The Covid-19 guidance for pregnant employees is available on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees
Covid-19 advice for pregnant employees
COSLA ‘This is Local Government’ Campaign – Josh’s Story
COSLA has launched a ‘This Is Local Government’ campaign which aims to increase awareness and appreciation of the essential service provided by Councils.
This campaign kicks off with Josh Morris, who works in the South Lanarkshire Council-run David Walker Gardens care home in Rutherglen.
The 22-year-old was previously employed as a lifeguard at Strathaven Swimming Pool, before moving into the care home setting to help at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can watch Josh talk about his transition to social care here.
COSLA President, Councillor Alison Evison, said:
“Josh’s story is wonderful – in terms of his age, his former career – it shows the diversity we would love to see more of in the social care workforce and across the whole Local Government workforce.”
Care Home IPC Standards Consultation Sessions
Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate are hosting two sessions to engage with staff who work in care homes for adults and older people and to garner their feedback on the draft IPC standards which were published on 12 October 2021.
There will be an opportunity at both sessions to hear from Marie Paterson, Chief Inspector, Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland on the journey to develop new IPC standards that will be mandatory in all care homes across Scotland once finalised. In all other social care services, the agreed IPC standards will be deemed as good practice.
Friday 26 November 10:00 – 11:30
This particular session is open to all staff who work in care homes for older people. Click here to register.
If you are a member of staff that works in a care home for adults (not older people) then please see the scheduled session on Friday 3 December at 10am.
Friday 3 December 10:00 – 11:30
This particular session is open to all staff who work in care home for adults (not older people). Click here to register.
If you are a member of staff that works in a care home for older people then please see the scheduled session on Friday 26 November 2021.
Feedback on the draft standards can also be submitted through Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s IPC standards online survey which can be found here
Feedback from this session and the online survey tool will be used to inform the final IPC standards. It is anticipated that final IPC standards will be published by June 2022.
What happens next?
The sessions will be held using the Microsoft Teams platform. To ensure the event is as accessible as possible, please contact [email protected] to let us know of any requirements you may have when you sign up for your place.
The workshop programme and joining instructions will be emailed out to all registered participants one week before the session from [email protected]
We hope that you will be able to attend.
Further information
The implementation of agreed IPC standards will be key in reducing the risk of infections in health and social care in Scotland. By outlining a national minimum level of service, IPC standards set out a common and current benchmark of quality for organisations and regulated care services to:
- help prevent and manage the spread of infection, and
- deliver person-centred, safe and effective health and social care.
Standards enable organisations to quality assure their IPC practice and embed many of the IPC principles set out in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual and the Infection Prevention and Control Manual for older people and adult care homes as the standards have been developed to align with the manual.
Achieving net zero is the future – actions to take now for a greener business
Net zero. Make it your business.
As we all race to tackle the climate crisis, reducing carbon emissions and achieving net zero is the future – for our planet, and for your business.
Scotland’s enterprise agencies and public sector partners offer a wide range of support, guidance, and funding to businesses looking to begin or progress their journey to net zero.
We all need to take action now, and we’re here to help. Visit netzeronation.scot/business to access all of the resources you need to take the next step.
Take action for a greener business
Here are the top 5 actions your business can take to reduce emissions to help tackle the global climate emergency and work towards achieving net zero.
Funding for your net zero project
Loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cashback grant of up to £20k.
Upskill your workforce
The Green Jobs Workforce Academy from Skills Development Scotland can help people take a greener approach to their careers. Packed full of learning and training resources, it can help your workforce acquire new skills and adapt to greener jobs.
Financial Harm/Scam updates
We have been sent updates on financial harm/scams that we thought would be useful to share with members/colleagues. Please see below for links to these updates.
Open with Care – Moving to and past Level 0 & testing update: 15 July
Open with Care – Improving care home residents’ contact and connection – moving to and past Level 0
As per the First Ministers announcement on Tuesday 13th July, Scotland will move into Level 0 on 19th July. The recommended relaxations to restrictions at Level 0 within care homes are detailed in the letter below. For those care homes already in level 0 these recommendations can be implemented immediately and those care homes who are moving into level 0 can take effect from Monday 19th July 2021.
Key points are:
- Care homes are encouraged to increase opportunities for good quality and meaningful contact with a return towards more normalised visiting
- Physical distancing reduces to 1m indoors and changes outdoors. This applies to visiting and communal activities
- Day care services operating in care home settings supported to resume.
Care Homes – Testing update for staff and visitors
You will no doubt be aware that a letter on testing was issued to adult care homes on Tuesday 13th July, setting out arrangements for increased care home discretion on the location of lateral flow testing (LFD) for family and friends, visitors and for staff.
Key points are:
- Family/friend care home visitors – discretion to allow LFD testing at home where tests are collected through the community testing route.
- Care home staff – discretion to allow staff one LFD test per week at home using LFD test kits approved for self-test at home once available
- All results for visitors and staff should be recorded at Welcome – COVID Testing Portal (service-now.com)
This letter will be uploaded to the following webpage on Friday 16th July: Coronavirus (COVID-19): adult care home lateral flow device testing – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Branch Chairs Documents
We are sharing further information and documents regarding the Scottish Care Branch Chairs ahead of the AGM on Thursday 12 August 2021, which will see the ratification of Branch Chairs. We hope that this information will be useful in letting members see what the role of a Branch Chair entails and how the process works.
Should you have any queries at all, please contact our Membership Support Team at [email protected].
Vaccination access update for frontline workers
Please see the update below regarding Independent Health and Social Care new frontline workers Vaccination Access.
2021-06-14 Letter from Deputy Director for C-19 Vaccination Survey to Third and Independent SectorLegal Webinar: BTO Solicitors – 23 June
We are delighted to present the second webinar in our Legal Webinar series.
These webinars will feature our Legal Resources Select group, a carefully selected group of law firms in Scotland. Find out more about our Legal Resources Select group here.
This session will take place on Wednesday 23 June at 2PM, hosted by Scottish Care CEO, Dr Donald Macaskill and featuring representatives from BTO Solicitors LLP.
Webinar link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82002823134
Webinar ID: 820 0282 3134
More information on the webinar session below:
Covid Legacy Challenge: Would your organisation pass the Covid health check?
BTO will consider a range of challenges affecting organisations in the post-Covid era. From employment law claims to Health and Safety Investigations/prosecutions, employers must still be wary. While we hope that the worst of the pandemic is over, there is still much for employers to be aware of.
We will provide advice on how best to manage the ongoing employment issues, looking at, for example, foreign travel and holidays, self-isolation and quarantine, and vaccinations, with a review of some of the Covid related employment tribunal claims that are now, in increasing numbers, coming through the system,
We will consider the continuing health and safety obligations, and how to protect your workplace from claims and Regulatory scrutiny. BTO will consider the challenges that you may face and how best to ensure resilience in the face of emerging risks and longer term aspects of the post Covid era. Q&A for members.
Our presenters are as follows:
Douglas Strang, Associate – Employment Law: [email protected] / 0141 221 8012
Vikki Watt, Partner & Solicitor Advocate – Health & Safety, Regulatory & Criminal Defence: [email protected] / 0141 225 5317.
Effective Voice Survey – Fair Work in Social Care
The Fair Work in Social Care Group aims to improve the working experience of those in the adult social care workforce, working together to progress the recommendations already outlined in the Fair Work Convention report, which have also been endorsed by the Independent Review of Adult Social Care.
Scottish Care is now issuing two short surveys on effective voice (that is, how much influence people can have on their working experience) on behalf of the Fair Work group in collaboration with CCPS.
One survey is for employers and one for employees. These surveys are designed to help the group understand what effective voice looks like for you.
We kindly ask you to complete the survey once, based on your job role – either employer or employee. You may share the employee link with other staff members. Your answers will be completely confidential as the data will be held by Scottish Care.
Employer survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FairWorkEmployerSurvey
Employee survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FairWorkEmployeeSurvey
We would be grateful if you could complete this and thank you in advance for taking part. We look forward to hearing your experiences.
Survey deadline: Sunday, 23rd May, 5pm
Many thanks,
Karen (Scottish Care) & Alison Christie (CCPS [email protected])
The Fair Work in Social Care Group
