Response letter to 'This travesty of care shames us all' – Sunday Herald, 05 June 2011
Friday, 24 June 2011 09:17
Dear Sir
I read with interest your article entitled "This travesty of care shames us all", Sunday Herald, June 5.
High quality care services, provided by high calibre, skilled workers are a must, not an optional extra, especially, as Ms Devine highlights, with the number of older people and those with dementia increasing and the demand for social services continuing to grow.
This vital work is carried out every day by nearly 200,000 social service workers in Scotland who provide care services from early years to older people. Social service workers work with the most vulnerable members of our communities and they have a duty to act appropriately at all times. The recent cases in Scotland and England are another poignant reminder that every one of us has a duty to raise our concerns if we are worried about the behaviour of a worker or the care of another.
As the workforce regulator and the Scottish partner in Skills for Care and Development, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is committed to driving up the quality of care that the people of Scotland receive from their social services.
Our first responsibility is to protect and enhance the safety and welfare of people who use services. Each worker registered with us must abide by clear standards of conduct for workers so people who use care services and carers know what they can expect from their workers and how they should behave.
And while the majority work hard and often in difficult circumstances, we can and do take action against those who may fail to meet these standards. Concerns about the practice and behaviour of a worker must be reported to their employer straight away, who may then contact us and anyone can contact us directly on 0845 60 30 891 or at conduct@sssc.uk.com
Our recent sector skills assessment shows that the landscape for the social service workforce will indeed look very different in the coming years, as social services develop to recognise changing demographics, changing public expectations and a very different financial climate. People who use services want more choice, with more services delivered in their own homes and communities. Self-directed support is already starting to have an impact on the skills requirements and present challenges for employers and service providers as well as people who use services and carers.
We are working together with Scottish Government and the new scrutiny body, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland to make sure that employers meet their responsibilities and services provide all of us with the very best standard and quality of care.
As a society, we cannot tolerate the maltreatment of those who are most in need of care and protection and the SSSC is here to help ensure that such poor practice is addressed.
Anna Fowlie
Chief Executive
Scottish Social Services Council
Comments
I attended the SSSC meeting this week and the chairman's opening remarks were along the same lines.
