Heat-health alert for East of England

A red heat-health warning has been issued by the UKHSA. The warning is in effect from the morning of 24 June 2026 through to the night of 25 Jun 2026. Please ensure you keep up to date with weather reports reports and plan accordingly.

UKHSA weather warning guidance

The Supreme Court's judgment on deprivation of liberty

You may be aware that the Supreme Court has recently issued a judgment which significantly changes the legal approach to determining whether a person is deprived of their liberty. The judgement can be seen here A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland of a devolution issue under paragraph 34 o….

We would encourage you to familiarise yourselves with the judgment and carefully consider the implications for your services and practice. Please see the following links for further information: CQC statement on the Supreme Court's judgment on deprivation of liberty - Care Quality Commission and 2026-UKSC-16-Summary-for-website.pdf.

We ask that you refer to this updated position when making any new referrals to the DoLS team.  In addition, as the change came into effect immediately from 2 June, please review any recent DoLS referrals you have made. You should consider whether, in light of this revised approach, any of these referrals may no longer be appropriate.

We hope this offers reassurance whilst we wait for additional National guidance to be disseminated.  At this stage we don’t have further information, but if you have a specific query, you can contact the MCA DoLS Duty Team at Dolforms@essex.gov.uk

Essex County Council - Provider Hub
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Market Vision

For a collaborative and efficient market with capacity and capability to ensure adults achieve independence following a hospital stay or to avoid one happening in the first place.​

 ​Key aims​

  • Support people in their own homes to remain independent​
  • Consistent good quality providers, willing and able to work together in the interests of the person and wider system​
  • Integrated and collaborative approach with shared goals​
  • Streamlined and simplified system for professionals interacting with it​

1 Year Delivery Plan by end of 2024​

Description:​

New contracts in place for ECC commissioned services​​

Key Milestones:​

  • New contracts live by September2024 replacing current reablement, ARC and bridging provision​
  • New Intermediate Care bedded provision contracts in place by Nov 2023.​
  • Engagement with providers throughout these processes to drive collaborative relationships and design simplified processes

3 Year Delivery Plan by end of 2027​

Description:​

New contract operational​

Key Milestones:​

New approaches to continual learning and improvement’ in place shared system focussed KPIs in place for all providers​

  • Contractual binding in place, if considered necessary for providers working in Intermediate Care​
  • Strong lived experience voice to drive ‘learn and improve’ approaches​
  • Referral processes defined and simplified​
  • Rebalance toward admission avoidance, from discharge focus​
  • Partnership with VCS fully formed​
  • Integration across health & social care​
  • Integration of digital offers​

 

7 Year Delivery Plan by 2030​

Description:​

Integrated models stronger​

Key Milestones:​

  • Coordinated support available for individuals requiring it from both NHS and social care​
  • Alliance or joint venture models in place including voluntary sector to support more holistic outcomes​
  • Relationship to neighbourhood teams work i.e. more case management in neighbourhoods and earlier interventions reducing demand for urgent intermediate care​
  • Predictive models for demand in place using Population Health Management and machine learning​

Workforce recruitment and retention

  • Retention fund may support ARC providers, ECL review is considering how ECL supports with this.

Capacity and demand management

  • Additional contracts have been let, but this will need to be shaped carefully in recommissioning.

Putting lived experience at the centre

  • Lived Experience will form part of the new approach to system-based working ('learn and improve').

Delivering good quality services

  • Intention to secure good or outstanding CQC ratings only.

Technology capability

  • Consideration for tech discharge coordinator role underway.

Promoting financial sustainability

  • Intermediate Care helps support ECC's savings objectives via helping make people more independent on long term care.

Integration with Health

  • Integration key driver for improvement, joint roles in place to support recommissioning project and bring community health parts of Intermediate Care closer to ECC ones
Last updated: 17/08/2023
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