To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established a national rapid reaction group for care homes; if so, who is on the group; who chairs it; who it reports to, and what decisions it has made to date.
1. PURPOSE:
The remit of the Care Home Rapid Action Group (CHRAG) is to bring together representatives from across the care home system to monitor data on developments in the sector, enabling a swift reaction to any developing issues.
Specific objectives of the Group are to:
- enhance existing collaborative working across industry leaders;
- identify issues for urgent resolution;
- request and analyse information and data on a range of metrics; and
- identify issues for urgent resolution, making proposals to Scottish Government and the care sector leadership for other national level actions
The Group will not give clinical advice or substitute for the decision making powers of statutory and other bodies, national or local. Instead, the discussion focuses around key developments in the care home sector, and relevant national actions. There is also a Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG) , which provides a clinical input to CHRAG as required.
CHRAG brings together senior representatives of organisations involved in the delivery of care homes provision primarily to address the immediate and pressing issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst covid-related issues have been the immediate priority of the Group, CHRAG also has a remit to horizon scan, identifying challenges and opportunities affecting the sector as a whole and dealing with each collectively as appropriate.
2. CHAIR:
The meeting is chaired by Donna Bell, Director of Mental Health & Social Care. The Group reports routinely to myself.
3. OBJECTIVES:
CHRAG has set out a number of objectives to be delivered
- Ensured that requirements for multi-professional leadership arrangements including daily huddles as per the enhanced oversight arrangements set out by myself on 17 May are in place.
- Testing – I announced on 1 June that all care homes staff would be tested on a weekly basis. With input from all members of the group/all aspects of the sector, CHRAG has overseen the implementation of this testing programme for all care home staff which has led to over 34,000 staff members being tested week commencing 17 July.
- PPE & IPC – the Group has ensured effective infection prevention and control measures are in place and addressed concerns regarding access to and costs for PPE as well as use of specific aspects of protective equipment.
- Data Analysis – analysis and deeper understanding of the number of cases, deaths and the geographic spread of covid outbreaks has formed and important and integral part of the work of the Group. To do so that Group has worked with Scottish Government Analysts, SAGE, the UK Government scientific advisory group, regulatory bodies and academics. The Group also reviews a weekly local analysis from Directors of Public Health. More recently the development of an automated safety huddle tool has been progressed as an approach to reducing duplication of data provision from care homes and providing greater oversight and reassurance at a local and national level.
- Visiting Strategy – The Group has collaborated over the development of a strategy for professionals visiting care homes, for assurance and inspection purposes which was rolled out in tandem with recent re-opening of visiting for families and aims to reduce duplication, sharing essential data and establishing visiting protocols. It has also commissioned CPAG to develop guidance on visiting by other health and wellbeing professionals as their continuing care for residents is able to be progressed.
- Comms Strategy – the CHRAG comms strategy aims to restore professional and public faith in care homes and has manifested itself to date, in the recent sectoral collaboration on Care Homes Day, which took place mostly on line on 15 July. Trending on Twitter as the second top story.
4. MEMBERSHIP: is regularly reviewed to ensure fair representation from across the sector and currently includes the following organisations:
|
CHRAG: MEMBERSHIP |
BMA Scotland |
Care Inspectorate |
Chief Executives Group |
Chief Officers Group |
COSLA |
GMB |
Mental Welfare Commission |
NHS Scotland Health Boards |
|
Public Health Scotland |
RCGP Scotland |
RCN Scotland |
|
Scottish Care |
Scottish Directors of Public Health |
Scottish Social Services Council |
SOLACE |
UNISON |
UNITE |
|