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Sweating the small stuff

Well here it goes – my first ever blog! I’m Julie Hodges and I have been working with Scottish Care as a Development Officer based in Highland since July 2015.  My experiences so far have covered all ranges of emotions – great joy, sadness, and frustration. That said, the most overwhelming feeling I get and witness is one of hope and a commitment to continually improve the way we all support our older people to live the best life possible. One that is inclusive and person-centred and recognises the importance of all involved in the care home service – residents, families, and staff.

To support people to live a meaningful and fulfilling life can be difficult in trying times – but the desire to do so always seems to be there. I am delighted my role allows me to be supportive to providers (and residents/families) who are experiencing both good and more complicated situations.

Highland is further down the road with integration than other partnership areas. Because of this, I could write about numerous interesting collaborative pieces of work that are taking place on a regular basis; Highland Business Stream, the ‘Echo’ project, the 10-second pause tool, NHSH finance surgeries, NHSH & SSE contingency workshops, day-care review short term working group, complex care STWG. However, the one I have chosen to focus on is ‘Culture of Care & the impact of you’ workshops.

The workshops take place over two days and are open to anyone wishing to attend – our aim is to include residents and relatives in the future. Each group has a cross section of staff and is delivered locally were possible. The participants are introduced to some of the My Home Life tools and philosophies and reflect on their own roles in creating and supporting a positive and quality experience for anyone living, visiting, working, and dying in a care home or care setting. Workshop content is influenced by feedback from residents, staff, and relatives. The workshops are currently being delivered by the NHSH along with colleagues from all sectors who have undertaken the MHL program.

The plan is for those colleagues to present the workshops within their own services and locations to ensure a spread and share of experience and knowledge. Following on from the workshops we have created a support network for people working in care homes and care at home services. This is a supportive group of providers, managers and senior staff who are committed to sharing resources and offering help, as and when is needed, by other services and colleagues. This includes helping to identify effective paperwork/systems assistance following a care inspection or even just a ‘fresh pair of eyes’.

There is a lot to celebrate in care home life and it’s lovely to see this first hand – committed owners, thoughtful managers, hardworking knowledgeable staff, and residents who blossom with the support they have. There is also a lot of work behind the scenes – difficult negotiations and challenging conversations, and I see my role as supporting people through these in a positive way.

I’ve met some amazing people along the way and something which I notice all the time is that small things matter – the way we speak to each other, the care taken to get to know each other and to care. To care about doing a job well, whatever it is. Unlike the title of a popular book, my experience so far is that sweating the small stuff matters and many people are doing it daily. I love being part of this.

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Scottish Care is recruiting a Communications & Engagement Officer

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Scottish Care for a Communications & Engagement Officer to work as part of our national team. This is a full time post (35 hours per week), based in Scottish Care’s offices in Ayr with the requirement to attend meetings and events throughout Scotland.

Scottish Care is the representative body for the largest group of health and social care sector independent providers across Scotland delivering residential care, day care, care at home and housing support.

Applicants must have experience in managing communications.

The post holder must have excellent interpersonal skills.  They must be able to communicate and clearly and positively with all the diverse range of people we work with, demonstrating ability to identify and understand a diverse range of  audience needs and to adapt style to meet them all. The post holder must be able to demonstrate an understanding of different communications methods and their value, including experience of social media and if possible visual communications.

The post holder must have excellent skills in writing, editing and proof reading copy for publication, demonstrating excellent attention to detail and contributing creative ideas.  They will be responsible for developing and facilitating communications, maintaining the Scottish Care website and databases and will lead the planning, coordination and delivery of stakeholder engagement opportunities.

This is an exciting post for someone who is creative, innovative and able to contribute to a dynamic and team.

For further information please read the Communications & Engagement Officer Job Description & Person Specification.

Please send a completed Application Form to Cath Balmer, Scottish Care, 54a Holmston Road, Ayr KA7 3BE or preferably by email to [email protected] no later than 12 noon on Friday 27 January 2017.  It will be acknowledged.

For further information about this post, please contact Becca Gatherum on [email protected] or 07584 659995 .

Initial interviews will take place on Monday 20 February 2017.

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An exciting opportunity to join the Workforce Matters team

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Scottish Care for a Workforce Development Consultant to join its Workforce Matters team.

Scottish Care is funded by the Scottish Government to provide independent sector engagement around workforce development to ensure that social services employers are supported in:

  • Building their capacity for workforce development
  • Engaging with the workforce to enable their contributions to the development of policy and practice
  • Engaging with relevant advisory and working groups in order to support workforce development

Applicants must be qualified to degree level or equivalent and have significant experience of working at a senior level in health or social services or a related area.  Current knowledge of the national workforce development agenda and experience of managing the learning & development function are highly desirable.

The consultant will operate at a national strategic level; create significant collaborations for independent care sector organisations; contribute to national policy groups and consultations; source expertise and knowledge from key stakeholders; produce reports; gather and analyse evidence; and work across the sector nationally.

The role requires skilful collaboration with key partners in the Scottish Government, Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), Care Inspectorate, NHS Education (NES), local authority, third sector and others with a requirement to attend frequent meetings across Scotland.

The contract offers a flexible, self-employed home based option and is hosted through the Scottish Care Associate model, reporting to the Scottish Care Lead Workforce Development Lead, Katharine Ross.

Please download an Information Pack and Application Form.

You can also request these directly from Cath Balmer, Office Manager, Scottish Care, 54a Holmston Road, Ayr KA7 3BE or by email from [email protected].

Completed forms should be returned to her no later than 12 noon on Friday 3rd February 2016.

To discuss the role Katharine Ross can be contacted on 07427 615880 or at [email protected].  For further information on Scottish Care’s Workforce Matters workstream please see https://www.scottishcare.org/workforce-matters/

Interviews will be held in Glasgow on Tuesday 21st February 2017.

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Entries now open for new Scottish Social Services Awards

‘Putting your head above the parapet’ and ‘silo busting’ are two of the categories in the new Scottish Social Services Awards, launched on Monday 16 January 2017.

Highlighting the commitment of the people in this sector, the awards acknowledge innovation, joined up thinking and a willingness to speak up for vulnerable people.  Other categories recognise those with the ‘courage to take a risk’ and the role of the ‘unsung hero’, who has made a positive difference to people’s lives.

Open to individuals, teams and organisations, the awards showcase the innovation and excellent practice taking place at the front line of Scottish social services.

The Scottish social services sector is a diverse workforce totalling almost 200,000 people across local authorities, the third and independent sectors.  Many people will come into contact with social services at some point in their lives.  When they do they will find a dedicated and skilled workforce that makes difficult decisions every day to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. These awards are about the people and teams who have done just that – made a positive difference for individuals, for communities and for colleagues.

In welcoming the launch of the new Awards Mark McDonald, Minister for Childcare and Early Years said:

“The life changing and challenging work undertaken by the people who work across our social services cannot, and should not, be underestimated. This valuable work is crucial to creating a more equal and socially just Scotland.  The people in this sector should be justifiably proud of the work they do.

“It is therefore right that we start 2017 by launching the Scottish Social Services Awards so that we all have an opportunity to recognise this valuable workforce.  These new Awards will be a great opportunity to demonstrate the excellent work going on across the sector and how people are using all of their values, knowledge and skills to support real improvement in people’s lives. 

“Every day I see examples of the what the people in this sector do to support some of our most vulnerable people – these Awards are the chance to hear their stories and recognise the difference they are making to people’s lives.  There’s a lot to be proud of in our social services, and I look forward to meeting the winners at the Awards ceremony.”

For more information and to enter the awards, visit www.sssa.scot

Shortlisted award entries will be invited to attend an awards ceremony in June 2017 at Crieff Hydro Hotel.  Nominations are open until 28 February 2017.

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Scottish Parliament Debate on Palliative Care

This afternoon (Thursday 12th) in the Scottish Parliament there was a Members’ Debate initiated by Colin Smyth MSP on the recent Marie Curie report ‘Enough for everyone – Challenging inequities in palliative care,’ The debate was an honest exchange and at times a very emotional and personal debate of views about palliative care across Scotland.

The research from Marie Curie focused on some of the barriers certain groups face in accessing palliative care. It highlights that 11,000 people who need palliative care in Scotland each year are not accessing it, meaning that one in four people who die in Scotland miss out on the palliative care they need. In particular it mentions that many over 85s are disproportionately less likely to access palliative care support, that for them there is often considerable under identification of their needs and in particular challenges for those living with frailty.

The research currently underway here at Scottish Care focuses on the role of social care staff in care homes and in the wider community who every day are engaged in palliative and end of life care. Their story will be told in a report to be launched in February but the debate in Parliament highlights the continued ways in which social care palliative support is often marginalised. The training and learning needs of social care staff are in need of significant attention if we are to achieve the aims of the Scottish Government’s Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.

The debate can be watched at http://www.scottishparliament.tv/Archive/Index/ffa1ae6c-c3f1-448d-9cd4-fdeb44010cf4?categoryId=7c73db9f-2429-48aa-a999-bb851e6304ac&parentCategoryClicked=False&pageNumber=1&orderByField=ScheduledStart&queryOrder=DESC

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Cabinet Secretary Responds to Health and Sport Committee

The Cabinet Secretary’s latest response to questions raised by the Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament has been published today.

Importantly Ms Robison underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to developing a Workforce Plan for the Health and Social Care workforce.

Scottish Care will be working closely with colleagues in Scottish Government and other wider stakeholders to ensure that the distinctive needs of the social care workforce and in particular the care home, care at home and housing support workforce are properly reflected within such a Plan.

With over 103,000 workers playing a critical part in the delivery of health and social care across Scotland it is important that the distinctive needs of the independent sector are adequately reflected and prioritised.

The Cabinet Secretary’s response can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/S5_HealthandSportCommittee/Inquiries/Letter_from_Cab_Sec_to_Convener(1).pdf

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Sexual Health and Dementia Training Workshop

Alzheimer Scotland in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland would like to invite you to a training course on sexual health and dementia.

We are aware that there are rising incidences of Sexually Transmitted Infections and cases of HIV among older adults. In particular, people with dementia can be at risk of poor sexual health. Furthermore, people with HIV can also be at increased risk for dementia, and as the population ages, we are seeing a complexity of care needs for people with dementia and/or HIV.

However, sexual health can be a particularly difficult topic to address, especially where consent and capacity are concerned. This course aims to empower service providers, practitioners and carers to navigate some of the complex situations that may arise when considering the sexual health needs of people living with HIV and/or dementia.

Delivered in our state-of-the-art training centre in Glasgow, we will be delivering this course on two different dates:

Book course for Friday 27 January, 10am-4pm

Book course for Tuesday 14 March, 10am-4pm

The standard price for the course is £75, however for charities the cost is only £65 (including VAT). In addition, all participants will receive a discount code which they may apply to any other course in our extensive training calendar (see full calendar here and more information: http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/Our-work/Scotland/Learning-Centre-Scotland.)

For more information, please email [email protected]

or call 014 1332 3838.

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Vacancy: East Liaison Officer for the Independent Sector, Dumfries and Galloway

Scottish Care (Dumfries and Galloway) is recruiting a new team member to work with the new Regional Integration Manager for the Independent Sector. The new post is

  • An East Liaison Officer supporting independent sector providers in the Localities of Annandale & Eskdale and Nithsdale. This is a part time post – 2.5 days per week.

The post is hosted by Scottish Care, a membership organisation representing the largest group of independent health and social care providers across Scotland.

Part time East Liaison Officer (£29,311 pro rata, initially fixed term contract to end of March 2018 )

The post holder will support independent care providers in their Locality areas and will have a key role in supporting Health and Social Care Integration in Dumfries and Galloway. The successful candidate will develop close working relationships with Scottish Care Dumfries & Galloway’s team (especially the Regional Integration Manager, Locality Representatives and the Independent Sector Support Officer) as well as key Locality stakeholders (including the Locality Manager, local partner colleagues from NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway and those in receipt of services).

The post holder will be highly motivated and be able to use initiative, possess excellent communication and networking skills, demonstrate success and experience working in partnership with policy makers, providers, regulators, people supported by services and carers. Qualifications and experience at a management level in a current health or social care provider organisation operating in Dumfries & Galloway is an advantage as well as knowledge of relevant policy, practice and the needs and aspirations of the Independent sector.

The post holder will attend Scottish Care D&G Team Meetings on a monthly basis. They will liaise with local providers and contribute to Locality Meetings with Locality Representatives. They will have an active role in supporting Health and Social Care Integration and delivering the business plan for the team in D&G. They will also contribute to ongoing Research and Development activities to support independent providers in the region. They will be supported by the Independent Sector Support Officer and report to the Regional Integration Manager for the Independent Sector in D&G.

The post is 18.75 hours per week (2.5 days per week) and will be paid at £29,311 pro rata. Travel expenses will be paid at 45p per mile.

The post will be primarily home-based and hosted through Scottish Care. Consultancy, employment, secondment and job share opportunities considered. Hot desk facilities are available to support your work with partners in each Locality and you will be expected to spend at least some of your time in each Locality each week.

For further information:

To express an interest and request a job description please contact [email protected] or telephone Dawn on 08456 434 022 for further information.

If you are interested in the role you will be asked to submit a tailored CV showing how your knowledge, skills and experience are relevant for the post and a Personal Profile (a template will be provided).

The closing date is 5pm Friday 27th January 2017.

Shortlisting will take place 30th January 2017 and interviews will take place 1st & 2nd February 2017.

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‘Is This The Best It Can Be?’ Arts Improvement Toolkit and Workshop – 8 February

Artworks Scotland and Creative Scotland are pleased to host a workshop introducing their new toolkit for continual improvement in partnerships.

This FREE development day is for freelance artists, arts organisations and their partners to explore the nature of their collaboration: What is important to your project? What could be improved?

If you are working with a partner organisation from another sector and are interested in continual improvement then the ‘Is This The Best It Can Be?’ toolkit can help.

A workshop will be hosted at the Lighthouse, Glasgow on 8th February 2017 (10am til 4pm) for you and your partner organisation to use and explore this toolkit in the context of your artistic projects, programmes in participatory settings and in creative learning.

The toolkit is designed to be used across a partnership, including with participants to:

  • Explore and agree the nature of collaborations
  • Encourage and support curiosity, questioning and constructive criticism
  • Deepen reflection and give breadth to discussions
  • Promote a true sense of partnership between artists, partners and participants
  • Gather qualitative information about the project

The day will fully engage you in the toolkit and give you the opportunity to explore its potential in relation to your current and future collaborations. It will also be an opportunity to hear about how to apply for a grant of up to £1500 to pilot the toolkit within your project.

To find out more about the workshop, and to register your interest in attending, please see further details on the Creative Scotland Opportunities website. Please register your interest by Friday 13 January 2017 – if you’re based outwith Glasgow, it may be possible to reimburse your expenses to attend.

Please note that places are limited so if requests exceed demand places will be selected based on geographic, artform and context spread, and diversity within the projects.

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Congratulations Ranald Mair OBE

Scottish Care is delighted to join with the countless others who today have congratulated our former Chief Executive Officer, Ranald Mair on being awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours list.

This recognition of decades of work in social work and social care speaks volumes of the dedication, commitment and principles which Ranald embodies. His leadership of Scottish Care for nearly a decade has helped to put the voice of the independent sector at the heart of all debate about social care in Scotland.

His passionate desire to advance the cause of older people’s care and support has never wavered nor has his commitment to the thousands of women and men who work every day to care for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

We are therefore absolutely delighted that all his work and energy has been recognised and we extend our gratitude and thanks to Ranald.