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Help shape the delivery of COVID-19 vaccination to social care staff

NHS Scotland want to speak to frontline social care staff as part of research to inform the delivery of a future COVID-19 vaccination to social care workers.

The research will help them better understand social care staff needs, such as how and where delivering a COVID-19 vaccination would work best, once a suitable vaccine is available.

They’re looking for workers to take part in a one-to-one telephone chat which will last around 30 minutes. This can also be done as a video call.

Times will be arranged to fit around your schedule and it’s likely to take place between 19 October and early November.

Who can take part?

NHS Scotland is initially looking for social care staff (in the statutory, third and private sectors) who provide direct care in the following settings:

  • residential care and secure care for children
  • community care for persons at home (including housing support and care at home services)
  • care homes for adults.

If you are interested in taking part please email [email protected] with the subject title of your email ‘C19 vacc chat’. Please also provide your job role and the type of service you work in. A mix of staff across the above groups will be contacted.

The deadline for emailing your interest in taking part is 21 October 2020.

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News release: Scottish Care’s Care at Home & Housing Support Awards 2020

SCOTTISH CARE – CARE AT HOME & HOUSING SUPPORT AWARDS 2020 

A prestigious evening awards ceremony celebrating the best of the independent care at home and housing support sector will be held online tonight (Friday 9 October 2020) to recognise the contribution of homecare staff before and during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services across Scotland and organisers of the event, are encouraging those working in the sector and the wider public to join the online Awards to recognise and celebrate the role of social care workers.  

Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony tonight, hosted by presenter, columnist and Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus. 

 Awards will be given out over ten categories:  

  1. Emerging Talent Award 
  1. Care Services Coordination/ Administration Award 
  1. Care Learning Award 
  1. Management & Leadership Award 
  1. Outstanding Achievement Award 
  1. Carer of the Year 
  1. Palliative & End of Life Care Practise Award 
  1. Technology & People Award 
  1. Provider of the Year 
  1. Positive Impact Award  

However, Scottish Care has also issued an Awards certificate to all independent sector social care workers – across private, not for profit and charitable organisations – to thank them for their continued work in providing care to Scotland’s more vulnerable citizens in extremely challenging times. 

Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care and co-host of this evening’s Awards, said: 

“There is an awful lot in our society which has changed since March this year but there are some things which remain the same. So it is that every day women and men are going out from their own homes to care for and support the tens of thousands of people who are looked after in their own home. The workforce have behaved with such dignity, compassion professionalism and skill over the last few months as they always do. Tonight, is a time to say thank you and to recognise the particular skills of a few but it is also a night when we acknowledge our debt of gratitude to every single woman and man who makes up Scotland’s care at home and housing support workforce.” 

The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, who are delivering care at an incredibly high standard in an era of challenging budgets and within an increasingly demanding work environment.   

The care awards will follow a three-day online conference with speakers including Joe Fitzpatrick MSP – Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing. 

For more information on the award finalists, please see: https://scottishcare.org/finalists-announced-for-care-at-home-housing-support-awards-2020/

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Communications for Social Care Workers – Travel

There have been a number of queries from social care workers regarding travel, since the new restrictions were announced. The communication below has been put together to provide some clarity on the issue:

Travel at work

For travel in the course of social care work for example if two members of staff need to travel together to visit a client, the relevant workplace guidance applies. Please see links below to the Health Protection Scotland guidance documents for Domiciliary Care, Social, Community and Residential Care Settings and for Care Home Settings.

COVID-19: Guidance for Domiciliary Care :  Publication date: 20 August 2020 is for those working in domiciliary care settings to give advice to their staff and users of their services about COVID-19. This includes registered providers, social care staff, local authorities and care staff who support and deliver care to people in their own homes (including supported living settings). It contains a section on : Personal or work travel and physical distancing : https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/hps-website/nss/3046/documents/1_COVID-19-guidance-domiciliary-care.pdf

COVID-19: Information and Guidance for Social, Community and Residential Care Settings. (excluding Care Home settings) Publication date: 21 August 2020, contains a section on : Personal or work travel and physical distancing : https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/hps-website/nss/3045/documents/1_covid-19-guidance-social-community-residential-care.pdf

COVID-19: Information and Guidance for Care Home Settings: Publication date: 17 September 2020, contains a section on: Personal or work travel and physical (social) distancing:

https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/hps-website/nss/2980/documents/1_covid-19-information-and-guidance-for-care-homes.pdf

All pieces of guidance state : “If you can adhere to physical distancing whilst travelling, then do so. Where this is not possible and you are travelling with non-household members, limit the number of passengers and space out as much as possible. In enclosed spaces, where physical distancing is more difficult and where there is a risk of close contact with multiple people who are not members of your household, you should wear a face covering”.

Travel outside work

For sharing transport outwith work duties, such as giving a colleague a lift home from work, you should only do so if absolutely necessary as per the national travel guidance (see below).

National travel guidance Car/vehicle sharing and giving lifts

You should only travel with members of your own, or extended, household.

We recognise that there may be occasions when there is no alternative but to travel with people from out with your household. This should be limited as much as possible.

On such occasions, you should:

  • keep to small groups of people, up to 6 at any one time (assume this is on public transport)
  • keep your distance and take care entering and exiting the vehicle
  • sit as far apart as possible in the vehicle, avoiding face-to-face
  • maintain good ventilation by keeping the car windows open
  • wear a face-covering, unless you are exempt
  • clean your hands before and after your journey
  • if the vehicle is your responsibility, clean the door handles and other areas that people touch.
  • If you regularly share transport whether it is a car or minibus or other private vehicle, try and share with the same people each time.

 

 

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Seasonal Flu Campaign launches today – 8 October

Seasonal Flu Campaign Stakeholder Toolkit

The Flu is Serious Stakeholder Toolkit below outlines the overarching campaign, and contains campaign materials by eligibility group.

Due to the different ways in which the flu immunisation programme will be delivered this year and the increase in those that are eligible for the free vaccination we wanted to give you all the relevant information to help encourage uptake. The stakeholder toolkit contains assets by eligibility group, so please refer to this for further information.

The new health and social care worker myth busting video asset can be viewed here.

TV ad can be viewed here:

Purpose of the campaign

  • To highlight the seriousness of flu, especially with Covid-19 around and importance of getting vaccinated, as well as educate new eligible audiences including social care workers, household contacts of those that were shielding, and from December 55-64 year olds will also be eligible.

Key Messages:

  • Flu is serious: If you are offered the vaccine, please get it.
  • Protect yourself: Every year in Scotland, thousands of people are hospitalised with flu. It can be serious and life threatening, so getting vaccinated is the safest and most effective way to protect yourself.
  • Protect others: Reduce your risk of getting flu and spreading it to others, especially those who are most at risk.
  • Protect our NHS: Help our NHS avoid the pressure that a spike in seasonal flu would put on top of Covid-19.

Call to action:

  • For more information on eligibility and information on how to book an appointment we are asking the public to visit www.nhsinform.scot/flu or call 0800 22 44 88.

Please do share, and remember if you are offered the flu vaccine, please get it!

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The Care Inspectorate update on pre-employment checks

Please see below for the latest update from the Care Inspectorate on pre-employment checks.

Supporting short-notice recruitment

On 8 September, we issued a joint statement with the SSSC that our position on pre-employment checks had reverted to pre-pandemic requirements and staff could no longer start without satisfactory checks being fully completed.

However, due to increasing COVID-19 cases and staff consequently having to self-isolate, more care services are having to deploy new staff at short notice.  In light of this changing situation and to support services, we have re-instated flexibility allowing providers to deploy staff pending employment checks being returned.  Providers should continue to request PVG checks and references, but no longer need to wait for these to be returned satisfactorily before deploying individuals to regulated roles directly supporting and caring for people.

We understand sudden change is challenging, particularly during this pandemic. If and when, after careful consideration, our position on pre-employment checks needs to change again, we will give you advance notice so you can prepare.

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‘Compassionate Poetry Week’: 1-8 October

As we approach the final months of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife , in light of the pandemic, can I suggest that we use the first week of October (1st – 8th) to reflect through writing on what this has meant in the context of compassion. Highlighting the need to be sensitive to the needs of the people we care for, picking up on the subtle signs that allow the human touch, that is key to individualised holistic care. The need to use PPE and distancing has without question altered how we deliver care and interact and this has had a significant impact on staff. There has been some research undertake over recent years to look at the benefits of learning through poetry writing and the benefits this can have as a way of learning and developing to be better nurses, but applies to all care staff.

Can I invite anyone who is involved in health and social care to make the first week of October, ‘Compassionate Poetry Week’ so we can share, learn from each other, and decompress as part of our response to self -care.

Look forward to reading all your thoughts. I’ll kickstart with my contribution below.

 

Jacqui Neil

Transforming Workforce Lead

@TransformNurse

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Care Inspectorate Update – COVID-19 outbreak notifications

The Care Inspectorate has changed some of their COVID-19 notifications to make them easier to use.

They have created four specific notifications to enable you to tell us when there are suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, and when these end.

Please use the same notifications both for staff and for people experiencing care.

The four new notifications are specifically:

  • Suspected cases of COVID-19 – please use this when someone who experiences care or a member of staff, including agency workers, shows symptoms of coronavirus.  The notification can record multiple individuals, therefore if several people show symptoms at the same time, you only need to complete one notification.
  • End of suspected outbreak of COVID-19 – please use this notification if the suspected cases result in negative tests, or after they have shown no symptoms for a period of 14 days.
  • Confirmed cases of COVID-19 notification – Please use this notification whenever someone experiencing care, or a member of staff, including agency staff, tests positive for COVID-19. Please also use this notification if a test has not been possible but coronavirus is confirmed by a medical professional.  You need to complete this notification for each person who has been confirmed as having COVID-19. 
  • End of confirmed COVID-19 outbreak notification – Please use this notification when the outbreak of COVID-19 has come to an end, based on negative tests, or when people who had symptoms have shown no symptoms for 14 days.