Health Protection Scotland has published v1.4 of their COVID-19: Information and Guidance for Social, Community and Residential Care Settings.
You can find the guidance here: https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/hps-website/nss/3045/documents/1_covid-19-guidance-social-community-residential-care.pdf
Better information recording for residents and staff.
A new web-based tool, commissioned by the Scottish Government, will allow care homes to monitor coronavirus (COVID-19) trends and identify risks quicker.
The Turas Care Management tool will launch on Friday (14 August) and will allow all private and public sector care homes across the country to record in one place information including COVID-19 infection rates, demand on services and staff testing.
This will mean care home managers, health and social care organisations and the Scottish Government can monitor trends, identify risks and take early action both during the current pandemic and in the future.
The care management tool, developed by the Scottish Government in collaboration with the Care Inspectorate, Scottish Care and NHS Education Scotland (NES), will provide:
The tool is for care home management use and only identified staff will be able to access the information.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:
“The health, safety and wellbeing of care home residents both during the current pandemic and in the future is critically important.
“This new web-based tool allows care homes to store information in one central place, whereas before they were required to report in different formats and through many channels, which tied up resources and made trend-spotting more difficult.
“Importantly, this means care home managers, health and social care organisations and the government will now be able to identify risks earlier and quickly take action during the current pandemic and in the future.”
Care Inspectorate Chief Executive Peter Macleod said:
“The care sector has worked tirelessly under the most challenging circumstances to care for some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland during the pandemic.
“This new approach to gathering data and information will help us to better understand what support the sector needs to ensure that people experiencing care are supported in the best possible way in the future.”
For more information and guidance for care homes, please follow this link: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/34427/turas-care-management-user-guides
I am delighted to advise that we have secured 5 places on the non-medical prescribing course (see letter below for more information) This will be funded up to £1000, with individual universities setting their own cost per module. This module requires the support of a GP or advanced nurse practitioner who has already completed this, and must be confirmed before commencing the course.
This opportunity has the potential to make and shape the future role of care home nursing and therefore requires a high commitment to ensure successful completion.
Applicants can apply directly to the university.
There are 2 cohorts being funded starting September/Oct 2020 and Jan/Feb 2021.
A nomination form is attached and should be completed and submitted by the 26th Aug. Once funding agreed staff can apply to the university.
Apologies for the short timescales as this has only now been released.
If you require any further assistance please feel free to contact NES at [email protected] .
Jacqui Neil
Transforming Workforce Lead
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are developing a range of educational and induction resources for all health and social care staff deployed or redeployed to support services.
The website is open access so no Turas sign in is required.
Please see below a research opportunity from the University of Stirling.
Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland has updated their COVID-19 FAQs for practitioners.
Covid-19 advice note v13 7 Aug 2020
Please see below for poster from NES on obtaining a COVID-19 diagnostic swab test in care homes.
Obtaining a Covid-19 diagnostic swab test in care homes_Final
Tickets are now available for our third technology event ‘Care Tech 3’ – ‘Tech that Cares: making tech personal in COVID social care and beyond‘ which is scheduled for Friday 28 August 2020.
The event will take place virtually and will bring together a range of perspectives to discuss developments and impacts of technology, particularly during COVID-19, and the future potential of technology across the Scottish social care sector.
The event will feature a range of panel discussion and opportunities to hear the latest developments around technology in social care.
Please see below for a outline of the programme on the day, a fuller programme will be available shortly.
‘Tech that Cares’ Programme Outline
Panel Theme 1: Technology journeys in care homes and homecare services
The rapid increase and take-up of technology during COVID19 has required the social care sector to embrace change in practice at an unprecedented pace. The use of technology and digital has affected many aspects of social care including ways of working, productivity, connection and communication, and wellbeing of staff and people supported. This panel will focus on the role of technology in care homes and homecare services to understand the journey of technology and digital in these contexts to date, what this has meant in practice for care delivery and what this all means for the future.
Panel Theme 2: Technology for social connection in social care
In a world and at a time when relationship and connection seem to be all the more important there are those in our communities who are dis-connected and alone. COVID19 and the imposed lockdown has deeply impacted thousands of individuals and created for them a sense of loneliness and isolation. It is becoming evident that this has had and continues to have a profound impact on mental health and wellbeing. In this panel, we discuss the ways groups and organisations have been responding and developing innovative ways using technology and digital to support connection and social wellbeing. Specifically, we consider the role of technology in sustaining individual and collective wellbeing across social care: how can they foster creative connections to everyday activities and routines, promote enjoyment and provide sanctuary at a time when the comfort of physical connection and human touch are limited?
Panel Theme 3: Tech-enabled care in a COVID social care and beyond
The past few months have seen an exponential shift in the acceleration of the design, development and implementation of technology and digital solutions for care. Many barriers to access and implementation have been removed and new partnerships have emerged. At the same time, the social care sector has seen a shift in mindset and confidence around the use and potential for technology and digital. This panel will share many of these developments towards a technology-enabled social care, reflecting on the facilitators of innovation and the potential of these solutions in a COVID social care and beyond. Panellists will share their insights on the future technology and digital landscape of social care and offer reflections on how we can enable innovation capacity across the sector.
The Scottish government is extending health board free flu vaccine programmes to include social care staff of all ages who have a direct hands-on care role working in the following settings:
This is targeted at those delivering direct personal care in these settings no matter of whether they are employed by Local Authorities, private or third sector employers.
Scottish Care, the Care Inspectorate, the Coalition of Care and support Providers in Scotland, and the Scottish Social Service Council support this approach.
Influenza is a highly infectious disease that occurs every year, usually in the winter. Symptoms can come on very quickly and include fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness.
Healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven days, but some people are more vulnerable and for them it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. In the worst cases, flu can result in a stay in hospital, or even death. Even for healthy people, flu can be serious, making them feel extremely unwell and unable to carry on with everyday activities.
Infected health and social care workers can spread flu to people receiving care and colleagues even if they have very mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all.
The flu vaccine provides the best protection available against the virus.
The best way for social care staff to avoid flu is to get a flu jab as part of this programme.
In the coming weeks each health board will organise delivery of the vaccination programme for their area. Further communication will be issued letting you know how you can get vaccinated this year.
We encourage staff to take up this opportunity. It’s quick, safe and free.
Find out more on the NHS Inform website: https://www.nhsinform.scot/flu
In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, we have decided to reopen entries for our Care at Home and Housing Support Awards. This offers the opportunity to recognise all the compassion and hard work from the homecare workforce during the pandemic.
We would like to thank everyone who has already submitted nominations in March. These awards entries have been kept and will still be valid. Should you need to make a change to your entry, please contact [email protected].
Please submit your award entries by Monday 31 August.
Entries can be made either online on our website, or by sending a completed Word version of the nomination form to [email protected].
For more information: https://scottishcare.org/cah-awards-2020/
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