Scottish Care welcomes steps which enhance a sense of increased ‘normality’ within care settings, which ultimately are people’s homes. However we are concerned about the language within this new guidance which indicates that the exercising of personal choice regarding the wearing of face masks is to cease.

As with all decision making in social care, individual choice and control must be prioritised and decisions based on informed consent, meaningful inclusion and balanced risk assessment. This guidance appears to fly in the face of this by only enabling face masks to be worn where clinical need and IPC measures require them . It does not recognise the wishes of those supported, their loved ones or staff to protect themselves or others through face mask wearing. If this is what supports people to feel safe at work or whilst being supported, any notion of a ban should be resisted.

It should also be noted that social care staff are not eligible for spring covid booster vaccines, despite ongoing vaccination being heralded in the guidance as the most effective route of protection. We know that this has led to some concerns amongst providers and staff, with anecdotal evidence of increased infection rates when booster vaccines would previously have been due.

Whilst we recognise that the wearing of face masks has implications for communication, finances and the environment and an emphasis on reduced use may be appropriate, we will not support the removal of choice for people to wear them should they wish to do so. Our members will continue to exercise and enable personal choice, allowing staff, families, residents and those supported in their own homes to wear masks if they should wish.

Scottish Care and its members were at the forefront of calling for the wearing of masks significantly before this was introduced during the pandemic. It is essential that lessons are learned from the pandemic experience in social care, including that blanket approaches which remove personal autonomy are almost always inappropriate and unacceptable.

This media statement is being released in response to a number of recent queries.

For the last 15 years Scotland has benefitted from a National Care Home Contract (NCHC) which 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 less than £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%. Since the model was developed, the role of a care home has changed, now having an increased role in its community, undertaking many of the activities that would previously have been carried out by a cottage hospital. This means that some of the costs cannot be covered in the way that the model would suggest, something that is made worse by the current financial and other pressures.

Over the last few years despite the many challenges facing the sector it has been possible to arrive at an agreement which has enabled the NCHC to continue. This year this has not been possible.

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. 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.

Since January 2023 COSLA has made two offers which have been rejected by Scottish care home providers. The two main reasons for these are a desire from Scottish Care to pay a minimum of £12 an hour to every care worker, a desire to pay the Scottish living Wage to all staff in a care home who are currently on the National Minimum Wage (cooks, domestics etc), and a requirement to meet the sharp energy and other cost increases.

Scottish Care recognises the immense pressure that local government is under, and we recognise that the offer currently on the table – a 6% increase – is realistically the best that they can offer. However, this will not pay frontline workers the £12 an hour they deserve and address the critical energy and other cost issues. If accepted this will inevitably lead to a huge number of homes closing their doors with all the devastation that brings to vulnerable older residents and loss of employment for staff.

Since April 2023 Scottish Care has been engaged in discussions with the new Scottish Government and with senior officials to seek to address this critical issue. Following the announcement by the First Minster on the 19th of April of his desire to pay staff £12 an hour we have urgently been seeking clarification and a timeframe for this commitment. Regretfully seven weeks on since our discussions started, we are no further ahead. We recognise the stated commitment of Scottish Government, but we now need targeted action. After two further meetings of care home members, we have been asked to make this statement to raise awareness of the urgency of these discussions and the importance of intervention by the Scottish Government.

Our care homes are at a critical juncture. We need to all work together to preserve the NCHC and to ensure continued care and support is possible in a local care home. The loss of the NCHC will result in the closure of many more care homes across the country most especially in rural and remote communities and even more importantly will cause huge damage and distress to hundreds of care home residents.

There is a real urgency to save Scotland’s care homes.

INDEPENDENT SECTOR LEAD – Inverclyde

PARTNERS FOR INTEGRATION 

SCOTTISH CARE  

Health and Social Care Integration   

£48,120 per annum 

Fixed term contract funded one year from start date

Do you have an interest in improving the quality of care, can you COLLABORATE, INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE, and would you like to join a successful, committed and highly motivated team? This could be the opportunity you have been waiting for.

We are seeking to engage an Independent Sector Lead to support the Integration of Health and Social Care in Inverclyde.  Hosted by Scottish Care and working closely with care providers and partners, the post involves ensuring sector involvement in the delivery of the integrating of health and social care in Scotland’s HSCPs.

The post holder must be highly motivated, be able to use initiative, possess excellent communication and networking skills, demonstrate success and experience working at strategic level with policy makers, providers, regulators, people supported by services and carers. Qualifications and experience at a senior management level would be a significant advantage.

The post holder will be expected to create and support significant collaborations across the independent care sector while contributing to the development of new care pathways which will result in the delivery of improved outcomes for people who access care and support. The post holder will ensure the Independent Sector’s contribution is fundamental to integrated services and transformational change and be able to evidence their impact. The role requires considerable and skilful collaboration with our key partners in the NHS, Local Authority, Carers, third sector organisations and other forums.

Inverclyde is a progressive partnership and invests heavily in this post and the Independent Sector.

The successful candidate will be required to spend a significant amount of time in the Inverclyde area. 

The post is home based with travel, where necessary, and is hosted by Scottish Care.

Please see below for application pack or request it by contacting Tracy Doyle at Scottish Care by email [email protected].  To discuss this post please contact Janice Cameron by email [email protected]

Closing date 12pm on Friday 12^th May 2023.  Interviews will be held in person at Scottish Care Head Office, Prestwick in June (dates TBC).

Application Pack

Download Application Form here

Download Information for Applicants here

Download Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form here

Policy & Research Manager – Maternity Cover

SCOTTISH CARE

£27,038 per annum – 35 hours per week

Scottish Care wishes to appoint a Policy & Research Officer to work as part of our national team.  This is a maternity cover.  The post is full time (35 hours per week), based from home with the regular requirement to attend meetings and events throughout Scotland.

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.

This post 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 and maintain credibility at all levels; and have an understanding of partnership working.

Previous experience of working in policy or research roles with tangible evidence of impact 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.

The post holder must have excellent interpersonal skills.  They must be able to communicate effectively, confidently and clearly in a positive and open way with all stakeholders, demonstrating the ability to identify and understand internal and external audience needs and adapt style and language to meet them.

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

Closing date 12 noon on Friday 19^th May 2023.  Interviews will be held at our offices in Prestwick on Wednesday 31^st May 2023.