Posted on

Statement for unions around staff Statutory Sick Pay

We have been approached by members who are looking for advice on responding to queries from unions around Statutory Sick Pay. We have developed a standard statement below to help support providers when answering these queries. 

Social care sector employers are unable to pay the workforce higher rates of sickness and absence pay as over 75% of care services are commissioned by Local Authorities with public money and care at home employers are restricted from topping up SSP and rates of pay due to the amount they receive for their services.  Service rates are set during contract tendering processes, are generally in place for a number of years and do not make allowances for annual uplifts to increase the workforce rate of pay and to capture sick pay requirements.

In addition, for Care Homes there is in place a National Care Home Contract and the cost model that was used to agree funding was set by Scottish Government at the Statutory Sick Pay amount.  This has resulted in care homes again not having the additional funding in place to devise their own absence policies with a higher rate of sick pay for staff.

The Fair Work in Scotland’s Social Care Sector 2019 report highlighted the inconsistencies facing the workforce and states that “despite some good practice and efforts by individual employers, the wider funding and commissioning system makes it almost impossible for providers to offer fair work.”  The report also states “Commissioning agencies under budget constraints are only willing to pay for the actual amount of time that direct care services are delivered“.  This ensures that there is no additional funding in place to pay backfill for staff and therefore the employer can only access the Statutory Sick Pay allowance to cover staff absences.

We are aware that work on Statutory Sick Pay is currently ongoing between the Scottish Government and COSLA. Individuals from UNITE and UNISON are also involved in these discussions. It is our hope that practical arrangements will be established as soon possible and care providers are able to pay their workforce higher rates of sickness pay. This will greatly assist individual workers to make the appropriate decisions re allowing themselves to be tested.

After this current settlement we trust that everyone involved will show an equal endeavour to ensure that we have an adequately resourced commissioning processes so that employers can be contracted at rates which are fair and thus enabling of fair work.

Posted on

‘Time to Talk’ – Covid-19 Listening Service

‘Time to Talk’

COVID 19 Listening Service available for relatives and residents in care homes

An Edinburgh – Glasgow project of EIFA https://www.edinburghinterfaith.com/

Good day,

I am writing to you on behalf of EIFA – Edinburgh Interfaith Organisation (a multifaith organisation which seeks to enable understanding and mutual respect within communities). The Scottish government has provided seed money to launch a service that will seek to be supportive to care home residents and their families during this time of Covid-19. As we all know, these unprecedented times have hit the care home sector especially hard, with families often unable to visit their loved ones living in care homes.

We will offer a seven day a week (11am – 7pm) opportunity for care home residents and their family members to be listened to by volunteers via the telephone. The volunteers will be vetted for their experience and training as listeners. We hope that care home residents (who are able) and their family members will gain some solace and peace from this and that it will be a support for staff who are under pressure.  Additionally, as this service is being offered through a multi-faith organisation, callers wishing to speak directly to someone of their faith will be connected through our service. It is important to note that although EIFA is a multi-faith-based organisation,all care home residents and their family members are welcomed to make use of this listening service – be they of a particular faith or none.  Also, it is important to stress that this service will offer an understanding and empathic listening service; there will be no advice or counselling offered.

 All calls will be held in the strictest confidence; only very basic background details will be noted as a record of who is making use of this service, to inform future and ongoing offering of this service.

As the manager of this listening service, I am asking if you would be willing to help to get the word out to your residents and their families about this service, so that they may perhaps find a measure of comfort during this most difficult time. I have attached a flyer that can be printed-off and posted/made available to your residents and their families. I am happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have, as well as your suggestions as to additional ways we can let care home residents and families (at present only within Edinburgh and Glasgow) to make use of our service.

Many thanks for reading this letter.  We hope that this service affords a measure of support for all involved. Please feel free to contact me at any time; I will phone you in the few days to follow-up on this.

Thank you and best wishes,

Dr Claire Garabedian

Project Manager – Time to Talk

ClaireA[email protected]

07519 418451

Posted on

New Covid-19 resource by NES / SSSC

Recognising deterioration and supporting people with acute care needs

A guide for social care workers supporting people in care homes or their own home 

A new partnership resource developed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) highlights the essential skills to respond to and care for people living in care homes or their own home, who have acute care needs due to COVID-19.

Recognising deterioration and supporting people with acute care needs during COVID-19 will be of value to staff caring for people in a care home or in their own homes, or those supporting staff in their role.

The resource provides guidance on the speedy recognition, assessment and escalation of concerns for a person who may be deteriorating. It also provides guidance on ongoing observation and monitoring of the unwell person, as well as the administration of oxygen. This builds on the many and varied skills staff already have.

They are keen to hear views on this new resource and comments can be shared using the anonymised feedback form in the website. Access the resource at https://learn.sssc.uk.com/coronavirus/acutecare/

The resource is also in the process of being uploaded to the NES Turas COVID-19 site at https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/30824/coronavirus-covid-19/practice-in-the-community-setting/social-care-workforce

 

Posted on

Disclosure Scotland email notification service – 1 June

Disclosure Scotland are automating the email notification service for priority applications, please see update from them below. 

As part of our response to coronavirus (COVID-19), we issue email notifications to employers of key workers. This allows employers to make quick and safe recruitment decisions.

From 8 June 2020, most notifications you may receive will come from [email protected]. You may still receive some notifications from [email protected]. Notifications will be issued to the email address held on our system.

We are keen this process is compatible with your business continuity arrangements during coronavirus. Please advise if you would prefer us to issue the notifications to an alternative email address by contacting [email protected].

We will no longer send notification that an application is on hold. Some applications will continue to receive a notification of completion where appropriate. All other notification guidelines remain as set out on 27 March.

Additionally, we have removed the need for organisations to submit a cover sheet with priority applications. From today, you only need to submit the application form(s).

If you are submitting more than 50 applications, please continue to give us advanced notice by emailing [email protected]. Please continue to send completed applications and queries to this address.

Thank you for your patience during this time.