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“Thank you” Payment Scheme Now Live

The Scottish Government has launched an online portal for Personal Assistants (PA’s) to apply for the “Thank You” payment for health & social care staff.

The scheme is open to all eligible PA’s (the criteria is detailed in the link below) and the application must be made by the PA.

SPAEN recognises that PA Employers and SPAEN members will be keen to support eligible PA’s to make the application to get the “Thank You” payment so 2 of our Directors will be hosting online Zoom meetings which are open to any PA Employers who would like assistance in supporting their employees to make this claim.

The online application can be completed by clicking on this link.

Further details of the online webinars will be following shortly, so please keep checking back on our Facebook or Twitter accounts for more details.  SPAEN members with an e-mail address registered with us will also get an e-mail with details of these events and how to join.

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Changes to COVID restrictions in Scotland

The First Minister has advised that all areas of Scotland will move to Level 0 with some modifications and outlined the new guidance which will take effect from 19th July 2021, these are:

  • Up to 8 people from 4 different households can meet in a home;
  • Up to 15 people from 15 different households can meet in a private garden or public space;
  • The requirement for physical distancing from people within your group will be removed BUT groups must distance from each other by at least 1 metre;
  • The use of face masks in shops, public transport and other enclosed spaces will still be required;
  • You will no longer be required to book a 2 hour slot for restaurants and pubs and these venues can stay open until 12pm midnight;

The First Minister explained that these cautious modifications, particularly on the use of face masks, is being continued to assist people who are more vulnerable to feel comfortable to go back into public places and spaces rather than a return to “shielding”.

Walk in centres for the COVID vaccine (both 1st and 2nd dose for everyone aged 18 or over) are available in all Health Boards across Scotland and anyone can attend a walk-in centre to get either their 1st dose or, if they have had their 1st dose, their 2nd dose if they have been waiting 8 weeks or more for their 2nd dose.

You can also book your vaccine (1st or 2nd dose) online using NHS Inform.

If you have symptoms of COVID, you can continue to book a test using NHS Inform and free Lateral Flow Tests are also available to everyone in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s guidance remains that people should work from home, where possible, until a further announcement is made on 9th August 2021.

A number of key things to help stay safe and stop the spread of COVID also remain in place:

  1. If you have symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID, you should book a test immediately and self-isolate;
  2. If you are contacted by Test & Protect Scotland, you must self-isolate for 10 days;
  3. You must continue to wear a face covering in shops, on public transport and in other settings such as restaurants and bars;
  4. You should continue with other hygiene measures such as regularly washing your hands and cleaning surfaces.

The First Minister also advised that a survey will be going out to those “at highest risk” to explore what other supports they need from the Scottish Government.

More details are available from the Scottish Government website.

 

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COVID Testing for PA’s

The Scottish Government has released details of plans to provide “Lateral Testing Kits” for social care workers, including Personal Assistants.  From Monday 18th January 2021, PA’s will be able to request and access testing kits, record the results of the test and get any advice, guidance or support required if they test positive.

The launch of the Lateral Testing is accompanied by a range of support guidance and webinars, further details below:

To help to ensure that staff are familiar with the training and guidance before undertaking their first test, guidance, education and training documents can be accessed here: www.gov.scot/care-at-home-covidtesting

To access the tests, PA’s and / or employers should first call your contact centre Contact Centre on 0300 303 3020 to outline the required supply, quoting your name and profession for validation (HSCP’s and Hubs are aware that Personal Assistants are part of the valid workforce for these tests).  The contact centre will advise the best local PPE Hub to pick up your test.

Online workshops – feedback and updates

Scottish Government will be holding online workshops through January and February to walk through the testing process, as well as to share updates and hear feedback from you.  All are welcome to attend one or more session although please note that Microsoft Teams can only accommodate around 300-350 people in any one meeting. Places are on a first come, first served basis and meetings will be opened a few minutes before the start time. We suggest joining a couple of minutes before the start times to maximise your chances of joining.

Workshops will be held on:

Tuesday 19th January 2021, 12-1pm Click here to join the meeting

Wednesday 20th January, 11-12pm Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 26th January, 12-1pm Click here to join the meeting

Friday 29th January, 2-3pm Click here to join the meeting

Monday 1st February, 2-3pm Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 2nd February, 2-3pm Click here to join the meeting

Monday 8th February 2-3pm, Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 9th February, 12-1pm Click here to join the meeting

Monday 15th February 2-3pm, Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 16th February 2-3pm, Click here to join the meeting

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New Scheme “welcomed” by CEO

The Scottish Government’s latest initiative to financially recompense any Personal Assistants (PA’s) who lost earnings due to having to shield during the pandemic has been “warmly welcomed” by SPAEN CEO, Colin Millar.

The commitment and dedication of Personal Assistants, not just during the pandemic but since the inception of Direct Payments, has been admirable.  They are and continue to be a key part of Scotland’s social care community.  Whilst the “furlough” scheme was made available, there was a lot of confusion and uncertainty around if and when it applied in such specific circumstances such as people employed directly to provide vital social care support.

The Scottish Government’s recognition that some people may have been financially affected by the uncertainty around these rules, coupled with many people having to shield because of underlying health conditions themselves is, without doubt, warmly welcomed by both SPAEN and the many PA employers who were distressed and upset at the prospect of their assistants loosing out financially.

You can read more about the Scheme and SPAEN’s response by following this link.

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SPAEN response to SHRC Report

SPAEN’s CEO, Colin Millar, has “welcomed” the “stark, brutal reality experienced by people across Scotland” in today’s release from the Scottish Human Rights Commission on the impact of COVID-19 on social care support and human rights.

“Anyone reading this report and many of the case examples that its uncovered should be distressed at how our fellow citizens were ‘abandoned’ during this pandemic.  These are real people, each case covered in this report is a person, an individual, somebody’s loved one.  And this is only a snapshot, there will be many more individual experiences that haven’t been captured but are equally harrowing and alarming.”

“We’re told the Scottish Government and partners, including CoSLA, had scenario planning and response modelling from an exercise undertaken a few years previously.  It would appear that this didn’t go far enough or didn’t extend to include other key delivery partners to ensure that should such a pandemic hit Scotland, there was flexibility and security in the delivery of social care.  I’ve raised this concern before and I hope that, as we learn lessons from this unprecedented time, we learn that social care is an eco-system comprising many parts and partners, not a system or process aimed at keeping people in their homes for as long as possible.”

“I’ve said before that, from the many conversations and enquiries I and SPAEN had, that people felt ‘forgotten’ and ‘abandoned’, particularly those using a Direct Payment to commission and control their own care and support.  Ironically, these people were the least affected in our experience as they had complete control and were able to operate flexibly and nimbly to the circumstances.  I would repeat my call to have anyone and everyone using social care to review and consider whether moving to a Direct Payment or Individual Service Fund (ISF) held independently of the social care provider or local authority council would protect them against these kinds of acts should the pandemic flare up again.”

The report has made 24 recommendations to the Scottish Government and CoSLA, some of which they describe as “urgent” to “resolve immediate human rights concerns”.

You can read the full report on the link above.

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Social Care Staff Support Fund Launched

At today’s daily COVID-19 briefing, the Scottish Government announced a new “Social Care Staff Support Fund” to help anyone working in social care who may be financially affected should they be required to self-isolate.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that this scheme is available to Personal Assistants (PA’s), you can read more about the Scheme and how to apply below:

“Social care staff support fund

Social care staff working in care homes, care at home, and housing support, including personal assistants, should be paid their expected income when ill of self-isolating as a result of COVID-19.

Employers should pay eligible staff their expected income. They can then claim any additional costs they incur through the Fund from the relevant commissioning Local authority or Integration Authority.

The Fund is aimed at social care workers who may be expected to self-isolate on more than one occasion due to the nature their work, or the work environment – for example, carrying out personal care. The purpose of the fund is to support infection prevention control and prevent financial hardship.  The Fund became operational on 24 June, backdated to 23 March.

Information about the Fund, including the groups of social care workers who are eligible, the Fund criteria, and how employers can apply for reimbursement, is available here.”