Staff must be vaccinated to work in care homes says Whatley

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Mike Padgham, Chair of the Independent Care Group and Managing Director of Saint Cecilia’s Care Group, has described that the sector is in “meltdown”, leaving many care homes unable to allow visitation because of the increasing risk of COVID-19 outbreaks. According to Mr Padgham, this is a result of both a lack of funding for the sector and the “No Jab No Job” policy, which comes into force next week. This comes after care homes were not allocated extra funding in Rishi Sunak’s budget last Wednesday, with a statement from the Independent Care Group describing the sector as “teetering on the edge of survival”.

Mr Padgham said: “I do think many of them will struggle to allow visitation.

“Inside a care home, it doesn’t seem like the pandemic is over. We’re still in full PPE and testing all the time.

“Because it’s not just the issue of actual people coming in and out of the care homes, but the process of doing the lateral flow tests, putting the PPE on, making the arrangements – visitation takes lots of staff time.

“And the care sector just hasn’t been given the funding.”

“The Government ignored the opportunity to put more money into social care and tackle the situation at last week’s budget and so we can only see the situation getting worse.

“The Government has failed to see just how deep the crisis in recruitment has become in social care and we are feeling the consequences with homecare providers unable to deliver care in people’s own homes through staffing shortages and care and nursing homes battling to fill their shifts.”

Meanwhile, Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO of Care England said that there will be “serious and far-reaching consequences” of the lack of funding.

“Keeping services running this winter will require a huge investment from the Government”, he said.

“Care homes want to be able to facilitate visitors in order to promote as much contact between people who love each other; fostering these relationships is essential for health and happiness.

He added: “Providers continue to facilitate visiting in a way that allows them to manage the risk of Covid-19 infections flexibly for each individual supported, in light of changing data, rather than on a blanket basis.

According to the Independent Care Group, the “No Jab No Job” policy is set to cause up to 40,000 care home staff to lose their jobs when it comes into force next Thursday.

Speaking about the policy, Mr Padgham said that it should be “halted, or at least postponed”.

DON’T MISS: 
‘our next PM’ Britons back Liz Truss after Macron masterstroke [REACTION]
Tory RIFT on the horizon as Sunak unveils budget [INSIGHT] 
French admit UK ‘holds all the cards’ in Brexit fishing row [REVEAL]

“We’ve called on the government to push back that deadline. But no, we’ve received no response.

“Brexit rules mean we can no longer recruit as easily from overseas and the sector should be allowed to bring in care workers from abroad under a visa scheme, as other sectors can.”

“But the biggest issue of all”, he added, “is the historic underfunding of social care which means that social care workers do not get the rewards they deserve and people look at other, better paid and less stressful jobs – a situation that has been exacerbated because there are many other such jobs currently available.”

The government has recently launched a recruitment drive, in order to fill gaps in the sector – but Mr Padgham said this will not be nearly enough to fix the problem.

“Of course we want to welcome the Department’s social care recruitment campaign and we know it is well-meaning”, he said.

“I’m sorry to say that this recruitment drive will probably have as much impact as the little Dutch boy plugging the crack in the dam with his finger whilst someone else drills a big hole ten yards away!”

Although Mr Padgham has stressed that the care homes he is in charge of aim to keep the doors open for visitation, he said that many other homes will not be in the same position.

Prior to the budget, the care sector had demanded an extra £3bn in funding from the Government, with Stephen Chandler, president of the Association of Directors of Adults Social Services, urging Mr Sunak to “act decisively” to stabilise care this winter.

Source: Read Full Article