social care worker safety during covid-19

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(No Transcript)
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• Social care is a diverse area of the UK jobs
  world. With so many different settings and
  innumerable types of work included within social
  care jobs, there isnt an easy way to produce a
  set of guidelines that will work everywhere!
• One of the biggest challenges is that many social
  care jobs involve working alone. That could
  include, for example
• Supported living houses, where one project worker
  can support a few residents
• Home care workers providing one to one care in
  someones home
• Overnight workers keeping a careful watch over
  their residents to keep them safe at night
• Homeless support workers providing essential
  concierge services to shelters and refuses
• Skills for Care spoke to our healthcare workers
  to understand what lone working is like. They
  report back that 80 of respondents feel a high
  level of job satisfaction, and that 76 feel that
  having the responsibility of working alone
  provides a positive impact on their
  decision-making skills.
• As you can see, social care jobs cover such a
  broad range of skills and services that a one
  size fits all solution just isnt going to work
  for such a broad range of posts!

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WHY IS SOCIAL CARE A HIGH-RISK AREAS?
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As well as having lots of social care jobs where
staff work alone, the key reason that healthcare
is considered high risk is that it is impossible
to do an amazing job without being in contact
with people. Every social care worker is a
helper. You care for people who need assistance
with their daily lives, help the elderly or
immobile to get around every day, and provide
care for the sick, the disabled and the
vulnerable. Social care is one of the most
meaningful and rewarding careers since you make a
huge difference every day! What this does mean is
direct contact is essential to the job. During
the Covid-19 pandemic more than ever, every care
worker is vital. Where would we be without
you? So that in mind, lets look at what you, and
your employer, can do to make sure that you are
kept safe and well, whilst providing these most
crucial of services.
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MAINTAINING SOCIAL CARE WORKERS SAFETY DURING
COVID-19
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• The first step is to consider the basics which
  we know every healthcare professional working
  social care shifts already knows!
• Make sure to wear PPE wherever appropriate, and
  swap out your gloves and face masks after every
  use
• If you are short on supplies, report it
  immediately to your employer or manager where you
  at working dont put yourself at risk!
• We know that constant hand washing is a pain, but
  keep it up, and wash your hands thoroughly after
  each contact
• Change out of your work clothes before travelling
  home
• Observe social distancing where you can we know
  that this sometimes just isnt possible, but when
  you can try to keep your 2m distances
• If you feel unwell or have any symptoms, make
  sure to stay at home and self-isolate
• Should you need to cough or blow your nose, make
  sure to use a tissue and throw it away
  immediately, or cough into your elbow if you have
  to but if you arent well, make sure to stay at
  home and look after yourself!
• If you need a quick recap, have a look at
  the government advice that is updated regularly.
  There is also guidance about key services, and
  which roles are essential (including yours!).

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HELP FOR SOCIAL CARE WORKERS DURING THE PANDEMIC
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If your job changes in any way, youll need a
risk assessment. Whilst it might sound like a lot
of paperwork, this is there as a tool to help
you. Dont forget that if you are looking for a
new job, or perhaps to try something new whilst
demand for skilled care workers is so high, to
check out the job app for opportunities across
London! Chat with your employer if youre unsure
of their specific policy, but they will either
help you create a risk assessment or write one
with you. This means working out any problems you
might face, where you might be exposed to risk,
and what they can do to make sure youre kept
safe and well. Its also a great time to think
about your mental health. Whilst everybody is
under more stress than usual, being on the front
line of healthcare means going out much more than
non-essential workers, so take a moment to check
in with yourself! If youre experiencing any
problems or anxieties, make sure to speak up and
see what you can do to ease the strain. Key
workers are essential all the time and will be
just as important after the pandemic. Skills for
Care publishes a guide that explains all about
the responsibilities and duties of employers and
employees, so if you are in any doubt take the
time to have a read! We hope these guidelines
help as a recap. Remember that you cant pour
from an empty cup, so try to take as great care
of yourself as you do for your clients!
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Registering with OUTT provides experienced social
care candidates the opportunity to build an
employer review base and take full control of
where and when they work. Its your life, live
it! Register with us now!
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Thank You!
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