PPE in Care Settings: refocus and reinforce

We appreciate the enormous contribution that our care and support settings are making to keep our most vulnerable residents safe. This includes wearing PPE in line with the Government guidance for your setting. Since the start of the pandemic we have had to work through shortages of PPE and changing guidance. We also recognise that PPE brings significant changes and challenges to your everyday work.

However, with the increasing rate of transmission and many people testing positive for coronavirus without having symptoms, it is important that we remain focused on PPE as an important element of infection control. Please use and share the resources and information below to support a refresh of staff use of PPE in your setting.

For personal protective equipment (PPE) advice for social care workers working in the community, please visit GOV.UK: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) illustrated guide for community and social care settings created by Public Health England. Guidance should be used in conjunction with local policies.

Public Health England's Illustrated Guide covers five common scenarios you might encounter. Alongside resources on Prevention and Control (IPC) in Care Homes) the Illustrated Guide describes what PPE you should wear:

• for personal care involving touching the person you are caring for
• when you are within 2 metres of anyone who has a cough (whether you are caring for them or not)
• when you are within 2 metres of the individual being cared for (for whatever reason) but not touching them
• when you are caring for a person who is shielding
• when you are in the workplace and 2 metres away from people you are caring for

For essential and additional learning as well as resources for trainers, please visit the e-learning for Healthcare portal.

The e-learning for Healthcare portal provides information on:

• hand hygiene and washing
• recommended PPE for social care
• putting on and taking off PPE for Care Homes
• how to work safely in care homes
• admission and care of residents during COVID-19 incident in a care home
• guidance on protecting clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
• supporting people with dementia who walk with purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic
• staying alert and safe

For all key information, please visit our personal protective equipment (PPE) and Infection Prevention and Control Procedures webpage. This page includes:

• links to the most recent government guidance on PPE
• the ordering of PPE for COVID-19 use
• useful contact information
• general principles
• useful visual guides and videos

For an outline of the correct order for putting and removing PPE, please visit the NHS:Correct order for putting on and removing personal protective equipment poster.

Using British Sign Language, Surrey County Council have produced a subtitled internal video on Vimeo to illustrate the correct use of PPE equipment.

For further information, view the NHS's information about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

This webpage includes posters for suspected/confirmed COVID-19 PPE for general areas and unsuspected COVID-19 PPE in social/community/residential.

If you have any further queries or concerns, please contact [email protected]