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SSSC Events

 

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The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is organising a series of half day events to look in more detail at workforce data on children’s services and adults’ services. The organisation are increasingly being asked for more detailed workforce data on different parts of the sector (e.g. day care services for children, looked after children’s services and adult residential care) and in view of this have arranged these events to look at the more detailed data they have available. A key part of the events is also to engage with people who use or want to use this workforce data and hear from them about what is useful, what isn’t and what more we could do.

There are six half day events organised over three days – see details of dates and locations below. Each day there are two seminars one on the children’s services workforce and the other on the adults’ services workforce. Sign up for each seminar is separate and details of how to do this can be found below.

Venues

  • COSLA Conference Centre – 19 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh, EH12 5BH
  • Mercure Hotel – West Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5QP
  • Mercure City Hotel – 201 Ingram Street, Glasgow, G1 1DQ

Dates and booking

Event Date Location Seminar Book via Eventbrite Price
10/11/2016 Edinburgh AM session – adults’ services Book Free
10/11/2016 Edinburgh PM session – children’s services Book Free
23/11/2016 Perth AM session – children’s services Book Free
23/11/2016 Perth PM session – adults’ services Book Free
08/12/2016 Glasgow AM session – adults’ services Book Free
08/12/2016 Glasgow PM session – children’s services Book Free

 

In addition to the events in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth the SSSC also intend to undertake a videoconferencing seminar in early 2017. Details of this will be available in December from the SSSC following the completion of the initial seminars.

www.sssc.uk.com

Tel: 0345 60 30 891

 

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Palliative and End of Life Care Survey

NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Social Services Council are presently carrying out a survey on palliative and end of life care needs.

 

All workers, including specialist and generalist, clinical and non-clinical, in health and social care who have contact with people with palliative care needs, those nearing the end of life or who are dying are asked to take part in this survey. Your feedback will inform the development of an education and development framework for Palliative and End of Life Care for the health and social services workforce in Scotland. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You do not have to share your name or any personal information in this survey. Survey results will be summarised and shared at regional and national level.

The closing date for the survey is the 19th of October 2016.  Please encourage colleagues / staff to participate before the survey closes.

The survey can be accessed by following the link

https://response.questback.com/nhseducationforscotland/cmzphjqbap

 

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RCNi Learning – CPD E-Learning to support nurses through revalidation

 

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From our colleagues at the RCN :

RCNi Learning – CPD E-Learning to support nurses through revalidation

 

As part of the Royal College of Nursing, we have used our catalogue of industry expertise to develop RCNi Learning, a valuable e-Learning library with approximately 150 CPD accredited courses included. RCNi Learning has been designed to support nurses with essential training and support through the revalidation process.

Many trusts, practices and private organisations are utilising this expertise to provide their nurses with this valuable and essential resource, ensuring they provide best practice training to their staff.

Supporting your nurses with best practice training is fundamental to successful revalidation, and many nurses are now looking for packages which offer comprehensive revalidation resources.

 

Best Practice

This interactive e-Learning platform meets and exceeds most standards set for CPD e-Learning.  As part of Royal College of Nursing, all modules have been rigorously assessed and are all Fully RCN Accredited. Having the RCN seal of approval offers assurance that you are providing best practice training to your nurses. Please ask for a demonstration of how you can provide this training for your staff.

 

RCNi Learning will provide your staff with the following:

  • On line/off line access to approximately 150 fully RCN accredited CPD e-Learning modules
  • Over 50 specialist areas for both qualified nurses and students
  • Pre & post assessments to benchmark knowledge at key points within the learning
  • RCN Certification for each module – can be auto saved into RCNi Portfolio
  • Opportunity to create reflective accounts for each module
  • Fully RCN accredited content
  • Regular updates providing new and peer reviewed content
  • Off line app providing on demand training for your staff 24/7
  • Access across all devices

 

RCNi Learning will provide management with:

  • Full reporting & tracking facilities to check progression and highlight potential skills gaps
  • Full visibility of staff progress
  • Full administration rights
  • Options to customise
  • Options to use own LMS
  • Options to add your own modules

 

Making RCNi Learning available to nurses, you will be providing them with quality and best practice training through the revalidation process, making the process comfortable and less daunting. Being on the front line we hear the pain points from institutions and nurses, and RCNi is becoming the industry solution for revalidation support.

 

Ultimate revalidation package

 

RCNi Portfolio & RCNi Learning

RCNi also provide a revalidation portfolio which nurses can use to store all evidence, track hours and manage revalidation.  The portfolio provides an essential resource to revalidating nurses to help keep all evidence in one easy to use on line space. Its compatibility with the RCNi e-Learning provides the Ultimate Revalidation Package and institutions can purchase together as one complete revalidation licence.

For an on line demo please go to our website:

RCNi Learning Demo

Or:

Drop me an email at: [email protected]

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

 

Kind regards

Julie Kittle

Portfolio & e-Learning Solutions Manager

Tel: 0208 872 3183

Tel:  07825 750 798

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Audit Scotland Report

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The Audit Scotland report on Social Work in Scotland has now been published.

Scottish Care welcomes this report and recommends all our members have a read of the document.

This can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/report/social-work-in-scotland

 

To discuss the details of this document please contact

Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish care at [email protected]

or Becca Gatherum, Policy and Research Manager Scottish Care  [email protected]

or phone our head office on 01292 270 240.

 

 

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Hopefully Something…

Hopefully Something…

“What are you going to do with that?” The question my aunt asked me when I told her I was going to do a Master’s degree in Human Rights. “I don’t know,” I told her. “Hopefully, something.”

Something that will make a difference. I guess that’s what we all want to do really, just in our own, individual way.

My first experience of the difference a human rights based approach can make came after university. I moved to India to work for a Human Rights Charity called Shanti Bhavan or in English, Haven of Peace. The charity, the only of its kind in the world, supports children from the Dalit or ‘untouchable’ caste to fulfil their potential through human rights. These children, of which there are over 300 million, are considered to be worthless, unable to become anyone or anything or to contribute to society in any other way than sweeping the streets before sunrise.

Shanti Bhavan is a residential school which invites these children in and grants them their basic human rights from day one; the right to non-discrimination, the right to be treated with dignity and respect, the right to security and the right to education. The school provides, board, food, clothing, medical care and education from nursery through to university entrance exams. The charity started in 1997 and in 2010 saw its first batch of university graduates all of which secured jobs, lifting their families out of poverty, their villages in some cases and breaking the cycle of ‘caste.’ That’s the power of human rights, if we strive to treat everyone equally, with respect and dignity then we give everyone the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

In Scotland, we don’t have a caste system to contend with but we do have a system, a way of doing things, a way of seeing things which means that for some, human rights are not always realised. Older people are amongst these vulnerable groups. Sadly, Action on Elder Abuse estimated recently that 500,000 older people are subject to abuse at any one time. Our work at Scottish Care seeks to address this, to shape a care sector in which older people are respected, independent and equal members of society.

Over the past year, we’ve been working with older people in residential care and those receiving care at home or housing support to develop our Human Rights Conventions. We asked them, “What rights need to be protected to allow you to achieve your full potential?” They told us that they needed the right to privacy, to family life, to security, to freedom from inhumane or degrading treatment, to choice and to non-discrimination.

And, like Shanti Bhavan, in Scotland, there exists organisations and individuals who strive on a daily basis to promote and protect these rights. Carers who stay an extra hour after their shift to ensure that Jane feels secure and comfortable, who listen for hours on end to show Robert that he’s respected and important, who close the curtains to provide privacy. Nurses who take the time to explain things calmly and compassionately, who hold someone’s hand through a hard time, who ask, “are you ok?” to ensure dignity.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the human rights we all entitled to and that we all need to flourish don’t change depending on where you live, what ‘caste’ you come from or what age you are. They are about how we treat people, how we make them feel and how we support them to achieve their potential as human beings. And, everywhere, there exists people who make these rights real. This blog is dedicated to them.

And, if anyone reading this needs a bit of motivation or positivity to get through today, take a look at this video of the children of Shanti Bhavan, I miss them an incredible amount.

[email protected]

 

 

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Parkinson’s 2016 – Your Life, Your Services Survey

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Your answers can help improve care and quality of life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s.

In 2015 Parkinson’s UK carried out the Your Life, Your Services Survey to build a picture of the state of Parkinson’s health and social care services and to better understand the needs of individuals affected by Parkinson’s across the UK.

The survey is being carried out again this year to enable Parkinson’s UK to compare results and keep on focusing on the areas for improvement.

The organisation are keen to know if people affected by Parkinson’s are getting the right health and support services in order to improve services where needed cross the country.

Parkinson’s UK are keen to hear from as many people as possible the complete the Parkinson’s 2016 – Your Life, Your Services Survey about different aspects of life with Parkinson’s.

The questions are directed at people who have a diagnosis of Parkinson’s themselves. But feel free to ask someone to help you complete the survey if you wish to.
Completing all parts of the survey can help make sure everyone gets the right services and support.

Your responses are confidential and will only be used anonymously by Parkinson’s UK to present an overall picture of services.

Please complete the survey by Friday 28 October 2016. The survey should take between 10 and 20 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about this survey, please email [email protected]

 

http://surveys.parkinsons.org.uk/s/yourlifeyourservices16

 

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Luminate 2016 is just a few weeks away!

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Luminate 2016 is just a few weeks away!

October is just around the corner and we are looking forward to a busy month of events and creative activities for all ages. In a programme that features dance, drama, music, visual arts, storytelling, photography and crafts – whatever your age and wherever you are in Scotland, there will be something for everyone during Luminate 2016.

Festival highlights include Fishamble’s Forgotten. Starting at the Tron Theatre on Saturday 1 October, this captivating portrayal by Pat Kinevane of four older characters living in retirement homes and care facilities around Ireland will tour to three venues during Luminate. Dance lovers should also look out for PRIME, Quicksilver and Gracenote’s Carry On Dancing. The three elder dance companies will travel to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness performing to a varied soundtrack including the Rolling Stones and fresh hip hop tunes. Their tour begins at Dance Base in Edinburgh on Sunday 2 October.

To browse all of this year’s creative events and activities, visit our website at www.luminatescotland.org. You can also request a copy of the brochure, by dropping us an email at [email protected] or calling us on 0131 668 8066.

 

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Dee Ukes performing aboard HM Frigate Unicorn at our media launch on Tuesday. You can see the group perform on 22 October during Luminate 2016.

Image (C) Alistair Kerr

 

Would you like to contribute to the Luminate blog?
During the busy month of October we will be sharing Luminate news and events from across Scotland and we’d love to include some of your stories. It could be a review of a theatre performance you’ve attended, or you might want to tell people about your experience at a dance workshop. If this is something that you’re interested in please do get in touch with [email protected] for more information.

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Scottish Care responds to Mental Health Strategy consultation

The Scottish Government recently consulted on their proposed framework and priorities to transform mental health in Scotland.

The new Mental Health Strategy will be published in late 2016. It follows a four-year strategy that ran from 2012 to 2015. The new Strategy will cover a 10 year period.

The proposals can be accessed here.

Views were sought on:

  1. Scottish Government priorities for transforming mental health in Scotland;
  2. The early actions proposed to take to deliver this transformation; and
  3. How success should be measured in 10 years.

In our response, Scottish Care emphasised the unmet mental health needs of individuals supported in social care, the difficulties experienced in transitions between services and the mental health needs of the social care workforce, both in terms of training and support and their own mental health.

To view Scottish Care’s response, click here.

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Don’t walk away – a mental health challenge

Don’t walk away – a mental health challenge

 

One of the most interesting and yet challenging studies I have read recently was one published in the British Journal of Psychology last week. In an extensive European wide study researchers found many more elderly people than expected have or have experienced a mental disorder when evaluating them with a new, simpler screening technique. Indeed they discovered that nearly one-quarter of older people had a mental disorder in the previous year, and one-third had been treated for one in the previous year.

 

Traditionally it had been thought that the risk of mental disorders declined with age, but this new study suggests that is not true, raising concerns because of the greater effect depression, anxiety or substance dependence can have on health conditions for older people.

 

According to the researchers, older people struggle to remain attentive during traditional diagnostic tests and the questions may be too long or complicated, which makes their performance even worse. For the new study, researchers developed a new diagnostic method using a computer-based interview system with simplified questions and statements.

 

This research seems to underpin what I have been hearing and witnessing when I talk to staff who work in care homes, care at home and housing support services. The challenges facing services in Scotland are significant. It was therefore a positive measure to see proposals in the consultation on Scotland’s Ten Year Mental Health Strategy which have the potential to address the mental health challenges of our older citizens.

 

Scottish Care has made a response to the consultation. In it we highlight that many older people develop mental health challenges later in life, often when they are receiving care at home or care in residential settings.

 

We have come a long way in the last ten years with our work on dementia. However, there has always been a risk that the focus on dementia has taken our eye off other mental health and life enduring challenges faced by older Scots. I spoke recently to someone who had lived with chronic depression most of their adult life and had received good supports until that is they got to 65 years of age. Then almost overnight, he told me, it felt like the system was abandoning him and the supports he had been used to changed and disappeared.

 

“It was like standing at a window and seeing everything and everyone who had helped you live your life, especially in the down times, walk down the street and wave goodbye. I felt really alone.”

 

 

We have I believe to get much better at supporting people who have life enduring mental health challenges transition from adult to older people services. This will include properly resourcing the older people care sector to train and equip staff to deal with mental health issues and challenges and also to give greater priority to enable the development of new models of support which can cater for individual and particular mental health needs.

 

In addition, old age itself brings about a whole range of changes, many of which are positive and welcomed, but some are challenging and difficult. I do not believe, and the study quoted above highlights this, that we have sufficiently robust mechanisms in place for diagnosing and then supporting individuals who develop a whole range of conditions after the age of 65.

 

There is a real opportunity for Scottish Government, older people and providers to work together to improve the quality of mental health support. At times of vulnerability we need to give people the feeling and sense that people are there to support and guide, not that they are walking away from them.

 

Dr Donald Macaskill

18th September, 2016

 

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Statement on Scottish Living Wage

As a result of growing concern from Care at Home and Housing Support providers Scottish Care has issued the following Press Statement.

CRISIS LOOMS FOR ELDERLY CARE SERVICES OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF SCOTTISH LIVING WAGE

The introduction of the Scottish Living Wage to staff working in homecare services for the elderly is in danger of not being achieved in a sustainable manner by October 1 or thereafter.

Details of the crisis in the sector have been revealed by Scottish Care, the representative body for the country’s independent social care services.

Chief Executive Dr Donald Macaskill has revealed that crucial talks with local health and social care partnerships over the allocation of funding to meet SLW commitments have run into major difficulties.

He said that of the 28 local authority areas where his members currently provide important care services, 13 have either not tabled an offer to providers or had made an offer which was substantially unsustainable.

A further 8 tabled offers which needed further work to ensure services can remain viable, and only 7 had worked with providers to reach mutually acceptable funding agreements.

Dr Macaskill said this inability to recognise the value of the care sector raises huge concerns for providers, their staff and the individuals and families they support.

He continued: “We are pleased that in some parts of Scotland there has been positive partnership work which will enable the payment of the Scottish Living Wage to workers from the 1st October. However, in a significant number of areas there has been either no offer made or one which will make businesses, whether charities or private providers, unsustainable. We are particularly concerned ton the impact of small, often family run businesses, which do not have reserves to draw on to make up the gap between what they are being offered and the cost of paying staff the SLW.

We have less than two weeks to go to achieve this real step forward for the people who do the hard, dedicated work of care in Scotland. I am calling on our partners in the Integrated Joint Boards and local authorities to get around the table, to work with us, so that we can still make this work by the 1st October.

He added, “I have this weekend informed our membership that they should not accept any offer that risks putting them out of business. Were they to accept some of the rate on offer in effect what would happen would be that they would within weeks be out of business resulting in thousands of workers losing their jobs and countless numbers of our older citizens having their care and support badly affected. We cannot allow that to happen. We have to pay reasonable, fair and a right rate for the care and support of our citizens. We cannot get care on the cheap.”

It is a matter of deep concern for providers that achieving the rightful payment of the SLW to their staff risks eroding other Fair Work practices because of a lack of engagement with local providers by some local authorities.

“In addition, providers in some areas will have to eat into budgets for training, learning and development at a time when it is essential to grow the skills base and capacity of the workforce to meet the changing and complex needs of the people they support.”

Dr Macaskill stressed the need to develop a national funding model for homecare services to address the inequity of funding between independent care services on behalf of the public sector, and those operated by public bodies directly.

Dr Macaskill added:

“Scottish Care is extremely disappointed at the lack of transparent partnership working in some partnership areas.

“As a result, Scottish Care does not believe that the intention of this policy, namely to advance the status of frontline care workers and to improve the reward and recognition of a critical workforce, is currently likely to be achieved.

“We remain committed to ensuring the SLW is implemented, recognising as we do that it could have a positive impact on the sector’s ability to attract and retain a committed workforce with the right values and skills to meet the increasing demands on care services.

“But there needs to be recognition that extra funding is needed to achieve this. Local Partnerships tell us they are struggling to pay enough from what they have been given. If this is the case then we are calling on Scottish Government to support their own policy with additional resource where necessary.

‘If we are going to build a workforce which today and tomorrow will be skilled and equipped to support our citizens in their own homes, then we need to reward them with equitable baseline pay, terms and conditions. That requires Partnerships to work with us to achieve the Scottish Living Wage.”