Shielding- Trade Body Seeks Clarification

Care England has written to the Chancellor seeking clarity and additional financial support for adult social care staff who are required to shield.

Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, says:

“The latest guidance leaves many loop holes and does not give enough certainty as to how staff in the social care sector who are clinically extremely vulnerable should be looked after.”

From an employment perspective Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 if applied, will be problematic for health and social care staff in high risk areas. The guidance does nothing to indicate the approach care providers should take to their staff who are clinically extremely vulnerable beyond the existing suggestion that it is for employers to put in place appropriate measures to keep their staff safe and the DHSC letter suggesting the issues should be subject to a risk assessment.

Care England is calling for a greater degree of level of guidance to be issued for health and care providers which aids providers to make these employment related decisions; with increasing transmission levels of Covid-19 the number of very high alert levels will continue to increase, and this issue will only become more pertinent.

Professor Green continues:

“Our staff are our biggest resource and we need to look after them as best we can. With limited guidance and dedicated financial assistance this is very tricky thus we hope that the Chancellor will be able to shed some much needed light on the situation.”