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Scottish Care / SSSC Promoting Excellence in Dementia Group

Scottish Care works in partnership with the SSSC and CI to share the learning opportunities involved in ‘Promoting Excellence’. This programme is designed to facilitate greater understanding of, and skill development in the delivery of care to people living with dementia.

We always welcome new members to this established group. The next meeting is taking place on Wednesday 24th August, 10.00am – 1.00pm in Compass House, Dundee.

If you would like to join this group please contact [email protected] for more information.

 

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Leadership Reference Group

The established Leadership Reference Group is a Scottish Care/CCPS/SSSC discussion forum that discusses and shares everything and anything leadership related!  This group meets four times a year and supports organisations promote leadership skills throughout their organisation.

The next Leadership Reference Group is meeting on Tuesday 23rd August – 10.00am – 2.00pm in Glasgow.  We are keen to involve more Scottish Care member organisations and front line support workers to this group.

To find out more about getting involved please contact [email protected]

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Voices from the front line of nursing in social care

Over the next few months, the Workforce Matters team will be working closely with colleagues in Scottish Care on a piece of research exploring the experiences of front line nursing in social care settings.  We are acutely aware of the challenges providers face recruiting nurses, and the damaging implications of long term reliance on agencies.

We anticipate that this research will start in August, with a report and key findings launched at Scottish Care’s Care Home Conference on 18 November.

More information will be shared with our members over the coming weeks where we will be looking for organisations to express interest in getting involved in interviews and discussions.

For more information please contact [email protected]

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Joint working between Local Integration Leads, Development Officers & Workforce Leads

Workforce Matters has been working closely with Scottish Care Local Integration Leads and Development Officers to identify, and develop, workforce solutions appropriate to different localities across Scotland.

This approach will shape the way we communicate and share local workforce activities and training opportunities.

If you are a provider, and would like to know who your Local Integration Lead is, please go to Local Partnership Information for more details.

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Scottish Government recruitment and retention survey

We are acutely aware that there continues to be challenges recruiting and retaining staff – be it front line support workers, service managers or nurses.

The Office of the Chief Social Work Advisor (OCSWA) Scottish Government has commissioned a study to provide an in-depth view of the issues and challenges that the social care sector is facing with recruitment, retention and workforce planning. The study is on behalf of the Social Work Services Strategic Forum.

We are supporting the Office of the Chief Social Work advisor promote a survey which will explore the recruitment challenges in more detail.  This will build on the research Scottish Care undertook in 2015.   Findings are due out later this summer and will be shared with Scottish Care members.

Recruitment and retention will form a significant part of the next Support Worker Strategy Forum and Workforce Development Strategy Group.

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Scottish Care Workforce Development Strategy Group

The Workforce Development Strategy Group is an innovative, progressive group of Scottish Care members interested in all workforce related matters.

The next Strategy Group event entitled ‘The Spirit Beyond the Letter’ will take place on Tuesday 1st November 11.00am – 4.00pm in Glasgow.

Further information will be issued shortly.  Please save this date in your diary.

ALL Scottish Care members are very welcome to attend. Please contact Katharine Ross [email protected] for more information.

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Exploring social care workforce innovation in the Highlands

Workforce Matters ran a workforce event for providers in Inverness on Wednesday 18th May. ‘Exploring Social Care Workforce Innovation in the Highlands’ proved to be a very successful event, with almost 40 providers attending.

We were delighted that colleagues from the SSSC, Care Inspectorate, Strathclyde University, Scottish Government and Bluebird Care joined us for the day, sharing relevant and interesting information with the group.

Despite providers facing extremely challenging times, there was a huge amount of innovative practice shared, and an enthusiasm for exploring different ways of working. We hope to run another event in the Highlands before the end of the year.

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Fitness to Practise webinars

The SSSC are holding live and interactive webinars about the changes they are making to the Rules and Decisions Guidance.

This is an opportunity to find out more about the changes and ask questions about how they will work in practice. The free webinars will be hosted by Maree Allison, the Director of Fitness to Practise.  The SSSC will consider any comments made alongside the responses to the consultation

Click on the following link to sign up:

If you would like a paper copy of the consultation please email [email protected]

If you have any queries about the consultation please contact [email protected]

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Ready for Registration?

The registration process for care at home and housing support services begins next year – 2017.  This will affect a large number of our member organisations.

To ensure that members feel supported and informed before and during this process, Workforce Matters is creating a ‘Ready for Registration?’ Working Group.  There was an initial discussion at the Scottish Care/SSSC Regulatory Forum meeting on the 14th June about how we can best support new registrants.  Part of this preparation process will also involve listening to the needs of care home organisations who have gone through the process, and now require to ensure their workforce continue their professional development.

There will be more information about getting involved in this forum on our website over the coming months.

We will be involving managers as well as front line support workers throughout this process.

For more information please contact Katharine Ross.

If you would like to become a member of the Scottish Care/SSSC Regulatory Forum that meets 3-4 times a year, please contact Katharine Ross.  We are always keen to welcome new members.

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New Workforce Development consultant

Scottish Care is delighted to announce that Elaine MacMaster has joined Scottish Care as a Workforce Development Consultant, working within the Workforce Matters project.

Her role is to enhance and develop the skills, knowledge and professionalism of the workforce within the independent care sector alongside National Workforce Development Lead, Katharine Ross.

Elaine is a Registered Nurse who worked on the frontline in nursing for 7 years in the NHS and for a short time overseas. She worked in a variety of disciplines such as acute care, day surgery and in nursing homes.

After nursing on the frontline Elaine developed a keen interest in Human Resources and decided to embark upon a post graduate HR course becoming an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Her most recent role was HR Manager for a successful Private Home Care organisation based in Edinburgh – Aspen Hamilton Care Management.

While working as HR Manager Elaine was also keen to develop her knowledge within the Third Sector and to experience working at Board Level. She was a member on the Board of Care and Repair Edinburgh and latterly the Chair of the Board for 18 months.

Keen to see the Health and Social Care Workforce recognised and fully involved in the work they do, with a background in frontline NHS and also in Social Care, she is well equipped to do so.

Elaine lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two children, for whom she provides an excellent taxi service! Elaine enjoys all types of cycling especially mountain biking.

Elaine is keen to be of assistance to providers – please do not hesitate to contact her. Elaine’s contact details are available under the Workforce Matters Contact section.