If you work in an adult care home, there are less than 11 weeks left to get your COVID-19 vaccinations before the 11 November deadline. A wellbeing message from Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid "It's because I care". That's one of the key messages of our new "Every Action Counts" campaign, from the Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care. Watching the campaign video was another powerful reminder of the compassion of our adult social care workforce. Actions like keeping a distance and creating space are so vital, but actions that still, even 18 months later, don't come naturally to a workforce whose default settings are kindness and comfort. It's hard – and harder still because when we look around us, it seems like the rest of the world is beginning to return to some kind of normal. Even as COVID-19 transitions from being a pandemic disease to an endemic disease, we will continue to feel its effect in care settings for some time to come. So I'm determined you get the support you need for your physical and mental health. COVID-19 vaccination remains the most important tool for protecting your physical health - and the health of the people you care for. Latest estimates suggest 84,600 deaths and over 23 million infections have been prevented as a result of our vaccination programme. The 'vaccination as a condition of deployment' grace period ends 11 November this year, so if you haven't booked your first or second dose, please do so as soon as you can. I want everyone working in care settings to have the peace of mind that they and those around them are protected. I am also determined you get the right access to mental health support. Care managers may wish to use the Skills for Care's Workforce Wellbeing Resource Finder, which makes it easier for employers and staff to find the resources to help them. There are also so many resources directly available to colleagues. The Samaritans' confidential emotional staff support line has been extended to all social care staff who might be feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. You can speak with trained volunteers, who will always listen in confidence and point in you in the right direction for any further support you need. Hospice UK has also extended its bereavement and trauma line to social care staff. This service offers a safe space to talk to professionals in the event of bereavement, trauma or anxiety as a result of the pandemic. And the 'Our Frontline' service—a collaboration between Samaritans, Shout, Hospice UK and Mind—offers information, emotional support and access to a crisis text service for all those working on the frontline. I encourage anyone who feels they need to, to draw on these resources. They're there for you. I know this has been a difficult 18 months – and things still feel far from normal. It's because you care that you have felt it so profoundly. We care too – and we're determined to be here for you. | 
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