New Infection Prevention Network Launched for Social Care

• Queen’s Nursing Institute to run infection prevention and control scheme following government grant

• Network of champions builds on measures already in place

• Membership is free and open to those who manage and deliver care in social care settings

A new network of adult social care infection prevention and control champions will be launched on 30th November to help maintain and continuously improve standards across the care sector.

Run by the Queen’s Nursing Institute, the scheme will be supported by Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care Deborah Sturdy OBE and backed by a £35,000 grant from the Department of Health and Social Care.

Lessons learned from the pandemic will be rolled out through the network to help minimise the future spread of infections, including COVID-19 and flu, to protect people living in care homes and receiving home care.

The champions will share best practice through a series of virtual meetings, a newsletter and discussion forum.

The IPC Champions’ Network will be made up of frontline social care staff from settings around England who are responsible for infection prevention and control in their specific areas or homes.

Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care Deborah Sturdy OBE said:

“I am delighted to be able to work with the Queen’s Nursing Institute to establish this network which will build on the excellent work already being undertaken by colleagues across social care to continue protecting those who need support.

“It is vital we apply the lessons learned during the pandemic and harness the best practice developed to keep people safe in the future and connect colleagues to share their work.”

The network will help support frontline clinical staff in maintaining and improving standards.

Charlotte Fry QN, Expert Nursing Lead, IPC Champions’ Network, said:

“I am looking forward to developing the network to enable a platform to support staff to learn and share from experiences, bringing together and sharing good practice across our sector.

“This is an exciting opportunity to highlight and celebrate IPC work both past and future to keep the people we support and ourselves as safe and well as possible.”

Membership of the new network is free and is not limited to registered nurses but is open to all of those who manage and deliver care in social care settings. This may include domiciliary as well as residential care.

Sharon Aldridge-Bent, Director of Programmes (Leadership) at the Queen’s Nursing Institute, said:

“It is essential as we head into the winter months and beyond that frontline staff are supported and empowered to take responsibility for implementation of infection prevention and control measures. This new network will have a significant role in promoting best practice across the whole social care sector.”

NOTES

To join the IPC Champions Network, sign up via the QNI website here: https://www.qni.org.uk/news-and-events/newsletters N.B. this is a professional network for clinicians and managers of care.

To register to attend the IPC Champions Launch Event on 30^th November, visit the QNI Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/infection-prevention-and-control-ipc-champions-network-launch-event-tickets-177808218167

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