5 Steps to Care to protect care workers and service users
We are aware of concerns from care workers about the control of infection of COVID-19. A major concern is that agency workers are often working different shifts in different care settings.
We support agency workers making a living, but we feel that the City of Edinburgh Council is responsible for reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection and keeping everyone safe.
Sign our 5 steps to care petition calling for the Council and employment agencies to adopt our 5 steps to care to keep staff and service users safe.
5 steps to care
City of Edinburgh Council and employment agencies must:
- allocate agency workers shifts in the same care setting during COVID-19
- strictly monitor where agency staff are working
- implement effective workforce planning, including increased staffing to cover absence
- provide all staff with appropriate PPE, that is fitted for the individual
And
- City of Edinburgh Council must commit to a post-COVID-19 review of the use of agency staff with a view to creating permanent roles.
Mary Alexander, Deputy Regional Secretary of Unite, commented
I have written to the Council about asking for a review of procedures and a plan of action to keep all workers (including agency workers) and residents in care homes safe. This is particularly important given the increasing numbers of care home residents dying with Covid related illness and the fatalities among care workers.