Scottish Government: Covid-19 guidance for social care

The Scottish Government has issued separate clinical guidance, one for nursing home and residential care residents, and one for the management of clients accessing care at home, housing support and sheltered housing.

Care homes

This guidance provides clinical advice on COVID-19 to support those working with adults in long term care such as residents of nursing home and residential care settings.

Find out more by clicking here.

Care at home & housing support

This guidance is aimed at local authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and registered providers, who support and deliver care and support to people in their own homes to support measures to prevent and prepare for infection in people receiving care at home or housing support.

Find out more by clicking here.

CMO/CNO/CSWA letter on social care settings

Please click the button below to access the letter from the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Social Work Advisor about Covid-19 clinical guidance for social care settings.

Disclosure Scotland Covid-19 Updates

NHS NSS triage centre for social care PPE supplies update

Please contact the triage centre with any requests via the phone number 0300 303 3020 and not the email address in the previous NHS NSS triage centre post. The ‘double entry’ route was causing confusion and delays in the process.

From today, all emails to the triage centre will receive an automatic reply directing to the phone number.

When contacting the helpline,  providers will be required to:

– Answer a series of short screening questions 

– Confirm they have fully explored business as usual procurement routes

– Confirm they have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and therefore have a need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

– Provide their Care Inspectorate registration number

 

The helpline will be open 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week.

Luminate@Home – launch of new online creative programme

Today Luminate – Scotland’s creative aging organisation – in partnership with Scottish Care will be launching Luminate@Home, a new programme of short online films demonstrating creative activities for you to do wherever you are.

The activities will be presented by professional artists and will feature different arts forms including crafts, poetry, music and dance.  We’ve developed the films in partnership with Scottish Care, and they are aimed at people living in their own homes, as well as care home staff who are looking for ideas of activities for residents.

Join us at 2pm today for our first activity, led by visual artist Christine Hilditch.

We understand that this is a worrying and difficult time for everyone, especially if you are having to spend the next few weeks isolated at home or in your care home, and we hope that you will find the activities enjoyable and engaging to do over the next few weeks.

Films will be posted every Tuesday and Friday at 2pm on our website and Facebook page as well as on our Vimeo and YouTube channels. Once posted, the films will be left online so you can access them at any time.

Enjoy the films and stay safe from all at Luminate.

 

A front-line care worker’s story on Covid-19

This was sent after the Prime Minister’s speech on Monday evening when obviously carers were rightfully scared.

Tracy is a carer on a double up run who works with Lucerne Scotland. These are her words:

“Just a little word from me with having this virus.

I found out last Saturday I had it, it was confirmed at the hospital.

I have never felt so crap in my life, a really bad strain of the cold or flu, depends how each individual reacts to it, well mines was pretty serious.

I’m still getting over it and hope to be back at work next week, symptoms are now starting to subside so there is light at the end of the tunnel, which is the important thing.  

I’ve followed all the advice there is and can honestly say as long as you don’t let all this pandemic and lockdown get into your head you will be fine. 

Stay strong, stay safe and remember why you do this job. We are naturally caring people that can deal with difficult situations, don’t let the virus win even if you are unfortunate to come down with it. Positive thinking is the key to progress and our clients will need us more than ever now. 

People will see carers differently after all of this passes and you should be proud of yourselves to be what is essentially going to be in the history books! 

I’ve been reading the constant shift cover messages since I’ve been off and the support you are giving each other and working extra hard to ensure the client’s needs have been met is just amazing. 

 It’s ok to feel scared but there is so much support out there just now for these circumstances you won’t be alone. 

I’m happy to give advice separately from this chat if it will help anyone that is feeling anxious. Telephone …….. if you need a chat, confidential of course.  

Take care all.”

Covid-19 useful resources

TECHNOLOGY 

 

Mother's Day personalised videos - Your Big Day TV

Mothers Day is normally the busiest day in the year for families getting together. Sadly the Coronavirus emergency makes all that impossible this Sunday. Hugs and kisses are right off the agenda. But there is a new way you can stay in touch - by sending one of the special personalised videos Your Big Day has created.  Geared to the date and year your Mum was born or got married (any year between 1917 to 2002), they are ordered online - and delivered online within minutes, for instant viewing on Mum’s mobile or on a care home computer.  Your own personal message (created when you order) appears onscreen at the start of the video.

Staying in touch with older relatives

A BBC article with helpful information on what to consider when using/buying tech to support engagement with older people

No one left behind: Digital Scotland

SCVO-led online community around how to help those digitally excluded. Establishing a national digital emergency response team to find, equip, train & support households who currently lack access to the internet at home due to poverty or vulnerability

Screen usage guide

Covid-19 has meant that most of us are using technology and spending time in front of a screen increasingly. Here is a useful guide with tips to ensure that you take control of your screen time and create healthy habits.

 

 

Keeping well and finding support  - Outside the Box

A great selection of resources for supporting community connectedness & mental wellbeing as well as a range of practical resources e.g. for parents & families

Age Scotland website

A guide on practical ways to help older people and helpline information

COMMUNITY

 

WORKFORCE

Expanding the nursing workforce: safe and effective options - Nursing Times

A set of principles to apply to nursing students at this time to ensure safety and standards are upheld

 

Description of risk categories

Jason Leitch, Clinical Director at Scottish Government, describes different at risk groups and what they should do

 

Home working and coronavirus spam emails

Advice from Police Scotland on cybersecurity at this time

 

ACAS advice for employers and employees

Employment information relating to social isolation, sick pay, etc

 

Business continuity advice - Scottish Enterprise

A list of websites that give useful information on business continuity for employers & businesses

Coronavirus advice helpline for Scottish businesses

A new helpline to supply Scottish businesses with tailored advice on coronavirus. Open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:30, based at Scottish Enterprise's call centre in Clydebank.

 

 

EMPLOYMENT

CARE

Care Inspectorate FAQs

Common questions received by the regulator in relation to Covid-19