Social Care and the Scottish Human Rights Bill – Consultation event: 31 August

Social Care and the Scottish Human Rights Bill – Consultation event
Zoom, 3-5pm, 31st August 2023

Join us online to discuss social care and the proposed Scottish Human Rights Bill.

The Scottish Government has published a Scottish Human Rights Bill consultation. This is an ambitious step for human rights in Scotland because the Bill will embed (“incorporate”) rights into Scots law.  If done well, this could improve rights-based decision making across the country and make it easier for people to name and claim their rights.  The purpose of the Scottish Government’s consultation is to share their proposals for the Bill and for people to tell them what they think. This will then inform how they develop the Bill.

The Scottish Government’s proposal is to incorporate four United Nations treaties into Scots law, recognise and include the right to a healthy environment, and make sure the rights set out in the Bill are available to everyone equally. The four treaties are:

  • The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
  • The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
  • The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
  • The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

This online event will have a particular focus on social care. Social care engages many different human rights standards and principles, like:

  • The rights to independent living, health, work and education.
  • Choice, control and participation in decision-making.
  • Information and communication.
  • Accountability
  • Equality and non-discrimination.
  • Budgeting
  • Dignity and respect.

Event participants will learn more about the Scottish Government’s proposals for the Bill, discuss why it matters and how it relates to social care, and how you might want to respond to the Scottish Government consultation.

Join us online (Zoom) from 3pm to 5pm on Thursday 31 August 2023.

Please register for the event by following this link. The deadline for registration is Wednesday 23 August 2023. If you have any problems, email [email protected].

This event is organised in partnership by the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS), Disability Equality Scotland, Scottish Care, and the National Carer Organisations (Carers Scotland, Carers Trust Scotland, Coalition of Carers in Scotland, MECOPP, Shared Care Scotland, and the Scottish Young Carers Service Alliance).

Hearing the nursing voice: Nursing Models and Care Homes

Scotland’s inaugural Social Care Nursing conference took place in March,  a significant highlight of the event was a dedicated workshop focused on the topic of nursing in care homes. Attended by a diverse group of over sixty participants, the workshop fostered engaging discussions revolving around various key questions.

The insights and outcomes from these discussions have been compiled and are now presented in a paper – ‘Hearing the nursing voice: Findings from the Scottish Social Care Nursing Conference Workforce – Nursing Models and Care Homes’ . We extend our gratitude to all the participants who actively contributed to the workshop, investing their time and expertise to share their invaluable views and opinions on nursing in care homes. The information gathered holds immense value, encompassing perspectives from individuals who work in care homes, those who provide support to care homes, and those who lead and manage these essential establishments.

We are delighted to share these valuable insights, as they shed light on the vital role of nursing in care homes and offer significant opportunities for enhancing the quality of care provided. This collaborative effort highlights the importance of open dialogue and knowledge-sharing to drive positive changes in the social care sector.

Nursing models & care homes

Download report here

Global Ageing Conference 2023 – Register before 17 August!

The 2023 Global Ageing Network conference is coming to Glasgow on 7-8 September and the registration deadline is only 4 weeks away! This conference is a great opportunity to connect with other professionals in the social care sector and learn about innovative initiatives from around the world.

The conference theme is Care About Our Future: Global Symposium for Sustainable Care and Support” Keynote speakers, panellists and workshop presenters from around the world will discuss a variety of topics related to sustainable care and support, including workforce trends, technology, and policy. There will also be panel discussions and workshops to provide you with the opportunity to network with other professionals and learn about new ideas.

Tickets are still available! Members of leading organisers (Scottish Care & National Care Forum) are able to take advantage of discounted rates.

To register, please visit: https://globalageing2023.com/delegate-registration/

The registration deadline is 17 August.

In addition to the main conference, there are a number of exciting events taking place before and after, including:

We hope to see you in Glasgow in September!

Media Statement on the National Care Service

Scottish Care notes the announcement of a Partnership agreement between Scottish Government, local government and the NHS about accountability arrangements for the National Care Service (NCS).

As the representative body for the majority of organisations that provide the actual frontline care and support which people across Scotland use every day, what matters most to us is that the experience of services and supports are changed for the better.

The Feeley Review which had been widely welcomed recognised that the current system was not working and that change, and reform was needed, suggesting that a National Care Service be established. We cannot forget the lessons of those who shared their story and presume by making slight changes to reform that we are going to achieve the outcomes people want.

We note that local government organisations will continue to retain staff employment and their control over assets. However, Scottish Care members employ the majority of the 220,000 people who work in social care across Scotland and what matters to them is that their terms and conditions for the work they do are equitable, fair and dignified. It is also important that the systems they work in create the conditions for them to deliver meaningful care and support. It is therefore absolutely critical as we move forward with a new NCS Bill that the urgent changes to contracting and commissioning are prioritised.

We note that new governance arrangements will be introduced to ensure quality and local flexibility. It is imperative that these structures have the voice of those who provide, work and use social care and support services at their heart and not the usual suspects of local and national political leadership.

What matters most is that real change happens and that we do not fall back into old predictable ways of working which have over the years achieved so little for those who use care and support services and those who provide them.

Scottish Care and its members will continue to work constructively with the new arrangements and plans and will continue to put people before process.

Media Statement on the National Care Home Contract

Media Statement on the National Care Home Contract

Yesterday Scottish Care care home members concluded a week-long vote on the National Care Home Contract. The result of that vote was an extremely reluctant decision to accept the offer made by COSLA for an uplift of 6% on the previous rate and thereby to continue the National Care Home Contract.  

The National Care Home Contract (NCHC) has provided stability for those organisations who provide care and support in both residential and nursing homes, continuity for those who act as commissioners and purchase care home places for local people and transparency for those who are residents. This stability is very important because over 70% of care home residents are funded by the State and it is the national Government that essentially sets the pay and terms and conditions of the thousands of workers who are employed by charities, voluntary organisations, and private providers.

At the moment the NCHC rates for residential and 24/7 nursing care are £838 for a nursing home and £719 for a residential care home. This is equivalent to around £5 per hour for complex care and support.

The NCHC is renewed annually between Scottish Care which represents providers and COSLA representing Local Government. It is based upon a cost model which is now outdated, but offers transparency, including putting a cap on profit at 4%.

Care home providers are being faced with immense and unique challenges at the present time. The primary one of these relate to the challenge of recruiting and retaining staff. This has been made significantly harder since the Scottish Government funded Agenda for Change settlement which means that from April this year a care-worker in the NHS undertaking the same or similar role as a care home care worker is now being paid over 19% more. In addition, like many other sectors care homes have been faced with crippling cost of living pressures most especially in relation to energy costs which for smaller care homes have resulted in a 500% plus increase. The difference with other sectors is care homes cannot simply put their NCHC rates up.

Faced with these significant pressures we have sadly witnessed the largest number of care home closures the sector has experienced in the last few months and the very real fear is that this will escalate at speed. Every week at least one care home is closing down. Unfortunately, it is the small, rural, and remote private and charitable care homes which are not managing to continue operating. This is an especial risk in Scotland where most private providers are small family run businesses.

Scottish Care recognises the immense pressure that local government is under, and we recognise that the offer made by COSLA of a 6% increase – is realistically the best that they can offer without additional Scottish Government funding.

The main reason for initial rejection and this remains the case is that this rate will not pay frontline workers the £12 an hour as a stepping stone to the £15 per hour they deserve, nor address the critical energy, food and other cost issues.

Care homes have reluctantly decided to accept the 6% because after four months of discussions the lack of additional finance from Scottish Government is placing more and more of them at risk of closure. Regretfully as many have stated to us by making the decision to accept, they are only delaying the inevitable which is that many will have to close their doors within the next year.

The care home crisis which Scotland is facing is not resolved by this decision.

Scottish care home providers are seeking and continue to seek two main responses. The first is for Scottish Government to fund COSLA to enable contracted care homes and homecare organisations to pay a minimum of £12 an hour to every care worker, and secondly to release resource to address the sharp financial sustainability costs around energy, food, and cost of living increases.

Over the last three months Scottish Care has been engaged in discussions with Scottish Government and is extremely disappointed that these efforts have been fruitless.

It is with a sense of irony that this is happening at the same time as the New Deal for Business Group report has been published by Scottish Government, highlighting ambition for a strong partnership between government and business. That social care, a critical part of the foundational economy of Scotland has been excluded from this work is indicative of how little the government understands the context within which the social care sector operates, it’s importance as an employer of 1 in 8 Scots in employment, and of the wasteful siloed nature of government thinking.

As an organisation Scottish Care has over the years engaged with Scottish Government in good faith and always in a manner which always seeks constructive outcomes for those who use social care supports whether in their own home or in a care home.

Regretfully in recent weeks we have found the Scottish Government incapable of making a decision nor acting in a manner which would indicate that their stated promise to pay frontline care staff £12 is going to happen. This is to treat frontline care staff in a demeaning and dismissive manner.

The current year increase to homecare staff and to care home staff is effectively 3.8% at a time when Scottish Government has already settled and is negotiating with other health staff at significantly increased rates. We can only conclude that the current administration does not value social care staff in the same way that it values others. We can only surmise that the inability of social care staff to take direct action, and our members’ inability to influence the Government has led them to believe they can ignore the sector.

Scottish Care is dismayed at the failure of the current Scottish Government to value care staff both in our care homes and in our homecare sector. It is a government that says the right thing and makes the right promises but fails to follow through. Government by media soundbite is not respectful. Leadership that values people who work in care and even more importantly those who receive care and support is urgently needed.

Whilst the current National Care Home Contract will be signed by a majority, though clearly not by all, Scottish Care will continue to robustly argue that our frontline care staff who have given so much over so many years deserve to be treated with equality, dignity, and respect. They need a real wage for a valuable role not rhetoric and empty promise.

We call upon the current Scottish Government to stop talking and start acting in a manner that shows they truly care about care.
-Ends-

Care Home Awards 2023 – Open for Nominations!

The 2023 National Care Home Awards are now open for entries!

Nominate your company, staff, and residents to celebrate their outstanding work in the care home sector.

With 13 award categories, including the new Care Innovation Award, there’s an opportunity for everyone to shine:

  • Ancillary & Support Staff
  • Nutrition & Eating Well
  • Meaningful Activity
  • Training, Learning & Staff Development
  • Emerging Talent
  • Outstanding Achievement
  • Leadership
  • Palliative & End of Life Care Practise
  • Nurse of the Year
  • Care Worker of the Year
  • Specialist Service/Unit of the Year
  • Care Home Service of the Year
  • Care Innovation Award (New!)

Please submit nominations by Monday 11 September 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Enter now and celebrate excellence!

Find out more and enter on: https://scottishcare.org/care-home-awards-2023/

#careawards23   #celebratecare   #careaboutcare   #shinealight

Job Opportunity – Policy Lead (Ethical Commissioning)

Policy Lead (Ethical Commissioning)

£44, 125 per annum – 35 hours per week

Scottish Care wishes to appoint a Policy Lead to work at a strategic level as part of our national team.  The post is full time (35 hours per week), for a 12 month period, based from home with regular requirement to attend meetings and events throughout Scotland.

This is an exciting time to join Scottish Care as we will be supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to introducing ‘Ethical Commissioning’ in social care. The symbiotic relationship between commissioning and procurement has a direct effect on care providers and their ability to deliver the high-quality care human rights-based care and support that those who access and work in the sector deserve. The role of Policy Lead will play a key part in shaping the development of ethical commissioning policy through; collaboration with stakeholders, research and capturing good practice, identifying areas for improvement, and making recommendations that will bridge the implementation gap.

Scottish Care is based in Prestwick but works across Scotland as the representative body for the largest group of health and social care sector independent providers delivering residential care, day care, care at home and housing support. Working on behalf of a range of providers, Scottish Care speaks with a single unified voice for members and the wider independent care sector, at both a local and strategic level.  Our vision is to shape the environment in which care services can deliver and develop the high-quality care that communities require and deserve.

In addition to the core work of Scottish Care, the organisation’s activities include leading on Scottish Government funded projects and, in this context, contracts a number of ‘leads’ and colleagues to support a range of national initiatives including; workforce, the integration of health and social care, and technology and innovation.

The post of Policy Lead is key to the continued development and overall success of this high-profile organisation. The post holder will work with a complex variety of partners and stakeholders involved in the development and operation of the organisation.  He/she must be able to communicate, maintain credibility and have influence at all levels through partnership working.

Previous experience of working in policy roles with evidence of impact and influence is essential.  Experience of working in the health and social care sector and a clear understanding of Scottish Care’s role and objectives is highly desirable.

To request a recruitment pack, please see below or contact Laura Bennie (Office Manager & Executive PA) at [email protected]

Closing date 12 noon on Friday 30th June 2023.  Interviews will be held at our offices in Prestwick on Tuesday 18th July 2023.


Recruitment pack

Annual Report 2022-2023

We are delighted to announce that our Annual Report for 2022-2023 was officially released during our AGM last week.

We invite you to take a moment to read this comprehensive report, which showcases the tireless dedication and accomplishments of the Scottish Care team throughout the past year. Given the challenging landscape of the social care sector, this report serves as a testament to our commitment and unwavering efforts.

The Annual Report is divided into two distinct sections for easy navigation:

  1. Activities and Achievements“: This section offers an overview of Scottish Care, encompassing our mission, objectives, strategic priorities, and various workstreams. It also highlights the notable achievements we have attained over the past year, outlining the specific activities undertaken to fulfill our strategic objectives.
  2. Finance and Governance“: In this section, we present a detailed account of our financial performance and provide insights into our governance framework. We outline our approach to overall governance, including the role of the Executive Committee and other representative groups within our organization.

To access the individual sections of the Annual Report, please click on the buttons provided below.

We hope that you find the report informative and engaging.

Scottish Care