Track and Trace procedures for care homes (FOI)

Request

Care home visiting guidelines say: "Visitors will still need to book into see you using the visiting slots previously used through our reception and admin team. This is so that we can fulfil out track and trace obligations."

When I visit I have to complete a form which is said to be to fulfil government track and trace obligations for care homes.

A

What kind of track and trace does the government do for care homes now that track and trace has officially stopped and stopped being reported?

B

If covid has been found in a care home, does the government use track and trace forms filled in at the care home to implement track and trace of contacts who have been visiting the home? If not, why does it require it to be done? 

If so,

i) how many visitors were contacted via track and trace in March? 

ii) why are these statistics not reported?

Response 

A 

The Covid Safe team are no longer carrying out contact tracing operations as this ceased being regulation in February 2022. However, some care homes may continue to carry out track and trace at their own discretion and for their own purposes.

B

Covid Safe no longer has any requirement to use track and trace forms to contact direct contacts, though care homes may continue to use track and trace forms at their own discretion and for their own purposes.

i) 

As Covid Safe ceased track and trace operations in February 2022, this information is not held – Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

ii)

The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 gives a right to request information that is held in recorded form, unless exempt. This aspect of the request poses a question rather than seeking information held in recorded form. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Article applied

Article 3 - Meaning of "information held by a public authority"

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.