Two Lothian care homes are under investigation by NHS Lothian following significant coronavirus outbreaks.
53 cases have been reported in Redmill Care home in Broxburn while 29 people have tested positive for the virus in Millford House Care Home in Duddingston.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones who have died from this cruel virus at these care homes.
“Since the start of the covid-19 outbreak care homes have been by far where the highest proportion of deaths have been, with residents at higher risk to Covid-19 and living under the same roof.
“SNP Ministers have failed to introduce effective infection prevention measures comprehensively across all care homes, which has left residents at greater risk.”
800 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported across Scotland in the last 24 hours. Of these, 164 are in Lothian.
Local MSP Neil Findlay said: “I am very concerned about the situation at Redmill care home in Whitburn (above) where there is an outbreak of Covid 19 – the company and Scottish Govt must be transparent about the situation and advise families and staff about the situation.
“Families are very appreciative of the efforts of staff at the home who are very worried about their wellbeing and that of all their residents.”
The number of adults allowed to attend parent and baby groups has been increased, subject to certain conditions, following the publication of updated public health advice.
When all children in a group are less than 12 months old, and other health and safety criteria are met, groups will now allow up to ten adults to be present at one time. Where children are over 12 months, the maximum number of adults allowed will remain five.
Announcing the updated guidance, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We understand the vital importance of parent and baby groups, especially for supporting mental health and wellbeing in the early months after having a baby. That is particularly important just now, as we know the pandemic has the potential to increase stress and anxiety for new mothers.
“We are also, however, trying to keep an extremely infectious virus from spreading and protect the health of families and the wider community.
“I hope that this updated guidance will help us to strike the correct balance. No one wants restrictions in place a moment longer than needed, but until then we are all having to accept circumstances that we would not normally ever want to.”
Subject to content of the guidance and the following conditions being met, the maximum number of adults who can attend has been set to 10:
o where all children in the group are less than 12 months old
o where the space allows for appropriate physical distancing
o where face coverings must be worn at all times by anyone, except when sitting down
o where the service provider meets all the health and safety criteria and can comply with any specific conditions set out by the venue provider at all times
o where the duration of the activity is kept to a minimum and other blended delivery options are considered including use of outside space and digital delivery
o where group attendees and facilitators, as far as possible, are kept consistent and do not change regularly
The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has published a plan for the sector’s recovery from the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The plan, which has been created following extensive consultation, focuses on the joint action required between the industry and the public sector to respond to the pandemic.
The plan will work towards maximising support for employers and employees and establishing new ways of working to manage infection control, health and safety and shared learning opportunities.
A range of immediate actions in the plan are almost complete, with remaining ones now moving into implementation. Short and medium term initiatives include work to help apprentices into trades and preparing the industry to deliver a net-zero built environment.
The recovery plan will be flexible and able to respond to industry needs and economic conditions going forward.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This recovery plan has been developed through unprecedented levels of collaboration across industry and with Government. We will now also work with the sector to help implement the plan’s actions.
“There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on construction. It is absolutely vital for the economic recovery, and to protect jobs, that we get the sector back up to speed as quickly and as safely as possible.
“This plan sets out practical actions for how this can be achieved and we thank everyone who has taken part.”
Ken Gillespie, chair of Construction Scotland, said: “A huge amount of thought, energy and commitment from participants across Government and the Construction Industry has allowed us to prepare and publish this plan at pace and we are grateful to all those who have contributed.
“The hard work required to implement the plan and find the solutions to the challenges we face continues.
“We are indebted to the Minister for the leadership and support he has provided to the sector through this pandemic in his role as Chair of the CLF.”
Peter Reekie, chief executive of the Scottish Futures Trust, said: “Endorsement by Scottish Government shows testimony to the sector’s shared vision of an industry that promotes a safe, productive, profitable, innovative, sustainable and socially responsible construction industry, offering quality jobs and fair work to a highly skilled and diverse workforce and a quality and life-time value product to its customers.”
The Scottish Construction Leadership Forum is a collaborative initiative of Construction Scotland and the Scottish Government. It was established in March 2019 to develop and implement an action plan of improvements.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has proposed a new Fans Fighting Fund to help keep football clubs afloat.
Douglas, who is also an assistant referee, is calling for the Scottish Government to match the money that fans raise to save their local teams, as many clubs warn that they will struggle to get through the next few months without funding support.
On Friday, Douglas held a discussion with 24 clubs across each of Scotland’s top divisions to hear about their concerns.
Douglas has previously held similar Roundtable Scotland events with teaching unions, drug recovery organisations and business groups.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said:“On Friday, I spoke with representatives of 24 clubs across Scotland to hear about the perilous state of the game. Clubs told me that they’re on the brink without paying punters in the stadium.
“I’ve taken away a range of issues from the meeting that I want to look at further but this initial suggestion could provide some immediate help.
“I’m proposing that we help clubs out, especially those smaller clubs embedded in communities, with a Fans Fighting Fund. I’d like to see the government commit to matching what fans raise to keep their clubs alive.
“The money from the UK Government is there. The SNP received £97 million to protect culture venues from the impact of Covid and haven’t spent at least £10 million of it. And we all know in Scotland that football is our culture, even more than comedy clubs or theatres.
“As long as clubs commit to paying the living wage and those who can chip in too, this is a fair deal to support football.”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said:“Many clubs throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians are in real financial difficulty without any income from supporters.
“This initial proposal would go along way in keeping clubs afloat during what is going to be a very challenging season.
“SNP Ministers must take this proposal seriously to ensure that clubs throughout the region have a fighting change of making it to next season.”
The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) has released a Covid-19 poster resource pack for Men’s Sheds in Scotland.
The Association is still advising Men’s Sheds to remain closed in Phase 3 however, a recent SMSA poll – on the reopening of Sheds in Scotland – identified that 15% of the Sheds that responded are already open within the Scottish Government’s Guidelines for Phase 3.
The resource pack – currently containing 25 individual posters – will allow Sheds that are open to print off and prominently display the posters that they require for their Shed premises but also help those Sheds considering opening in the future to prepare in advance.
The SMSA is in ongoing discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the closure of Sheds and the health and safety of Shedders during the pandemic.
SMSA is currently working on the guidance (including risk assessments) for Sheds which will be issued at the appropriate time in line with Scottish Government guidance.
From online youth poetry events, to debut album recordings and digital presentations of visual art, the 173 funding awards – 113 of which to individuals (£1.4million) and 60 to organisations (£1.4million) – are supporting creative development across the breadth of Scotland, helping the creative and culture sector adapt and respond to current challenging circumstances.
Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotlandsaid: “The Open Fund: Sustaining Creative Development is all about helping to ensure that Scotland’s creative workforce and organisations have opportunities to continue to develop creative practice in a challenging context.
“Thanks to £7.5million from National Lottery and the recently announced additional £3.5million boost from the Scottish Government, we’re able to support creative people who are addressing the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on their creative practice.
“People are thinking about new ways of working, how to reach audiences in different ways, taking creative risks or looking at ways to stabilise existing activity.
“Even in these challenging circumstances, these awards announced today are a positive reflection of Scotland’s resilient and innovative creative sector.”
An additional £3.5m funding from the Scottish Government was announced on Friday 28 August as part of £59million emergency funding for culture and heritage.
In addition, the threshold of funding that can be applied for will increase from £50,000 to £100,000 for individuals and organisations, from next week. Full details will be made available @CreativeScots / www.creativescotland.com, during w/c 5 Oct.
The fund has no deadlines, and full eligibility criteria and application guidance can be found on the Creative Scotland website.
A nationwide voluntary survey of education staff in schools or Early Learning & Childcare settings will help identify whether those tested are likely to have had coronavirus (COVID-19).
The COVID-19 Antibody Survey in education Staff (CASS), launched on Friday, will help identify the proportion of people working in an education setting in Scotland who have had coronavirus by testing for antibodies in their blood.
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on life in Scotland and understanding how many people have had the virus, particularly those working in an education setting doing a variety of roles, and how this changes over time will inform the measures taken to limit risk and strengthen the ongoing pandemic response.
Following the return to school, protecting the health of all staff working in and around schools is crucial to ensure their safety and wellbeing as well as minimising the disruption of children’s education – a vital component to their own health and wellbeing.
This survey will use home testing kits provided through the UK Government antibody testing programme, which commenced in September 2020. The timing of this study allows for monitoring and the ability to track changes over the school year while staff are in their normal work environment. As the test looks at past infection, it will identify whether those tested are likely to have had the virus in the school year to date.
From the test, we aim to learn whether someone has been infected in the past, and understand how this relates to their occupation, and the setting in which they work. All of which will be important to inform future decision-making for the protection of Scotland’s education staff, and pupils as a result.
The tests, however, will not influence the activities of individuals who take part. This is because an antibody test provides information about whether someone is likely to have had the coronavirus before, but it does not provide information about an individual’s immunity, or whether they can or cannot spread the virus to other people.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This new survey, part of the schools surveillance led by Public Health Scotland, is an exciting opportunity to monitor COVID-19 antibodies in the education workforce.
“This will help us understand more about the virus within educational settings as well as understanding more about antibodies and any protection they may give. I would encourage teaching staff to sign up once they are invited to take part over the coming weeks. There is no need to do anything before you are contacted.”
Dr Diane Stockton, COVID-19 Social and System Recovery Lead said: “Scotland’s education staff are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of children so they can continue their education in the traditional school setting, spend time with their peers and get back to something more like normal.
“We recognise the impact the return to school has had on staff and the CASS study is intended to provide a more detailed look at this particular work setting and provide important surveillance for staff in the long-term.
“Any adult working in a school or Early Learning & Childcare setting in Scotland is eligible to sign up for the CASS study. What we learn from participants’ test results will support and strengthen Scotland’s response to COVID-19 and ensure school settings are as safe as they possibly can be for all.”
Cllr Gail Macgregor, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources said: “The Scottish Local Government workforce has and continues to play a vital role the response to COVID-19.
“Ensuring essential services can continue to be delivered safely is a critical part of supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities. The return to school has been a vital step in not only ensuring the education of children and young people is maintained, but also in strengthening their mental health and wellbeing.
“Doing so has been a whole workforce effort and it is therefore key that all employees who work in and around schools are encouraged to take part in the CASS survey.
“Whether you are a teacher, a pupil support assistant, a cleaner, janitor, caterer or any other of the many roles that keep our schools running, we need you to take part. Doing so will help ensure we know as much as possible about COVID-19 and that we can continue to protect you and everyone in our communities.”
The CASS study is part of a larger programme of enhanced surveillance in schools. People working in education and Early Learning Centres can expect to see communications from their employers and places of work with further information about participating in this study over the coming weeks.
Social service workers and the key role they have played in supporting some of Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens during COVID-19 have quite rightly been recognised as a vital part of the health and social care system.
Their prominence and recognition come at the same time as a significant milestone is reached in the regulation of social service workers, marking a 20-year journey towards a trusted, qualified and safe workforce.
Lorraine Gray, SSSC Chief Executive said: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the social care, social work and early years workforce into the public eye and shown that they are a professional, qualified and skilled workforce with parity alongside other similar roles, such as health.
‘The aspiration of the original legislation passed almost 20 years ago to protect people who use social services is coming to fruition with people in social care and early years joining social work to create a fully qualified, accountable workforce.
‘The stories we’ve heard from the sector about how they’ve coped in the most challenging circumstances are just awe inspiring and it’s these individuals who have helped services to continue delivering high quality care to the people who need it most.
‘What comes through most of all are the values and compassion of workers, many of whom could never imagine doing anything else, such is their commitment and dedication.
‘The Scottish Government’s independent review of adult social care is an opportunity to acknowledge those workers, giving them not only the recognition they deserve for the life changing work they do but also the opportunity to change the way society values their role.
‘Adult social care alone contributes more than £13bn each year to the Scottish economy, which is more than agriculture, forestry and fishing, so the economic importance of social services shouldn’t be overlooked either.’
Regulation of Care
The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 set a vision for a registered, qualified and professional social service workforce with Codes of Practice setting the behaviours and values every worker must work to.
It meant social service workers in a wide range of roles; from social workers to day care of children workers and care home workers to residential childcare workers; have to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
SSSC registration requires workers to hold, or be working towards, a relevant qualification for their role and work to the SSSC Codes of Practice.
A trusted, skilled and confident workforce
One in 13 people employed in Scotland work in social services.
The adult social care sector contributes £13.4bn a year to the economy.
The last group of workers the SSSC Register opened to was support workers in care at home and housing support in October 2017. Some 61,920 of them were registered by the deadline of 30 September 2020.
There are 166,282 people on the SSSC Register working in a range of roles.
This represents 80% of the total social service workforce in Scotland, as not all roles require to register, for example directly employed personal assistants.
Hospitality Group Warns of House Party Boom if Lockdown Tightened
A group of Scotland’s most successful restaurant and bar operators have pleaded with customers to stay away from house parties this weekend, after Scotland’s National Clinical Director highlighted household mixing was a major driver of the upsurge in Covid infections.
The Scottish Hospitality Group, whose members employ over 6,000 people, has also warned that any further tightening of lockdown in the sector will drive a boom in illegal gatherings in homes across the country and will force many pubs, restaurants and hotels to close their doors permanently.
SHG spokesman Stephen Montgomery, who runs two successful hotels in Dumfries, said: “Professor Jason Leitch was spot-on when he identified household mixing as the major cause of increased infections.
“Unlike in bars and restaurants, where there is track and trace, social distancing, PPE and strict hygiene rules, if you go to a house party this weekend, you’re just playing Covid Russian Roulette.
“We’re urging people to follow the official advice not to take the huge risk of socialising at home, and to do so safely in Scotland’s bars and restaurants, where they can be sure that all possible precautions have been taken to look after them properly.
“Scotland’s bars and restaurants are a vital part of the fight against the spread of Covid. If we are locked down or the restrictions on us are tightened, it will simply drive more people to socialise at home, with the inevitable increases in Covid that will follow.”
Kenny Blair, founder of Buzzworks, which operates 12 venues in Ayrshire, said: “Publicans and restaurateurs have followed Scottish Government guidance to the letter. We are a vital part of the solution to combatting Covid.
“We’re the only safe place people can socialise, and the figures from SHG members – over 1.8million customers served since July, with only 17 confirmed cases – show that the Government’s own measures are working really effectively.
“However, the clear feedback we are getting from many in our industry right across the country is that they are only just managing to stay afloat. If we have further restrictions imposed or, God forbid, another lockdown, it will be Armageddon for a sector which employs more young Scots people than any other.”
The Scottish Hospitality Group comprises many of the country’s largest and best-known restaurant and bar businesses, including The DRG Group, Buzzworks Holdings, Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Manorview Group, Lisini Pub Co, Caledonia Inns, G1 Group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, Mor-Rioghain Group, and Caledonian Heritable.
People who have been hospitalised with coronavirus (COVID-19) will have access to a new national peer support network to help their recovery and rehabilitation.
Backed by almost £200,000 Scottish Government funding, the charity ICU Steps will connect ICU survivors and their families across Scotland to facilitate patient-led support groups, as well as offering a range of wellbeing resources to help with recovery.
It follows the publication of a report showing up to one-third of patients admitted to hospital developed serious mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cognitive problems.
In addition to the expansion of peer support, the report, produced by psychiatrist Dr Nadine Cossette, made a number of other recommendations which will be taken forward, through consultation with health boards. These include a network of mental health clinicians across Scotland, and a personalised digital platform.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey (above) said: “We know that treatment in Intensive Care and High Dependency Units can be particularly difficult for patients. This has been exacerbated in recent times by the fact that families have not been able to visit their loved ones.
“Most will go on to make a full recovery, but for others there is a higher risk of developing mental health issues.
“We welcome the report by Dr Nadine Cossette which sets out a number of actions to improve mental health and wellbeing of patients. The creation of a national peer support network, led by patients, will be a significant first step to ensuring that services supporting those who have been affected are well placed to respond.
“We will now consult with health boards on how best to implement these proposals locally to ensure that people have the right support throughout their recovery from COVID-19.”
Dr Nadine Cossette said: “Mental health care is crucially important to patients recovering from COVID-19. I am pleased the Scottish Government has recognised this and I look forward to ensuring patients and families across Scotland have access to good mental health care that is well integrated with physical health recovery services.”
Chair of ICU Steps George Guy said: “As an ICU survivor myself I am well aware of the physical and mental problems that patients can be left with. ICU Steps gives survivors the chance to talk to others who have gone through what they have and we have found this to be very helpful.
“We offer empathy not sympathy. I’d like to thank Dr Pam Ramsay of Dundee University, Dr Stephen Cole NHS Tayside and Chair of Scottish Intensive Care Society, and Peter Gibb, CEO and founder of ICU Steps, for their invaluable help with this project.”
