Protecting the social care workforce

The Scottish Government with COSLA and the SJC Unions have agreed today that the guidance jointly published by the Department of Health and Social Care, Health Protection Scotland (HPS), Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England on 2 April 2020 is the official and fully comprehensive guidance on the matter of the use of PPE in the context of COVID19.

That guidance makes clear that social and home care workers can wear a fluid resistant face mask along with other appropriate PPE where the person they are visiting or otherwise attending to is neither confirmed nor suspected of having COVID19, if they consider doing so necessary to their own and the individual's safety - they are professionals and we trust their professional judgement.
 
The guidance had input from Royal Colleges and is endorsed by expert scientific groups, as well as the Chief Medical Officers and Chief Nursing Officers in the UK.
 
COSLA and the SJC Trade Unions are clear that this joint statement is necessary to ensure our social and home care workforce has the confidence to carry out its role.  The Scottish Government has given assurances that it will take all possible steps to ensure all appropriate supplies will be made available to the workforce.  We recognise that this will also assure those who are receiving vital services and who are already shielding.  
 

We wish to emphasise that all social and home care staff have our utmost thanks and support for the essential work they are carrying out during this pandemic.

Background

PPE guidance for health and social care workers