From 11 November 2021, new legislation will require anyone working in or entering a care home to be fully vaccinated (unless they are exempt under the regulations).
This will have a significant impact on a range of professionals who interact with care homes, including healthcare workers, tradespeople, funeral directors, cleaners, kitchen staff, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors. The rule only applies to people who go inside the care setting; therefore, anyone who is not entering the building doesn’t need to show their vaccination status.
What date do people have to be vaccinated by?
The government has set out a timeline for vaccination. Unless exempt, anyone wishing to enter a care home under the new legislation must have had their first COVID-19 vaccination dose by 16 September 2021 in order to be fully vaccinated by 11 November – when the regulations come into force.
This new legislation isn’t just going to affect care homes. It is also going to have an impact on anyone who sends staff into care homes as part of their usual business.
If this applies to you, you will need to make sure that you have sufficient fully vaccinated (or exempt) staff to meet these requirements. The 16 September deadline for the first vaccine dose is coming soon, so it is wise to get a vaccination policy in place as soon as possible.
If it's essential for certain roles to enter into adult care home settings, it may be necessary to consider the introduction of a compulsory vaccination policy for these roles (unless individuals are medically exempt).
Employers need to be extremely careful when considering whether a compulsory approach is justified and if this needs to be done, you will need to consult with your employees before implementing such a policy. To ensure you stay on the right side of the law, please make sure you contact us, and we can work with you to get an appropriate policy in place and advise on its implementation and enforcement.
Vaccination status will not need to be shown where:
How we can help
If you would like to read more about the new legislation, head to our comprehensive legal update here.