Statement re change in Operation Koper

“Scottish Care is pleased to hear of the decision of the Lord Advocate to change the requirements around the reporting of Covid19 deaths in care homes.

We are immensely disappointed that it has taken so long to reach this stage despite the many entreaties both from ourselves and countless frontline nurses, carers and managers.

Scottish Care has always stated that it is important that assurance was given to families, staff, and residents that their care and support was as of as high a quality as it could be despite the immense pressures of an unknown virus within a global pandemic. When the then Lord Advocate decided to change reporting requirements we expressed our concern that such changes were disproportionate and that they placed an undue burden on the delivery of frontline care and support and also ignored the human rights of frontline care-givers.

We very much regret the subsequent process of investigation which became known as Operation Koper and believe it has done immeasurable harm to frontline services and the women and men who work in it. We continue to assert that far from granting reassurance and comfort to those with understandable questions around the deaths of loved ones it has fractured relationships, inappropriately maligned the reputations of frontline staff and caused real harm.

We very much hope that forthcoming Inquiries and reflections will provide an opportunity to assess these harms and to ensure that such a process of disproportionate investigation and examination, regardless of motivation, does not happen in the treatment of an infectious disease in the future.”

Ends.

For Crown Office Statement see https://www.copfs.gov.uk/about-copfs/news/change-in-reporting-of-care-home-covid-19-deaths-to-the-procurator-fiscal/

Care England and Scottish Care VAT Webinar with Grant Thornton UK LLP

Care England and Scottish Care are hosting another webinar on Thursday 19 January, 2:00 – 3:00 pm , on the subject of the VAT-efficient provision of welfare services.  The webinar is aimed at raising awareness of how care providers can restructure the provision of welfare services to enable VAT recovery on publicly funded contracts. We are in challenging financial times due to the central government funding of adult social care on top of the cost-of-living crisis nationally. Restructuring the provision of welfare services is a solution to recover input VAT for care providers on Local Authority and NHS-funded contracts, which would add to the bottom line and subsequently EBITDA.

Care England and Scottish Care will be joined by Grant Thornton UK LLP who will be presenting the webinar, will provide an overview of the VAT opportunity and will answer any questions you may have. Grant Thornton has been working in collaboration with Care England to raise awareness of this opportunity for several years and has worked with a number of Care England and Scottish Care members to implement the restructuring.

Not all local authorities and NHS bodies currently permit VAT recovery, however, close to 50% do, and as such we see a significant amount of additional funding which can be made available to your organisation to help offset some of the cost pressures providers are facing now.  We believe that increasing the number of requests from providers will support the argument for VAT recovery in all local authority and NHS areas.

We hope you will join this webinar and consider if this VAT opportunity is something your organisation would like to consider further.  This is not a sales opportunity, instead an opportunity to raise awareness, share knowledge and provide an update of the current regulatory landscape.  All materials will be shared after the session, to those who are interested, together with contact details for Nick Garside and Emma Lomas of Grant Thornton UK LLP.

Details to register for this webinar is available on the Members Area.

Care Home Conference and Exhibition 2022

‘More than four walls’
Friday 18 November 2022
Hilton, Glasgow

Our 2022 National Care Home Conference, Exhibition and Awards will be taking place next week on Friday 18 November 2022 at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

This event is titled ‘More than four walls’ and is the 23rd consecutive year of the Care Home Conference. During Care Home Day 2022, Scottish Care posed the question – what do you wish people knew about care homes? The response was clear: that they are more than four walls. This conference aims to change the misunderstandings and misrepresentations in the care home sector and to make real and meaningful change.

The Conference will feature a range of key speakers including: 

• Humza Yousaf –  Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care, Scottish Government
• Dame Sue Bruce – Chair, Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny & Regulation
• Jackie Irvine, CEO, Care Inspectorate

We will also hear from the care home perspectives in a number of talks or panels on the themes of the National Care Service, sustainability, and care homes being ‘more than four walls’.

Delegates will be able to choose from a number of creative, practice-based insight sessions and access a diverse exhibition showcasing products and services tailored to a care-home audience.

Ticket rates for Scottish Care members are £70+VAT, for non-members, it is £130+VAT.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of the only conference in Scotland which focuses specifically on care home provision and book your places now.

Find out more and book here

#morethan4walls    #carehome22