This year’s Summer Bulletin has now been published online and is available to view.
We are in the process of redesigning our quarterly Bulletins. If you have any feedback or ideas of what you’d like to see in the Bulletin, please get in touch at [email protected].
This edition is filled with updates, information and stories from the social care sector.
At Hawkhill House Care Home in Scotland, a delightful new activity called ‘Come Dine with Me’ has taken residents on a culinary journey down memory lane. With the aim of reigniting interests in food and promoting a healthy appetite, this initiative allows residents to take charge of their own dining experience, selecting their favourite meal and inviting cherished company to share in the joy.
Under the expert guidance of Hawkhill’s dedicated team, including talented Chefs, residents at Hawkhill House Care Home have been relishing the opportunity to cook their preferred dishes. The delectable aromas and the familiar sounds of sizzling pans in the kitchen have sparked a wave of happy memories, creating an atmosphere filled with warmth and nostalgia.
Mel Shearer, Home Manager at Hawkhill Care Home, expressed her delight, stating, “We believe that nutritious and appetising meals play a vital role in our residents’ well-being. Our ‘Come Dine with Me’ activity allows them to take an active role in their dining choices, promoting a sense of independence and satisfaction. It’s heart-warming to witness the joy it brings and the memories it evokes.”
One resident, Elsie, shared her enthusiasm, remarking, “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to cook my favourite food and bring back such happy memories. Thank you for making this happen!” Elsie’s salmon dish was made possible with the support of Joanna Siwińska and the entire team, who collaborated to ensure a memorable and enjoyable dining experience.
At Hawkhill House Care Home, fostering a sense of community and empowering residents to live fulfilling lives is at the core of their philosophy. Activities like ‘Come Dine with Me’ exemplify our commitment to providing person-centred care that goes beyond the ordinary, creating exceptional moments that truly make a difference.
Hawkhill House Care Home continues to explore innovative ways to enhance the lives of our residents, and the success of ‘Come Dine with Me’ further strengthens their dedication to ensuring a vibrant and engaging living environment for all.
Please see below for information relating to the Integrated Community Nursing Pathway – Graduate Diploma and new Postgraduate Certificate – Funding for 2023/24.
Please return the completed spreadsheet with your list of nominations for the September 2023 intake of both programmes, by Thursday 13th July 2023 at the latest to [email protected]
If you have any queries please contact [email protected]
Policy Lead (Ethical Commissioning)
£44, 125 per annum – 35 hours per week
Scottish Care wishes to appoint a Policy Lead to work at a strategic level as part of our national team. The post is full time (35 hours per week), for a 12 month period, based from home with regular requirement to attend meetings and events throughout Scotland.
This is an exciting time to join Scottish Care as we will be supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to introducing ‘Ethical Commissioning’ in social care. The symbiotic relationship between commissioning and procurement has a direct effect on care providers and their ability to deliver the high-quality care human rights-based care and support that those who access and work in the sector deserve. The role of Policy Lead will play a key part in shaping the development of ethical commissioning policy through; collaboration with stakeholders, research and capturing good practice, identifying areas for improvement, and making recommendations that will bridge the implementation gap.
Scottish Care is based in Prestwick but works across Scotland as the representative body for the largest group of health and social care sector independent providers delivering residential care, day care, care at home and housing support. Working on behalf of a range of providers, Scottish Care speaks with a single unified voice for members and the wider independent care sector, at both a local and strategic level. Our vision is to shape the environment in which care services can deliver and develop the high-quality care that communities require and deserve.
In addition to the core work of Scottish Care, the organisation’s activities include leading on Scottish Government funded projects and, in this context, contracts a number of ‘leads’ and colleagues to support a range of national initiatives including; workforce, the integration of health and social care, and technology and innovation.
The post of Policy Lead is key to the continued development and overall success of this high-profile organisation. The post holder will work with a complex variety of partners and stakeholders involved in the development and operation of the organisation. He/she must be able to communicate, maintain credibility and have influence at all levels through partnership working.
Previous experience of working in policy roles with evidence of impact and influence is essential. Experience of working in the health and social care sector and a clear understanding of Scottish Care’s role and objectives is highly desirable.
To request a recruitment pack, please see below or contact Laura Bennie (Office Manager & Executive PA) at [email protected]
Closing date 12 noon on Friday 30th June 2023. Interviews will be held at our offices in Prestwick on Tuesday 18th July 2023.
Recruitment pack
We are delighted to announce that our Annual Report for 2022-2023 was officially released during our AGM last week.
We invite you to take a moment to read this comprehensive report, which showcases the tireless dedication and accomplishments of the Scottish Care team throughout the past year. Given the challenging landscape of the social care sector, this report serves as a testament to our commitment and unwavering efforts.
The Annual Report is divided into two distinct sections for easy navigation:
To access the individual sections of the Annual Report, please click on the buttons provided below.
We hope that you find the report informative and engaging.
Scottish Care
Applications are now open for Cohort 21 of the Digital Health and Care Leadership Programme (DLP). This programme will start in August 2023 and is designed for anyone who is:
As part of the programme, participants will progress a digital improvement project within their organisation. There will be an opportunity to develop their project idea in the early stages of the programme. You can find projects from past participants on our DLP site. Potential projects ideas could include:
Applications are welcome from employees NHS Scotland, social care, housing and the third sector. Multidisciplinary team applications from those who wish to work collaboratively on a project are also welcome. More information about the programme, including application guidance can be found on the DLP site. Any queries should be directed to [email protected] and you can also follow the programme on Twitter at @nes_dlp.
DLP Cohort 21
Scottish Care welcomes steps which enhance a sense of increased ‘normality’ within care settings, which ultimately are people’s homes. However we are concerned about the language within this new guidance which indicates that the exercising of personal choice regarding the wearing of face masks is to cease.
As with all decision making in social care, individual choice and control must be prioritised and decisions based on informed consent, meaningful inclusion and balanced risk assessment. This guidance appears to fly in the face of this by only enabling face masks to be worn where clinical need and IPC measures require them . It does not recognise the wishes of those supported, their loved ones or staff to protect themselves or others through face mask wearing. If this is what supports people to feel safe at work or whilst being supported, any notion of a ban should be resisted.
It should also be noted that social care staff are not eligible for spring covid booster vaccines, despite ongoing vaccination being heralded in the guidance as the most effective route of protection. We know that this has led to some concerns amongst providers and staff, with anecdotal evidence of increased infection rates when booster vaccines would previously have been due.
Whilst we recognise that the wearing of face masks has implications for communication, finances and the environment and an emphasis on reduced use may be appropriate, we will not support the removal of choice for people to wear them should they wish to do so. Our members will continue to exercise and enable personal choice, allowing staff, families, residents and those supported in their own homes to wear masks if they should wish.
Scottish Care and its members were at the forefront of calling for the wearing of masks significantly before this was introduced during the pandemic. It is essential that lessons are learned from the pandemic experience in social care, including that blanket approaches which remove personal autonomy are almost always inappropriate and unacceptable.
This media statement is being released in response to a number of recent queries.
For the last 15 years Scotland has benefitted from a National Care Home Contract (NCHC) which has provided stability for those organisations who provide care and support in both residential and nursing homes, continuity for those who act as commissioners and purchase care home places for local people and transparency for those who are residents. This stability is very important because over 70% of care home residents are funded by the State and it is the national Government that essentially sets the pay and terms and conditions of the thousands of workers who are employed by charities, voluntary organisations and private providers.
At the moment the NCHC rates for residential and 24/7 nursing care are £838 for a nursing home and £719 for a residential care home. This is equivalent to less than £5 per hour for complex care and support.
The NCHC is renewed annually between Scottish Care which represents providers and COSLA representing Local Government. It is based upon a cost model which is now outdated, but offers transparency, including putting a cap on profit at 4%. Since the model was developed, the role of a care home has changed, now having an increased role in its community, undertaking many of the activities that would previously have been carried out by a cottage hospital. This means that some of the costs cannot be covered in the way that the model would suggest, something that is made worse by the current financial and other pressures.
Over the last few years despite the many challenges facing the sector it has been possible to arrive at an agreement which has enabled the NCHC to continue. This year this has not been possible.
Care home providers are being faced with immense and unique challenges at the present time. The primary one of these relate to the challenge of recruiting and retaining staff. This has been made significantly harder since the Scottish Government funded Agenda for Change settlement which means that from April this year a care-worker in the NHS undertaking the same or similar role as a care home care worker is now being paid over 19% more. In addition, like many other sectors care homes have been faced with crippling cost of living pressures most especially in relation to energy costs which for smaller care homes have resulted in a 500% plus increase. The difference with other sectors is care homes cannot simply put their NCHC rates up.
Faced with these significant pressures we have sadly witnessed the largest number of care home closures the sector has experienced in the last few months and the very real fear is that this will escalate at speed. Unfortunately, it is the small, rural, and remote private and charitable care homes which are not managing to continue operating. This is an especial risk in Scotland where most private providers are small family run businesses.
Since January 2023 COSLA has made two offers which have been rejected by Scottish care home providers. The two main reasons for these are a desire from Scottish Care to pay a minimum of £12 an hour to every care worker, a desire to pay the Scottish living Wage to all staff in a care home who are currently on the National Minimum Wage (cooks, domestics etc), and a requirement to meet the sharp energy and other cost increases.
Scottish Care recognises the immense pressure that local government is under, and we recognise that the offer currently on the table – a 6% increase – is realistically the best that they can offer. However, this will not pay frontline workers the £12 an hour they deserve and address the critical energy and other cost issues. If accepted this will inevitably lead to a huge number of homes closing their doors with all the devastation that brings to vulnerable older residents and loss of employment for staff.
Since April 2023 Scottish Care has been engaged in discussions with the new Scottish Government and with senior officials to seek to address this critical issue. Following the announcement by the First Minster on the 19th of April of his desire to pay staff £12 an hour we have urgently been seeking clarification and a timeframe for this commitment. Regretfully seven weeks on since our discussions started, we are no further ahead. We recognise the stated commitment of Scottish Government, but we now need targeted action. After two further meetings of care home members, we have been asked to make this statement to raise awareness of the urgency of these discussions and the importance of intervention by the Scottish Government.
Our care homes are at a critical juncture. We need to all work together to preserve the NCHC and to ensure continued care and support is possible in a local care home. The loss of the NCHC will result in the closure of many more care homes across the country most especially in rural and remote communities and even more importantly will cause huge damage and distress to hundreds of care home residents.
There is a real urgency to save Scotland’s care homes.
Scottish Care’s National Care at Home & Housing Support Awards 2023 took place on the evening of Friday 19 May 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow, hosted by Pop Idol Winner, Michelle McManus and Scottish Care CEO, Dr Donald Macaskill. It was an amazing yet emotional night for everyone there.
Huge congratulations to all of our deserving finalists and winners, and thank you to all the Awards Sponsors. A special thanks to Radisson Blu for sponsoring our Prize Draw and to Bluebird Edinburgh, Glasgow South and Ayrshire for sponsoring our Arrival Drinks on the night!
Find out more about our finalists here on our Awards Programme.
INDEPENDENT SECTOR LEAD – Inverclyde
PARTNERS FOR INTEGRATION
SCOTTISH CARE
Health and Social Care Integration
£48,120 per annum
Fixed term contract funded one year from start date
Do you have an interest in improving the quality of care, can you COLLABORATE, INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE, and would you like to join a successful, committed and highly motivated team? This could be the opportunity you have been waiting for.
We are seeking to engage an Independent Sector Lead to support the Integration of Health and Social Care in Inverclyde. Hosted by Scottish Care and working closely with care providers and partners, the post involves ensuring sector involvement in the delivery of the integrating of health and social care in Scotland’s HSCPs.
The post holder must be highly motivated, be able to use initiative, possess excellent communication and networking skills, demonstrate success and experience working at strategic level with policy makers, providers, regulators, people supported by services and carers. Qualifications and experience at a senior management level would be a significant advantage.
The post holder will be expected to create and support significant collaborations across the independent care sector while contributing to the development of new care pathways which will result in the delivery of improved outcomes for people who access care and support. The post holder will ensure the Independent Sector’s contribution is fundamental to integrated services and transformational change and be able to evidence their impact. The role requires considerable and skilful collaboration with our key partners in the NHS, Local Authority, Carers, third sector organisations and other forums.
Inverclyde is a progressive partnership and invests heavily in this post and the Independent Sector.
The successful candidate will be required to spend a significant amount of time in the Inverclyde area.
The post is home based with travel, where necessary, and is hosted by Scottish Care.
Please see below for application pack or request it by contacting Tracy Doyle at Scottish Care by email [email protected]. To discuss this post please contact Janice Cameron by email [email protected]
Closing date 12pm on Friday 12th May 2023. Interviews will be held in person at Scottish Care Head Office, Prestwick in June (dates TBC).
Application Pack
Download Application Form here
Download Information for Applicants here
Download Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form here
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