Dear Member
I am writing to give you an update on the National Care Home Contract. Following discussions with the Cabinet Secretary the latest offer from Scotland Excel on behalf of COSLA/IJBs received late on Friday evening (20 March).
Members will appreciate that these are very challenging times indeed when our focus is rightly on the preservation of life and the support of our residents and staff. However, I am keen that we are able to come to some conclusion on the current NCHC offer not least as I believe that as a sector we will need in the coming weeks and months to hold discussions on requesting substantial financial support from central Government to meet these extraordinary times.
You will recall from previous letters that after the last two offers from COSLA, the Scottish Care Executive intimated in response to Julie Welsh from Scotland Excel that we were not in a position to recommend the offers to our membership until the shortfall in funding for the Agenda for Change and CPI had been addressed.
On Friday we received the attached letter which basically asks us to accept the initial offer without further conditions or restrictions on their part. Effectively this means that we are accepting the increase which covers all the elements in the Model which are agreed but does not deal with the outstanding elements. These outstanding areas will be up for discussion in the year ahead.
The positive is that they are coming back to the table offering to pay for the completed model but the negative is that they have not accepted mediation and arbitration.
I recognise in the current circumstances that this does nothing to appreciate the work of the sector, but I think we have to deal with additional funding as a distinct issue and directly with Scottish Government and either accept or reject the current offer which would start on the 6th April.
The Scottish Care Executive, however, believes it is important that we go to arbitration, mediation and conciliation when our discussions commence. We will state this in the strongest possible terms.
I am therefore asking members to vote on the new offer. The vote will commence at 12 noon today (Monday 23rd March) and will close on Friday 12 noon (27th March).
Members will be informed on the Members area of the website of the result as soon after as is practicable.
Yours sincerely
Dr Donald Macaskill
