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COVID-19 Restrictions, September 2020

In the Scottish Parliament yesterday, the First Minister set out new restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19.  Since that statement was made, SPAEN has received an increased number of enquiries about how and if this affects PA’s and unpaid carers.  The following statement from our CEO, Colin Millar, seeks to provide reassurance and guidance in response to these requests:

“SPAEN is aware that the Scottish Government has issued new restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 through community transmission.  These regulations include restrictions on home visiting and this has led to many people asking whether this applies to Personal Assistants (PA’s) and unpaid carers.

SPAEN is clear that PA’s should continue, where possible and safe, to provide social care support to their employers following all the guidelines and regulations that have been in place since March of this year.  This includes personal and environmental hygiene, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and self-isolating where the employer or employee shows any of the symptoms of COVID-19.

The same applies to unpaid carers, including those who have had to take on caring duties as a result of their regular care arrangements being removed or varied either by their local council home care service or care agency.

The provision of social care remains absolutely vital and cannot be interrupted by the increase in COVID-19 cases but should continue to be provided following all the guidelines and using the appropriate PPE as already advised.”

SPAEN members are able to access information on a range of COVID-19 guides and supports via the Member’s area on our website and there is also extensive guidance set out on the Scottish Government’s website.

PA’s and unpaid carers should continue to use appropriate PPE at all times to protect both themselves and those they are caring for and this includes the use of PPE even where the person being cared for or the person delivering the care or support is not showing any symptoms of COVID-19.

The Scottish Government has already committed to and made PPE available for PA’s and unpaid carers and our understanding is that this provision continues so should you require PPE, you can source this through local hubs in your area.

Any PA employer requiring support on the “furlough” scheme or seeking advice around self-isolating either as a result of their developing symptoms or their PA showing symptoms can contact us for specific advice and guidance on (01698) 250280, by e-mail to info@spaen.co.uk or through our Facebook or Twitter accounts.

It is vitally important that all social care support delivered in a person’s home or community setting is done so safely and that the guidance issued in March continues to be followed as this has remained unchanged.

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Furlough Scheme Extension Details

From August 2020, the level of government grant provided through the job retention scheme will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. That means that for June and July the government will continue to pay 80% of people’s salaries. In the following months, businesses will be asked to contribute a modest share, but crucially individuals will continue to receive that 80% of salary covering the time they are unable to work.

The scheme updates mean that the following will apply for the period people are furloughed:

June and July: The government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 as well as Employer National Insurance (ER NICS) and pension contributions. Employers are not required to pay anything.

August: The government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500. Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions – for the average claim, this represents 5% of the gross employment costs the employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

September: The government will pay 70% of wages up to a cap of £2,187.50. Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions and 10% of wages to make up 80% total up to a cap of £2,500. For the average claim, this represents 14% of the gross employment costs the employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

October: The government will pay 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875. Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions and 20% of wages to make up 80% total up to a cap of £2,500. For the average claim, this represents 23% of the gross employment costs the employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

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Furlough Scheme Update

The U.K. Government has announced further changes to the Furlough Scheme and whilst you may already be aware of these, we just want to make sure you are prepared:

The Furlough Scheme has now been extended until 31st October 2020 with the current scheme continuing to pay up to 80% or a maximum of £2,500.00 (claims can include National Insurance paid and the minimum auto-enrolment pension contribution) until 31st July 2020.

From 1st August 2020, it is intended that workers can return to their employment on a part time basis and employers will be asked to pay a contribution toward the salary/wage of the furloughed worker. The amount expected of the employer has not yet been decided or disclosed.

As soon as this becomes available, we will update you but at present any PA employer with staff on “furlough” should start to plan how they will return their workers, either on their original hours/contract or some form of staged return and/or meet any contributions to the payments to keep them employed.

We are aware this might present difficulties where employers and employees may disagree over the safety of returning to work, so we’re here to assist with anyone who might come to you with such a concern. Just call us on 01698 250280 or email us at info@spaen.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

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PPE for PAs and Carers

If you are struggling to get PPE, then please contact the Social Care PPE Support Centre on 0300 303 3020 and they can provide you with information about where to access PPE locally. This will usually be through a Community Hub that has been set up in your area.

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Claiming wages for Furloughed Employees

Hello everyone,

If you are seeking to claim wages for furloughed employees then please follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme which has all the details on how to do this. Unfortunately, SPAEN cannot do this on behalf of our members, so be sure to make your claim as soon as possible.

If you have any questions then please get in touch with us. We hope you are keeping safe.

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Welcome assurance received in relation to PPE

SPAEN’s CEO, Colin Millar, has welcomed the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Sport’s written assurance that the ongoing issue of Personal Assistants and their employers are struggling to access Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Jeane Freeman MSP told the Chamber, “I need to apologise for the fact that we have not resolved this up until now.  This is a really important group of people, the individuals that they are caring for are very important individuals and there is no reason, at this point, why they cannot access PPE.  So my apology goes alongside my assurance that before I leave to go home tonight, we will have resolved this.”

She went on to state, “These Personal Assistants have my assurance that we will have resolved this by the end of today.”

The Cabinet Secretary subsequently followed up this Parliamentary statement with a letter to Colin repeating the apology for the delay and re-affirming her commitment to have this matter resolved, outlining the steps the Scottish Government are taking to ensure this is done swiftly.  You can view the full letter here.

Welcoming the commitment and renewed assurance, Colin said, “We are very grateful to the Cabinet Secretary and all MSP’s who’ve supported SPAEN in their calls to have this matter given the attention it deserves from the Scottish Government.  The delays have caused considerable distress and anger amongst many PA employers and their workers, who have continued to provide support and services despite the personal risk to them and their employers.”

“A quick resolution will ensure that people get the equipment they need to remain protected and SPAEN stands ready to work with the Scottish Government, CoSLA and any other partners to ensure this is achieved.  I would like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for her consideration and leadership in bringing this delay to an end.”

As soon as full details are available on the practical steps PA’s and employers can take to access PPE, we will update our News section, social media channels and will write direct to all our members.