Update from Professor Martin Green OBE Chief Executive: Care England DH: Independent Sector Dementia Champion. Plea to the care sector on 25th March 2020.
Dear public,
Last week in response to the COVID19 outbreak the Government called upon retired nurses and doctors to return to work with the line ‘your NHS needs you’. Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, is complementing this message, ‘social care needs you too’.
The adult social care sector too will require the support of the nation in the coming months if it is to continue to support some of society’s most vulnerable at these most worrying of times. We encourage those who are willing and able, to do so by joining the adult social care workforce.
Our message is that social care is still open for business – social care needs your help.
- Firstly, we call upon retired staff with experience in the adult social care sector to engage in this national effort to keep social care operational.
- Secondly, those who are currently not working; particularly those in catering, hospitality or air travel, as a result of the outbreak are encouraged to support the adult social care sector.
- In addition, we encourage the UK’s population to utilise the provisions made within the Coronavirus Bill with regards to ‘Emergency Volunteering Leave’.
- Lastly, if you have previously worked in the social care sector, there has never been a more important time for your skills and knowledge to be reclaimed.
If you’re in one of these groups – social care needs you.
Many providers have noted that they already see rising levels of Covid-19 related absences. This combined with the already extremely high levels of vacancy rates in the adult social care sector has the potential to create a perfect storm for the sector. However, with your help we can act to avert such a reality and the negative implications it would have upon some of society’s most vulnerable individuals.
Yours faithfully
Professor Martin Green OBE Chief Executive: Care England DH: Independent Sector Dementia Champion
