After what seemed to be a week of continual publication and positivity the last week has been a week of preparation and planning not least for Christmas and all that it might bring. Perhaps the most positive and indeed emotional images of the week have been as a result of the start of vaccinations in our care homes on Monday 14th. There was and is a very real sense that this is the turning over a corner and the change in a dynamic towards greater hope and optimism.
The following is a summary of some of the main issues in the week that has passed.
Vaccination.
Monday was a good day with the first vaccination of a care home resident. Since then, we have had a gradual roll out with a good number of our members reporting a positive update from residents. Some staff seem to be reluctant and we are keen to address the practical questions people have especially in relation to allergies and pregnancy/trying to have a child scenario. At our Surgery on Tuesday Rachel Payne from Bandrum shared her experience. Of being one of the first homes to have had resident and staff vaccination. It might be worth having a catch up on the members area. We are all of us trying to what we can to call out some of the shameful stories and mistruths going around on social media in particular. It is going to be really important for us all to collectively work to convince staff of the very real benefits of taking the vaccine not only for their own health and wellbeing but most especially of the residents they care for and the people they support in the community.
We have created a section on the area of the website discussion board which can be sued for practical questions. Obviously, the major issue we are facing is the extent to which supply will be able to keep up with demand, this is especially the case as there seems no sign for the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine being approved.
We are also pleased that on the 5th January the Scottish Care Surgery will have Dr Syed Ahmad, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government who is leading on vaccination in attendance.
Care home issues including testing
From the 14th we have started to see the arrival of the lateral flow tests in the care homes which did not take part in the pilot. We have heard that there may be issues with the volume of supply and it would be useful for us to know about these through your Independent sector Leads. We are also aware of the particular issues being faced in relation to delays as a result of the season and the demand on couriers.
We continue to message around the fact that care homes and staff are under an inordinate amount of pressure at this time with vaccinations, testing and also in terms of preparation for Christmas. In the majority of instances, I think families and relatives are understanding.
On Monday next together with a number of providers, Karen Hedge and I shall be meeting with representatives of Care home Relatives Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary will chair this meeting and I hope it will be constructive and positive and will seek to address some of the growing negativity around this issue.
From data on TURAS it would appear that 61% of care homes are stating that they are allowing indoor visiting. However, there is also a concern that definitions may be confused. Indoor visiting is defined as when an individual enters the physical building of the care home. It is not indoor visiting when a relative uses an outside pod.
We hope that over the holiday period there will be more and more care homes enabling indoor visiting. In conversation with Welsh, Irish and English colleagues this week it is clear that across the UK there is disturbing evidence in a decline of admissions and that the number one reason for this is visiting restrictions.
There has been further communication in the past week both on the practical arrangements for the LFTs but also on how to access PCR testing for relatives over the three-week holiday period. See
Care at Home
We have been assured that final work is being completed on the care at home pathway for testing. And not before time I hear you all say! They are still aiming for this pathway to commence on the 18th January which strikes many of us as ambitious given where they are now. At this stage they are talking about the use of lateral flow devices, but this could change – several times I suspect before a decision is made.
Wider Covid19 issues.
As we get ever closer to Christmas and as there are clear signs that the hold of the virus in our communities is becoming stronger, we are increasingly concerned about the pressure on the social care system. This is inevitably combined with uncertainty as I write about what EU Exit might look like. We are continuing to engage with Scottish Government colleagues on this latter issue and if we have any further information – once Westminster decides what is happening – we will communicate.
Personally, I consider it inevitable that in early January we will have to enter into a prolonged period of further lockdown in order to address a surge of infections and indeed to try to manage any further spread of the virus. This will be so very challenging for all concerned, not least our frontline workforce. It is unfortunate that regardless of a Brexit Deal or not we will see impact on supply at the very same time in mid-January.
To clarify- there has been some uncertainty over the reduction of the time period required for self-isolation. This period is now 10 days for staff, but it should be noted that the 14-day period of self-isolation for residents remains the same.
Communication
We held the 50th Surgery last week and thanks for all who attended. We will be holding the surgery as per normal on Tuesday at 11 am. And Karen and I will host.
There will be NO surgery on the 29th but we will be back with Dr Ahmad (as above)
To remind everyone that the latest version of the Scottish Care Bulletin has just been published and is available on the website to download at https://scottishcare.org/winter-bulletin-2020/. This edition is full of a whole range of articles – some from the usual suspects and others relating to issues of inspection, infection prevention; as well as a whole section introducing our members of the Scottish Care Legal Panel. It is well worth the download and read.
Flu vaccine
Our Transforming Workforce Lead, Jacqui Neil, has recorded a video message to encourage staff to uptake the flu vaccination. Regrettably uptake across the sector has been lower than it should be, and we are seeking to promote this.
We are very aware of some of the practical challenges and barriers which have led to this situation and hope to work with Pharmacy and other health colleagues to improve on this in 2021.
See the video at https://scottishcare.org/flu-vaccine-a-message-from-our-transforming-workload/
Manager support.
We also received a letter this week from the Cabinet Secretary indicating the support she had allocated to assist in the administration of a whole range of issues in care homes and the routes by which this could be accessed. Thanks to Caroline Deane for all her work in progressing this to this point.
Please see https://scottishcare.org/covid-19-administration-support-for-care-homes/
Social Care Bonus Payment.
We still are no further forward with this although we believe that officials have now got a clearer idea from the Cabinet Secretary as to the scope of the payments. It is quite annoying that what is essentially a political commitment made at a party conference has raised expectations and demands from frontline staff. There has clearly been no prior planning but rather a political action to please the audience. We still do not know scope or method and frontline workers are expecting a bonus for Christmas which at this stage looks highly unachievable . Beware those bearing gifts even at this time of year!
Collective Care Future
Phase two of this exciting new piece of work was launched in the past week. To remind you, Scottish Care is leading a programme of work that will provide an opportunity for us all to reflect on and share our new care realities, and most importantly, begin to explore what this means for the independent care sector in the future.
The Collective Care Future programme involves two phases. Phase one was focused on understanding the pandemic experience across the independent social care sector. Phase two will focus on future scenarios to creatively explore the future of the independent social care sector.
The project has already produced a series of emerging insights and developed a futures perspective paper, ‘What if and why not?’, shaped by engagements from Phase 1.
In Phase 2 we are continuing to collectively build a vision for the future that enables wider dialogue around key actions, people and infrastructure required to enable change. Becca and Tara who are leading this work have collaborated with AndThen, a design strategy studio, to design Phase 2 where they hope to support diverse groups to imagine possible and positive futures resulting in a tangible and engaging output to help facilitate action and change.
There are lots of ways to be involved in Phase 2:
Help us build an aspirational vision, by taking a couple of minutes to share your ambitions for the future of social care: https://studioandthen.typeform.com/to/oHbVvDUN
And/or take part in a 2-part futures workshop which will take place in January 2021. Sign up to the workshops here: Care Futures Phase 2 Engagement Sessions – Scottish Care
Or contact: [email protected]
It is really important that members engage in this process as 2021 will be such a critical year for the sector.
Care Home Gathering: 19-21 January 2021
Please look at the programme for the Care Home Gathering. Tickets are now available and make an ideal Christmas present!! Okay maybe ideal is pushing it!
I hope you will buy tickets and support the event. This has been a hard year for everyone involved in care in Scotland not least our care home members. These three days – and you do not need to come to all the session! – will be an opportunity for us to share, explore and reflect. Please support it as it is a critical contributor to the sustainability of Scottish Care as an organisation.
Tickets are priced at £45 + VAT and gives you access to all three days; attendance is flexible, and delegates can join whichever sessions they find interesting. Please see the programme and details at:
https://scottishcare.org/tickets-now-available-for-care-home-gathering-19-21-jan/
And finally,…
On Tuesday as on every Tuesday at 7.00 pm I will be lighting a #candleforcare to think of all who are working in care at these times. For many Christmas is a time of personal and work challenge so I will light a candle for all for whom this is a time not just of joy and seasonal happiness, but of sadness and loneliness.
Please join me and light a candle.
Many thanks
Donald
19th December 2020
P.S There will be no Update for the next two Saturdays but if anything, urgent appears this will be placed on the members area in the normal manner.
