Health and Social Care – Page 4 – The NEN

Health and Social Care Recruitment Event at Fresh Start next week

Thursday 22 September from 8.30am – 12.30pm

Facemasks no longer recommended in social care

Guidance relaxed in line with latest clinical advice

Social care staff and visitors are no longer being advised to wear facemasks at all times under new guidance published today (7 September).

The recommendation has been lifted due to a sharp drop in coronavirus infections and a reduction in severity of illness, which has been driven by Scotland’s successful vaccination programme which has so far seen more than 12 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Scotland.

Care home residents and their loved ones will benefit from these more relaxed visiting arrangements. Masks and face coverings in social care may still be worn if recommended in certain situations, such as a local outbreak of COVID, or if staff deem it necessary. Staff and visitors remain free to wear one if they choose.

This guidance balances the risk of harm from COVID-19 with the impact masks can have on communication, mental wellbeing and rights and choices of those working in and using social care services.

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Our phenomenally successful vaccination programme has driven down infections and saved the NHS from untold pressures.

“Removing the need for facemasks in social care settings including care homes is the latest step in our path to recovering from the pandemic.

“This will make communication and relationships easier in care settings, benefiting mental health and promoting the rights and choices of those working in and using social care.”

Read the new guidance for face mask use in social care settings.

NHS Lothian consults on the future of local healthcare

Local health and care services are asking for the public’s views on the future of care in Lothian.

The Lothian Health & Care System (LHCS), which is made up of NHS Lothian and the four local health and social care partnerships, is urging people to help shape healthcare in their region.

The pandemic has forced a major re-think across all services and systems, including healthcare. The NHS as a whole is facing sustained pressures and the LHCS wants people to have their say around the future of services over the next five years.

Together, the LHCS works to plan, commission, and deliver health and care services locally to a population of nearly one million which is projected to grow by 8% in the next decade.

Colin Briggs, Director of Strategic Planning, NHS Lothian, said: “We’re all aware that health and social care services are under significant and sustained pressure at the moment. That is why the LHCS is setting out its strategic direction for the next five years.

“Our Lothian Strategic Development Framework (LSDF) describes what we’re trying to achieve, now and in the future, the challenges we face and the direction we want to take over the next five years. It also lays out what we think the people of the Lothians can expect from us over that time, some of which will be hard for all of us”

“However, we can’t do this in isolation. Health and care belong to us all and we really want people to tell us their thoughts and ideas, their priorities, and their expectations, and also for us to be able to work together to find the best way forward.”

Through a combination of consultations, question and answer sessions and online feedback, NHS Lothian and partners are asking for the public’s feedback on the LSDF.

More than 400,000 postcards have been landing on doormats of households across Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian giving details of how people can get involved and share their views. This builds on a successful initial engagement period during April, May, and June.

Mr Briggs added: “We’ve tried to be as accessible as possible in how we enable people from across our communities to give us their views.

“We want our patients, their families, our staff and the population we serve to be as involved as possible, both now and going forward.

“We are also being candid with our communities by saying that our performance and outcomes are not what we would want them to be. We need a new direction of travel in a post-pandemic world.

“The priorities currently outlined in the LSDF include moving care closer to home, supporting self-care, learning lessons from the pandemic, working closer with partners, improving our facilities, better utilising technology and reducing waiting lists.

“If you think we’re going in the right direction, or if you think we’re not, we’d really like to hear from you. Please get involved and tell us what you think the future of health and care should look like.”

Go here to give your feedback now.

Adult Social Care needs immediate funding injection and long-term plan, says Levelling Up Committee

The UK Government urgently needs to come forward with additional funding this year to help the ravaged adult social care sector meet immediate pressures, including inflation and unmet care needs, says the cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee in a report published last week.

Examining the Government’s charging reforms and local government finance, unpaid carers and workforce challenges, the report says the “message rang clear throughout our inquiry: the adult social care sector does not have enough funding either in the here and now, or in the longer-term”.

The Committee’s report outlines that:

On adult social care, the Government currently has nothing more than a vision, with no roadmap, no timetable, no milestones, and no measures of success.
The Government should come forward with 10-year plans for how it will achieve its vision outlined in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper and for the adult social care workforce
The Government should provide a multi-year funding settlement to give local authorities what they need in terms of their own sustainability and their ability to help shape sustainable local care markets.

Clive Betts, Chair of Westminster’s Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, said: “As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said he would fix the crisis in social care once and for all.

“The Government deserves credit for attempting reform and for acting to try to prevent the unpredictable and catastrophic costs which can be inflicted upon people for their care. However, the Government should be under no illusions that it has come close to rescuing social care and it needs to be open with the public that there is a long way to go.

“Ultimately, whether it relates to immediate cost pressures or on wider structural issues in the sector, the fundamental problem is that there continues to be a large funding gap in adult social care which needs filling. Those who need care, their loved ones, and care workers deserve better.

“The NHS and adult social care provision should not be pit against one another. The two systems are interdependent and each needs to be adequately funded to reduce pressure on the other. Wherever the money comes from—from allocating a higher proportion of levy proceeds to social care, or from central government grants—the Government urgently needs to allocate more funding to adult social care in the order of several billions each year.”

The report notes the additional pressures of Covid-19 as having exacerbated the underlying structural challenges of rising demand, unmet need, and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.

It also notes severe current pressures arising from increases in the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage, and from rising inflation. That most of the funding from the Health and Social Care Levy Levy will go to the NHS, and the money that will go to adult social care is for reforms, not cost pressures, is also highlighted in the report.

Addressing the Government’s sector reforms, the report notes the positive stakeholder reception to the vision outlined in the Government’s White Paper on long-term reform of adult social care, titled People at the Heart of Care.

The report commends the Government for introducing many welcome initiatives such as those relating to housing and data which could make a significant difference in the long-term to people’s lives.

The report calls on the Government to publish a 10-year plan for how its vision in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper will be achieved, taking into account how the different policies interweave and affect one another. The Government should also publish a 10-year strategy for the adult social care workforce which includes a clear roadmap with core milestones, outcomes, and measures of success.

The report expresses concerns about the sheer number of reforms and new ways of working in respect of adult social care that involve and affect local authorities. To help local councils deliver the numerous social care reforms, it’s important the Government provides a multi-year funding settlement to give local authorities what they need in terms of their own sustainability and their ability to help shape sustainable local care markets.

The report also calls on the UK Government to publish a new burdens assessment by the end of the year to determine the level of resource needed by local government in terms of staff, expertise, and funding to deliver the full package of adult social care reforms.

The Scottish Government has committed to establishing a functioning National Care Service by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026:

national-care-service-statement-benefits Download

Edinburgh’s golden oldies enjoy their own summer music festival!

Care home residents in Edinburgh were boogying on down to silent discos, live performances and an ABBA tribute act last week as part of Music Festival Week in the homes.

Residents and staff in both Renaissance Care’s Letham and Milford Care Home’s were working together to give TRNSMT a run for its money with a week-long Music Festival initiative. From ice-cream vans and transfer tattoos, to glitter and bucket hats, staff pulled out all the stops to give the residents a summer to remember.

The care group which runs 16 homes across Scotland is known for its fun and inventive campaigns that engage residents and focus on bettering their health and wellbeing, as well as encouraging fun and physical activity.

Each home had its own bespoke musical line up throughout the week, all taking place around the homes and gardens which were especially decorated in a festival theme, as well as playing a range of games and enjoying festival style grub.

Music has proven to be an effective tool in boosting mood and memory, especially for those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. The number of people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s has increased substantially over the past two decades, and this initiative offered a fun way for residents of all abilities to enjoy some time together and let loose their inner-ravers.

Norma Liston (90), resident at Renaissance Letham Care Home, said: “I’ve been hearing a lot about the summer festivals from Glastonbury to TRNSMT, then of course The Fringe coming up too, so it was great that we could have our own celebration and enjoy a song and a dance together this summer.

“Renaissance Care never does anything by halves, the staff did a fantastic job at making this as much like a real festival as it could be without actually going to one – and thankfully there’s no camping involved!”

Yvonne Mackenzie, Operations Director at Renaissance Care, said: “Music has universal appeal, and we know from experience how much our residents enjoy a bit of a boogie and a song. This concept has been another brilliant way to get everyone involved, up and active in whichever way they feel comfortable.

“We have recently introduced a new danceSing platform across the homes for staff and residents to use to stay fit and healthy, so this has been the perfect complement to its launch which is part of a wider effort to further improve the culture within the business.

“Bucket hats and glow-sticks were in full swing and it was great to see everyone up and having a good time this July.”

Renaissance Care recently introduced a range of new benefits as part of its culture review including danceSing, a flexible approach to working and free period products in all staff bathrooms.

SCOTLAND’S SOCIAL CARE RIP OFF

STUC: WHY SCOTLAND CAN’T AFFORD PRIVATISED SOCIAL CARE

The Scottish Government’s approach to their new National Care Service has been declared “untenable” by Scotland’s largest trade union body.

Launching their report ‘Profiting from care: why Scotland can’t afford privatised social care’, the Scottish TUC (STUC) has accused the Scottish Government of “falling glaringly short” in their plans for a transformative National Care Service.

The trade union organisation, representing unions from across health and social care, is calling for the Scottish care home estate to be transferred out of private ownership in totality.

Research within the STUC report reveals that Scotland’s large private social care providers are associated with lower wages, more complaints about care quality, and higher levels of rent extraction than public and third sector care providers.

Under current Scottish Government plans, the proposed National Care Service would remain “ownership neutral”, embedding a role for the private sector in social care.

The research finds:

• Nearly 25% of care homes run by big private providers had at least one complaint upheld against them in 2019/20, compared to 6% of homes not run for profit.

• In older people’s care homes, staffing resources are 20% worse in the private sector compared to the not-for-profit sector. • Privately owned care homes only spend 58% of their revenue on staffing, compared to 75% in not-for-profit care homes.

• Over the last six years, the public sector has paid on average £1.60 more per hour to care workers.

• The most profitable privately owned care homes take out £13,600 per bed (or £28 of every £100 received in fees) in profits, rent, payments to the directors, and interest payments on loans. This compares to £3.43 in every £100 in fees for the largest not-for-profit care home operators.

The report argues that a truly transformative National Care Service must be based on a not-for-profit public service, delivered through local authorities with an ongoing role for the voluntary sector.

Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, said: “Our new STUC research clearly shows that large privately owned care homes perform worse than not-for-profit care homes at almost every level. They are worse for those receiving care, worse for the workers providing care and worse for the taxpayer.

“It simply isn’t the case that Scotland can’t afford to buy out private care homes, we can’t afford not to. As it stands, the Scottish Government are falling glaringly short in offering the transformative shake up to social care Scotland badly needs.

“As the National Care Service Bill makes its way through Parliament, politicians must focus their attention on the kind of organisations we want to provide care for our citizens, not as seems to be the case just now, the centralisation of commissioning and outsourcing procedures.”

The recommendations have been backed by Care Home Relatives Scotland. The influential group, set up during the pandemic, have been working to strengthen relatives rights as a result of care home visitation restrictions during COVID-19.

Catherine Russell, Care Home Relatives Scotland: “This report should be essential summer reading for every member of the Scottish Parliament.

“The research findings endorse everything Care Home Relatives Scotland said in our response to the NCS consultation. Our fear is that millions will be spent on upheaval and reorganisation when the priority must be to focus on improvements and with resources on the frontline where they are desperately needed.

“We also share the STUCs grave concerns about the further marketisation of social care and community health services.

“As the report demonstrates, private homes are not the most cost effective or highest quality. They are extremely costly for residents who need to pay and the profit motive tends to drive down staff conditions.

“Scotland can and should find a better, fairer way to do things and this research will be a very useful contribution to that debate.”

Profiting_from_Care_Report Download

Scottish Government’s National Care Service plans will not work: COSLA

The Scottish Government’s plans for a National Care Service as they currently stand will not work for service users or communities, COSLA said yesterday.

COSLA also warned that, as the Bill stands, it would have a significant impact on councils’ ability to deliver not only social care services but other critical councils services that our communities rely on.

In a meeting of Council Leaders yesterday there was unanimous and cross-party concern that the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill as published will see decisions around locally delivered social care services moved from communities to Scottish Government Ministers in Edinburgh.

The powers set out in the Bill would potentially lead to the transfer of 75,000 local government employees from local authorities to care boards.

It was the strong view of Leaders that local authority services, staff and resources should remain the responsibility of locally elected members, a view that has been echoed by all the main Local Government trade unions.

COSLA Leaders also fear that the transfer of public protection duties from local authorities risks losing local expertise and knowledge, with implications for safety within our communities.

COSLA, which represents every council in Scotland, has also cautioned that the Scottish Government’s National Care Service Bill will create significant uncertainty and further division for the Local Government workforce, at a time when there are already significant recruitment and retention challenges.

Councillor Paul Kelly COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: ““All Council Leaders were in agreement that as it stands, the National Care Service Bill with the power to transfer local authority functions, staff, property and liabilities to a National Care Service, poses a serious risk to councils’ ability to deliver a wide range of services for communities including non-social work and care services.

Leaders were very clear that this approach would result in destabilising the Local Government workforce and potentially impacting on the sustainability of some councils to carry out their functions and responsibilities.

COSLA is committed to the change, improvement and investment needed in our social care system and will continue to work with the Scottish Government and partners to better the experiences of both those using and delivering social care services now and in the near future and not wait until a National Care Service is in place.

COSLA will seek further engagement with the Scottish Government in an attempt to ensure that there is no disruption to local services by ensuring that local authority staff remain in local authorities.”

National Care Service Bill published

“This is the most ambitious reform of public services since the creation of the NHS” – Humza Yousaf

Legislation to establish a National Care Service for Scotland (NCS) will ensure the best possible outcomes for people accessing care and support and end the ‘postcode lottery’ of care, says the Scottish Government.

The National Care Service Bill will make Scottish Ministers accountable for adult social care in Scotland – a change strongly supported by those responding to the recent consultation on the plans.

The Bill provides the foundation for the NCS, and enables the fine detail of the new service to be co-designed with people who have direct experience of social care services.

Plans have also been published to explain how that collaboration will work.

The aims are to:

support people in their own homes or among family, friends and community wherever possible, with seamless transitions between services;
create a charter of rights and responsibilities for social care, with a robust complaints and redress process;
introduce rights to breaks for unpaid carers
introduce visiting rights for residents living in adult care homes, giving legal force to Anne’s Law
ensure fair employment practices and national pay bargaining for the social care workforce;
focus on prevention and early intervention before people’s needs escalate;
create a new National Social Work Agency to promote training and development, provide national leadership and set and monitor standards in social work.

On a visit to Aberdeen-based charity VSA, which supports people with a wide range of social care needs, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf said: “This is the most ambitious reform of public services since the creation of the NHS.

“People have told us they want a National Care Service, accountable to Scottish Ministers, with services designed and delivered locally. That’s exactly what we are going to deliver.

“The design of the NCS will have human rights embedded throughout, and the actual shape and detail of how the NCS works will be designed with those who have direct experience of accessing and providing social care.

“We are going to end the postcode lottery of care in Scotland. Through the National Care Service we’re going to ensure everyone has access to consistently high-quality care and support so they can live a full life. This is our ambitious goal and while it will not be easy to achieve it is vital that we do.”

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “One of the key benefits of a National Care Service will be to ensure our social care and social work workforce are valued, and that unpaid carers get the recognition they deserve.

“When this Bill passes we will be able to have the new National Care Service established by the end of this parliament. In the interim we will continue to take steps to improve outcomes for people accessing care – working with key partners, including local government, and investing in the people who deliver community health and social care and support.”

Chief Operating Officer of VSA Aberdeen John Booth, said: “We welcome the announcement that the National Care Service Bill has been published. With this being the biggest reform since the creation of the NHS we will now take the time to properly review the bill to understand the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to co-design the NCS to ensure the voices and needs of the vulnerable people who rely on our vital services are heard.”

Local government umbrella body COSLA has issued a statement:

A massive restructuring project, limited resources, local government opposition … Now, what could possibly go wrong?

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill

Charity expert Marie to lead inspirational innovator awards

An inspirational design competition has a new cheerleader after a charity expert was appointed to help drive as many entries as possible.

Highly experienced Marie McQuade will now devote herself to raising awareness of the Blackwood Design Awards, which aim to transform the lives of those who need support to live independently.

The Dragon’s Den style competition has helped uncover a host of innovations to help people with disabilities or age-related conditions – but was put on hold for two years during the pandemic.

Now it is hoped Marie’s appointment will help relaunch the refreshed competition which typically attracts innovation and design breakthroughs from all over the world.

She said: “In Blackwood’s 50th year, it is more important than ever to celebrate and showcase the amazing inventions that have the potential to accelerate the industry and provide significant benefits to peoples’ lives.

“Every year individuals and organisations from around the world send in their thoughtful designs and we are really looking forward to seeing who will submit what and from where.

“This opportunity is hugely exciting and I am really looking forward to organising this unique and highly impactful competition that will see new designs, technologies and adaptations come to life.”

Marie joins Blackwood with over 25 years’ experience in the charity sector, having worked in diverse roles, supporting causes including Victim Support Scotland and the Scottish International Development Alliance.

She previously held a senior role at THINK Consulting Solutions, an International fundraising specialist which has worked with charities all over the world, developing fresh, innovative solutions to boost not for profit funds in a competitive landscape.

She has also supported Third Sector Organisations to grow their insights, income and impact at charities such as Changing Faces UK, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and Mencap, where she gained a wealth of knowledge in fundraising, events and communications.

Colin Foskett, Blackwood’s Head of Innovation, who kickstarted the Design Awards, said: “Marie comes with a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge in the charity and fundraising sector and is perfectly equipped to deliver the Design Awards to the highest standard.

“She has already thrown herself into the jobs at hand and we are both really looking forward to welcoming this year’s wonderful selection of up-and-coming innovators.”

Marie’s work will see her approaching universities, innovation hubs, tech incubators and other organisations with a stake in design, engineering and technology to encourage them to enter the awards.

She will also play an instrumental role in organising the event, including attracting sponsorship and recruiting members of the judging panel for the Dragon’s Den style competition, which will see entries evaluated on their ability transform lives.

Previous winners have included an app that helps make living spaces safer for people with dementia and inventor Grant Douglas’ “spill proof” spoon – the S’up Spoon – designed for those affected by conditions which cause them to shake.

Key categories include Best Collaborative Project, Best New Concept and Best New Aids, Equipment or Accessible Technology.

Groups or individuals can apply for the Blackwood Design Awards which are open to both seasoned professionals and gifted amateurs, meaning that both technologically advanced and those simpler, yet often most successful designs, are equally welcome.

The awards will mark Blackwood’s 50^th Anniversary, since the it was founded by Dr Margaret Blackwood, a respected campaigner for improvement to help people with disabilities to live more independently.

Blackwood now operates more than 1500 properties across 29 local authorities, and invests in innovation and technology to help people live life to the full.

The charity has already built two developments of tech-smart ‘Blackwood Homes’ in Glasgow and Dundee which use a “CleverCogs” digital system to make life easier for older people and people with disabilities.

For more information or to enter the awards, please visit www.bespoken.me or e-mail bespoken@blackwoodgroup.org.uk.

People looking to join can find more information at:

www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk/peoplehood

or by messaging: getinvolved@blackwoodgroup.org.uk

For more information, please visit: https://www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk