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Scottish Care Nursing Survey 2021

Dear colleague

I am excited to present the 2021 Scottish Care Nursing Survey. This year more than ever, it is paramount that we get the views of our nursing workforce and managers. I appreciate times remain challenging, but I hope you are as determined as we are to make your voices heard. We have a real opportunity to give social care nursing the spotlight it deserves if we work together.

Thank you all in advance for your time in completing this survey.

Survey deadline: 30 April

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/nursingsurvey2021

Kind regards,

Jacqui Neil
Transforming Workforce Lead for Nursing

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Scottish Care Manifesto 2021

Scottish Care is publishing our Manifesto April 07, 2021 with our key priorities for the next Government, ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary Elections on May 06, 2021.

Our Manifesto echoes the call in the Feeley report for a Social Care Covenant – an agreement of and for social care that places the dignity of individuals at the heart of decision-making and at the forefront of a more inclusive social care future that recognises its distinctive role in supporting the wellbeing of individuals to live an independent and healthy life of their choice.

Given the particular hardships faced by the care home and home care sectors in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have considered the areas in which those accessing care, the workforce and providers would benefit most. We must consider the support that people need as we recover from the effects of the pandemic and how we can deliver that given the new challenges as Scotland exits lockdown.

We have outlined eight areas of focus where we present a future change landscape for social care in Scotland. The Manifesto shares the key areas of focus with accompanying actions towards realising a positive future for the independent social care sector in Scotland.

The Manifesto was developed with input from our members, partners and people who use social care supports. We thank them for their involvement in this work.

Karen Hedge, National Director says:

“We are at a standpoint for social care. The pandemic has highlighted the potential of the sector; the agility of our providers and the dedication and skill of our workforce. This, coupled with the Review of Adult Social Care, has changed parameters and expectations of the sector making the forthcoming election a critical opportunity to address the 8 areas of focus outlined by Scottish Care in their Social Care Covenant, so that we can get this right for the people of Scotland.”

Read our Manifesto here
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Scottish Care to be part of leading brand new centre to implement evidence in adult social care

Scottish Care will be partnering with the University of Birmingham, as part of a broader consortium of key stakeholders from across the four nations of the UK, to develop a brand new Centre for adult social care, which will aim to put evidence into practice to promote and maintain people’s independence and wellbeing.

The new Centre called IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, and the Health Foundation, and will be the first Centre of its kind in the UK.

The Centre will:

  • Lead the way in helping people working in adult social care, carers, and the people they support make better use of high-quality, practice-based evidence to support innovation in adult social care
  • Build capacity and skills in the adult social care workforce
  • Help develop sustainable and productive relationships between all of those working across adult social care
  • Improve our understanding of what helps or hinders when putting evidence into practice

The Centre will receive funding of £15 million over the next six years, with equal contributions from ESRC and the Health Foundation.

Scottish Care will be part of the IMPACT consortium working with a wide range of academic, policy and practice partners and with people with lived experience of using social care services to help develop and lead a programme of innovation and improvement.

Scottish Care is delighted to work together with different stakeholders on this IMPACT initiative to help shape the future of social care. Traditional research often fails to move beyond the ‘proof of concept’ stage, but we believe that IMPACT will offer a real opportunity to take research forward into implementation. This is the chance for us to reconsider our approach to evidence implementation by recognising the value and capability of the social care sector. This enables us to create conditions for real collaboration, critically including those who work in and access care and support, to allow us to move not only to research implementation but embedding it into real-life practice.

Jon Glasby, Professor of Health and Social Care at the University of Birmingham who has been appointed as IMPACT’s director and will be working with a range of partners from across the UK to lead the co-development, establishment and delivery of the centre said:

“Adult social care touches people’s lives in such important and intimate ways, and it’s crucial that it’s based on the best possible evidence of what works.

“Good care isn’t just about services, it’s about having a life – and the ESRC and the Health Foundation are providing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real difference.”

ESRC Executive Chair, Professor Alison Park, said:

“The complex nature of the social care system means that frontline practice does not always benefit sufficiently from the evidence we already have about what works.

“The increased implementation of evidence-based innovations and improvements in adult social care are crucial to ensuring better outcomes for the many people who use these services, and their carers and families. Finding a way to make this happen is challenging – but the prize, in terms of improvements to adult social care, makes it essential.”

Will Warburton, Director of Improvement, the Health Foundation, said:

“The fragmented nature of the adult social care sector poses real challenges for ensuring the consistent provision of evidence-based, high quality care and support.

“The IMPACT Centre will work alongside people with experience of care, carers, commissioners and providers to develop practical support that will increase the use of high-quality research evidence in the adult social care sector across the UK.”

Recognising the combined value of good practice and robust evidence from different sources, the Centre will bring together people with lived experience of social care, those providing unpaid care, people working in adult social care, experts in the mobilisation and implementation of evidence, social care providers, commissioners and policy experts, and academic teams from across the UK.

Together with stakeholders in adult social care and beyond, the IMPACT team will agree priorities and design, establish, deliver and evaluate the Centre’s work programme, aiming to lead to sustainable change in the use of evidence in adult social care.

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Workforce Event – ‘Creating Pathways to Social Care Recruitment’

Workforce Matters is holding a workforce event on 28th April between 10am and 2pm –  ’Creating Pathways to Social Care Recruitment’.  This event will focus on the recruitment requirements of care providers and will have sessions delivered around recruitment opportunities, employability programmes and pathways to students coming from Higher Education Institutions.

Care providers will have an opportunity to speak with organisations working to support Social Care recruitment to discuss their employment needs when recruiting new staff members to assist with aligning employers needs to educational programmes and ensuring that new staff are informed and have a greater understanding of the social care sector prior to employment.

Please email [email protected] to register interested in attending this event.

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Bandrum Nursing Home – A Place to Talk

As we commemorate the anniversary of the Covid -19 pandemic and lockdown, I wanted to share some photographs of our picnic area which we created last year, on the beautiful grounds of Bandrum.

We wanted to commemorate a unique moment in time,  and also to remember the highs and low of this year- the dedication of staff,  the loss of loved ones and the support which we received.  The estates’ team created this lovely space, near to the river which staff and residents could walk to, and then sit and talk, or just listen to the river,   and try to escape the stress of the day.

This peaceful place has been life-enhancing during the lockdown.  We look forward to sharing it with friends when we can.

Katharine Spence  – General Manager

Bandrum Nursing Home

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Financial support around Covid-19 testing

The medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) have advised that testing for social care staff should be undertaken in the workplace. MHRA have, however, made an exception for those staff who are dispersed, travel extensively, and do not have a work base or hub. For those staff, testing can be carried out at home. In these cases, employers should confirm the most appropriate location for staff to carry out testing. The Scottish Government meets on a regular basis with the MHRA and any change in advice will be communicated nationally. The Scottish Government adult care at home testing guidance and adult care home visitor testing guidance both contain an overview of testing arrangements for care at home and care home settings.

Scottish Government is keen where possible that staff undertake the test during their working time, including mobile staff who are testing at home. Additional costs incurred by providers as a result of supporting staff to do this (e.g. for mobile staff, backfill for a staff member’s support work or to create time during the core working day) are reasonable additional costs and within scope of the additional funding for the sector for costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff travel to a priority post box or agreed drop-off point to drop off a sample or to collect a testing kit is also recognised as a reasonable additional cost and is within the scope of the additional funding.

Where providers incur other additional administrative costs due to staff testing (e.g. ordering, stocktaking, preparation of kits, distribution, recording data, etc.) these are also recognised as reasonable additional costs and are within the scope of the additional funding for the sector.

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Essentials of Safe Care

The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) Essentials of Safe Care publication has been launched today (11 March).

The Essentials of Safe Care (EoSC) aims to provide evidence-based guidance for the safe delivery of care in all settings. This work brings together existing guidance and standards into one package, which can be applied in any health or social care setting. This has been a whole system team effort from day one bringing together stakeholders from across health, social care, third and independent sector and housing.

The EoSC package can be found here ihub.scot/spsp

The package contains an interactive driver diagram that outlines the key elements within each essential that can support achieving the overall aim of delivering safe care for every person within every setting every time. Each essentials provides a range of information and resources based on best evidence available, existing standards and guidelines, and examples of current practice for services to consider as part of their own improvements.

Ongoing support will be provided through the Essentials of Safe Care Learning System which aims to accelerate sharing of learning and improvement work through a range of engagement and learning opportunities. These will include the development of an Essentials of Safe Care network, webinar series, website where case studies and resources will be published, measurement framework and improvement support.  A series of awareness raising webinars will be delivered during March followed by topic-specific session throughout 2021 open to all to participate within. The package will continue to evolve in line with what is happening within the system and feedback from services who are using it. You can also follow developments through social media via #spsp247 and #TheEoSC.

Scottish Care will be hosting a webinar on the EOSC with colleagues from Healthcare Improvement Scotland on Thursday 29 April at 2PM. This session will be hosted by our Transforming Workforce Lead, Jacqui Neil. She will be joined by:

  • Jo Matthews – Head of Improvement Support and Safety, Improvement Hub (ihub), Healthcare Improvement Scotland

This session aims to

  • provide an overview of this package of guidance and support,
  • explore how it can benefit your service, both service users and staff,
  • hear from teams about how they plan to use it, and
  • describe the system to support implementation and learning

Details to join this webinar session will be available on the Members Area of this website shortly. If you have any issues accessing this area, please contact [email protected].

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Student travel/car sharing arrangements

The Rapid Action Placement Oversight Group (RAPOG) have had a number of queries relating to students and travel/car sharing arrangements while on practice placement experiences.

A set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been developed which cover various aspects relating to supporting, supervising and assessing students in practice, with specific questions addressing travel/car sharing (see questions 14, 15 & 16).

Question 16 specifically answers the common query about healthcare staff who are commuting with students as part their learning experience.

The FAQs can be accessed at:  https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/our-work/rapid-action-placement-oversight-group-rapog/.

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Redeem Exchange

The Redeem Exchange team came up with a simple yet innovative idea to reduce plastic waste in the shape and form of empty hand sanitiser bottles. We offer a collect, wash, refill and return service for empty bottles to help save the environment whilst keeping those around us safe.

Redeem Exchange launched because of COVID-19, and the increased number of (very much needed) plastic bottles in circulation – and we were involved in this, as we ourselves were producing hand sanitiser for the NHS.

These bottles are usually thrown away, and very few make it to be recycled. We realised we could reuse bottles and keep them in circulation longer, which helps also to reduce costs would you believe! A win for everyone!

The Scottish Government, NHS NSS, and Zero Waste Scotland have supported us to bring this Redeem Exchange to where we are today, and we now have capacity to run this programme across Scotland. The most exciting part is what we learn, and what goes on behind the scenes. We get to know all our customers incredibly well through this process, and as we are a non-profit social enterprise, we get to support local communities where it’s needed.

Our main hub is in Greenock, but as we grow, we will work with our network to open hubs throughout Scotland. This will provide jobs for people living in SIMD areas. We have designed an employability programme for those who join us, giving them valuable skills and knowledge to reach their full potential.

We have big plans to make our world better for future generations both environmentally and socially. It is an exciting time for Redeem Exchange – we wanted to share this, and some positive feedback we received recently. AND, if you would like to get in touch to hear more, you can contact Bev on [email protected] or call 07901 427 190.

“Our service has used Redeem exchange as a means to reduce the environmental impact of used plastics, this sits very well with our wider organisational goals on sustainability. The local connection is also valuable to us in having a local point of contact and easy to access service for what is an essential PPE product for staff” – Richmond Fellowship

And we have a superhero – nearly forgot to mention that!!

 *The photo above was taken last year, prior to the need to wear face masks in a work environment.

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EU Settlement Scheme Webinar – 18 March

We are hosting a webinar on the EU Settlement Scheme on Thursday 18 March at 2PM with our Workforce Practice & Policy Lead, Caroline Deane and Andy Knox  (Principal Solicitor at Lanarkshire Community Law Centre).

Details to join this session will be available on the Members Area of this website.

Please see below for more information on the EU Settlement Scheme and the help that Citizens Advice Scotland can provide.

In January 2020 the UK left the EU and on 31st December 2020 what is known as the transition period ended.  During the transition period EU citizens* had the right to live work and study in the UK but now that the transition period has ended and EU citizens and their family members who wish to stay in the UK must apply under the EU Settlement Scheme for either Settled Status (indefinite leave to remain) or Pre-Settled Status (limited leave to remain for 5 years) before 30th June 2021.

It is important that all EU citizens and their family members apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before the deadline of 30th June 2021 to allow them to live, work and study in the UK beyond that date.

Citizens Advice Scotland has a free, confidential and impartial service for anyone that requires support or advice with their application and we are eager to work with care providers across Scotland to provide assistance to your employees and clients with their applications.  We have specialist advisers based in bureaux across Scotland as well as a national telephone helpline which is open between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday.

*EU citizens includes citizens of the EU member states, as well as citizens of EEA states (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), and citizens of Switzerland.

20210120 Letter from HF - EU Assets Mailing
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