation for staff
Click here to find out more about the Infection control fund and to make a claim
Can I use the infection control fund to buy or hire a wheelchair accessible vehicle?
The fund is designed to help care homes facilitate measures to limit the spread of the virus and this can include steps to limit the use of public transport by members of staff. Where any staff do not have their own private vehicles this could include encouraging walking and cycling to and from work, secure bike storage or use of local taxi firms.
We have already been contacted by a number of care homes who are using the fund to either buy or hire a wheelchair accessible vehicle for exclusive use of their care home.
The vehicles adapted to carry wheelchair passengers, will be used as a dedicated vehicle to take the residents to any appointments they may have – avoiding the reliance (and potential risk) of any third-party providers.
Some care homes are also taking this a step further and using the multi-seat vehicles as a ‘staff bus’ to transport their staff safely and reducing the use of public transport and contact with others outside of the bubble.
At WavsGB we offer a wide range of vehicles adapted to carry wheelchairs, and with a varying number of passenger seats. All our vehicle are available to buy or hire. View our range of wheelchair vehicles here
Help for care-homes
How ever you choose to use it, the the infection control fund is a lifeline for many care homes a round the UK and will hopefully help to save many lives and halt the spread of the disease.
Whether you are using the fund or not, our staff at WavsGB are fully trained on all aspects of wheelchair accessible vehicles and if you ever need any help or advice then feel free to contact us or click the live chat button.
Stay safe.
