Guidance

Annex A: grant determination

Updated 1 March 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-omicron-support-fund/annex-a-grant-determination

Revenue grant determination (non-ringfenced): Adult Social Care Omicron Support Fund Grant Determination (2022): No 31/5881

The Minister of State for Care and Mental Health (‘the Minister of State’), in exercise of the powers conferred by section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003, makes the following determination:

Citation

1. This determination may be cited as the Adult Social Care Omicron Support Fund Grant Determination (2022) No. 31/5881.

Purpose of the grant

2. In recognition of the increased pressure on existing funding sources caused by the Omicron variant, the government announced on 29 December 2021 that it is providing £60 million additional funding for January 2022. This is additional to the potential benefits to social care employers from the re-introduction of the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 21 December 2021. This is a new grant that is separate and in addition to the existing Infection Control and Testing Fund (round 3), Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund and Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund (round 2)

3. The purpose of this fund is to support the adult social care sector with measures already covered by the infection prevention and control (IPC) allocation of the Infection Control and Testing Fund (round 3) to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission within and between care settings. Additionally, this funding may also be used to increase ventilation in care homes, and to enhance local authorities’ current direct payment offer particularly when the only way a person’s care needs can be met is by a friend or family member, or to enhance support for carers. It may also be used to pay for temporary staffing to cover increased staff absence caused by COVID-19 and maintain staffing levels and workforce capacity.

4. Local authorities have discretion to use the funding as needed locally, to support the adult social care sector in the COVID response.

Grant conditions

5. This is a non-ringfenced grant and as such there are no conditions on this funding. Guidance on how to spend this funding has been provided alongside the local authority circular.

Determination

6. The Minister of State determines as the authorities to which grant is to be paid and the amount of grant to be paid, the authorities and the amounts set out in Annex B.

7. Before making this determination in relation to local authorities in England, the Minister of State obtained the consent of the Treasury.

Signed by authority of the Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan

Hester Wadge
Deputy Director for Social Care Funding and Legislation
Department of Health and Social Care

7 January 2022

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