Housing Support regional event Dundee 16th July 2013 Welfare - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Housing Support regional event

Dundee 16th July 2013

Welfare Reform and housing support

Yvette Burgess Unit Director, HSEU

Overview

• Supported housing – current and future picture
• Accessing benefits advice
• Linking with national response to welfare

reform

• Discussion on impact of welfare reform:
• Role of housing support workers
• Supported housing – being classed as SEA?
• Bedroom tax
• DHP
• SWF

Supported housing

• Supported Exempt Accommodation (SEA)
• What is it?
• Why is it important?
• What did our recent survey tell us?

Looking ahead

 Devolved budget for additional housing related

costs associated with supported housing before general roll out of UC

 How will the DWP decide how much budget to

devolve to Scotland?

 HB data  An additional survey involving providers?

The need for advice and assistance

Assistance and advice

 Practical support (eg referring to food banks)  Information and advice on fuel poverty problems  Information to help navigate social welfare problems

(Type 1 advice)

 Help to manage money and benefits (Type 1)  Advice on social welfare problems (Type 2)  Casework and representation – social welfare (welfare

rights/debt/housing) (Type 2 or 3)

 Infrastructure support – specialist second tier advice

and training

Accessing advice

 Making Advice Work grant

 Total of £7.45M being made available:

 Stream 1: impact of WR and financial problems £3.95M  Stream 2: aimed at avoiding homelessness and impact of

WR on tenants of social landlords £2.5M

 Stream 3: aimed at impact of WR on people with physical

disabilites / mental health problems or those facing domestic abuse £1M

 Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) to make

announcements over the summer

Current focus of HSEU

 Training on aspects of welfare reform  Briefings on aspects of welfare reform (on the

HSEU website)

 Discussions with Scottish Government and

DWP on supported housing

 Contributing to the work of the Scottish

Government’s Expert Working Group

Discussion

 Are your services judged to be SEA?

 ….and, if not, is this an issue for you?

 What have your experiences of Discretionary

Housing Payments and Scottish Welfare Fund been so far?

 What impact is welfare reform having on your

services and the people you work with?

Contact details

Yvette Burgess Unit Director, HSEU yvette.burgess@ccpscotland.org Heather McCluskey Information Officer, HSEU Heather.mccluskey@ccpscotland.org www.ccpscotland.org/hseu

Cheryl Campbell

Senior Registration Officer Registration and Regulation

Mandatory Registration

Part of the Register Mandatory Registration Social Workers September 2005 All Residential Child Care Workers September 2009 Adult Day Care and Care Home Managers November 2009 SCSWIS Authorised Officers March 2010 Managers in Day Care of Children Services November 2010 Practitioners in Day Care of Children Services September 2011 Supervisors in Care Home Services March 2012 Managers in School Care Accommodation November 2012 Practitioners in Adult Care Home Services 29 March 2013 Supervisors in School Care Accommodation 30 April 2013

Future Dates for Mandatory Registration

Part of the Register Date of Mandatory Registration House Staff in School Care Accommodation 30 November 2013 Support Workers in Day Care of Children Services 30 June 2014 Housing Support & Care at Home Managers 31 January 2014 Support Workers in Adult Care Home Services 30 September 2015 Supervisors in Housing Support & Care at Home Expected 2017 Workers in Housing Support & Care at Home Expected 2020

New Workers

• Where mandatory registration is in place workers

starting in a new role have 6 months to achieve registration.

• When the register opens for supervisors next year all

new workers will be required to register within 6 months

• f commencing their role. This will be the same for all
• ther workers in 2017.

Eligibility

• Workers must be working in a service regulated by the

Care Inspectorate to be eligible for registration.

• Workers already registered with another regulatory

body eg the Nursing and Midwifery Council are not eligible for registration with the SSSC.

• Volunteers are not eligible to be registered with the

SSSC.

Register Parts

• How do I know which part of the Register I should be

applying for? Workers should discuss this with their employers based

• n:
• Definitions of register parts on the SSSC website
• The role the worker undertaking not their job title

Registration Subject to Conditions

• The SSSC can register a worker subject to the condition

that they gain a qualification within a set period of time.

• Employers under the Codes of Practice are required to

support workers to gain their qualifications and monitor their progress.

• Training plans should be in place to ensure that workers

achieve their qualification within the required timescale.

• Additional time may be granted if a worker has had

particular difficulties in achieving their qualification this will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Who is responsible for Registration?

• Employers are responsible for ensuring they are

employing registered workers – it can take up to 60 days to process an application for registration

• Workers are responsible for maintaining their

registration, including achieving qualifications The SSSC can remove someone from the Register without referral to a Registration Sub-Committee for the following reasons:

• Non-Payment of Annual Fee
• Failure to Renew
• Failure to Meet a Condition

MySSSC

Applicants

• Apply online

Registrants

• Pay Fees
• Renew

Registration

• Change of Details
• PRTL
• Apply for

Registration

Employers

• View employee

details

• Report changes to

employee details

• Endorse

applications

• Maintain

countersignatories

Universities

• Student results
• Notification of

commencement

• View student

details

• Report changes to

student details

• Endorse

applications

Ambassadors

for Careers in Care

• Promote the sector as
• ffering a career of choice
• Scottish workers volunteer

to join UK network

• Employers support staff

for 4 hours over 6 month period

What do Ambassadors do?

Describe what working in social services is like at local careers fairs in schools, colleges etc. Discuss what the job really involves with people considering whether a career in care is for them. More details on the SSSC website, careers pages. Please visit: www.sssc.uk.com

• r contact wendy.johnston@sssc.uk.com

Scottish Government resources -

Voluntary Sector Development Fund (VSDF) 2013-14 £950,000 available this year VSDF contributes to the costs of meeting required registration qualification criteria set by the SSSC

Workers in housing support services and care at home services eligible in 2013-14

VSDF 2013-14 Housing Support Services/Care at Home Supervisors and support workers have priority. Managers eligible but lower priority this year. Maximum grant of £28,000 per organisation.

More details on the News page of the SSSC website, please visit: www.sssc.uk.com

Applications sent to Scottish Government by 23 August 2013.

Laura Wylie Senior Conduct Case Officer Fitness to Practise

The Role of the Fitness to Practise Department:

• To investigate allegations of misconduct against

registered workers in order to determine their continued suitability for registration with the SSSC.

• To determine if someone applying for registration is of

good character, conduct and competence.

Fitness to Practise (FtP):

• Used to be known as the Conduct Department
• FtP deals with referrals about applicants, registrants and social

service employees who are not registered with the SSSC but where the worker has or would have been dismissed on the grounds of misconduct by the employer.

• We receive referrals/information from numerous sources

including: members of the public; service users; employers; registered workers and applicants; the police; PVG; Care Inspectorate.

• Types of cases.
• Our decisions may differ from a decision/action taken by an

employer.

An Employer’s Responsibilities:

• In addition to their responsibilities under the Code of Practice,

employers have responsibilities under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 in relation to any social service worker, whether the worker is registered with the SSSC or not (non- registered workers).

• As part of the drive to raise standards of practice and increase

the protection of the public, employers of social service workers have a duty to let the SSSC know if they dismiss a social service worker on the grounds of misconduct, or if a social service worker has resigned or left their job and the circumstances are such that the worker would otherwise have been dismissed for misconduct, or dismissal for misconduct would have been considered. This responsibility is set out under the legislation for the regulation of social service workers in Scotland.

Registered Workers:

The vast majority of social service workers act in accordance with the Code of Practice and consistently meet the high standards expected by the public. However, the SSSC can take action against registered workers who do not meet the standards expected of them. Possible outcomes:

• No Further Action
• Officer Warning ( up to 5 years)
• Officer Conditions
• Officer Warning + Conditions
• Refer matter to a Conduct Sub-committee that can impose all
• f the above outcomes but can also suspend a registrant for a

period of up to 2 years ( with or without conditions)or impose a removal order.

Interim measures:

While our investigations are on-going into the allegations against a registered worker, the SSSC can refer the case to a Preliminary Proceedings Sub-Committee (PPSC) if it is deemed necessary for: I. Protection of members of the public

• II. It is otherwise in the public interest

III.It is in the interests of the registrant Possible outcomes:

• No order
• Interim suspension order; and/or
• Interim conditions order

Applicants:

• Applicants should apply as soon as possible when taking up a

post which is eligible for registration with the SSSC. If a case is referred to the Fitness to Practise Department, we cannot guarantee the individual’s application will be processed with 60 days.

• Reasons why applicant cases are referred to the Fitness to

Practise Department include: the nature of the conviction(s) declared, failure to declare convictions, live disciplinary action, information held on file by the SSSC from a previous period of registration/previous application/non-registered worker referral information.

Applicants (cont):

Possible outcomes:

• Register
• Register with conditions
• Refer matter to a Registration Sub-committee for
• consideration. The Sub-committee can register, register

subject to conditions or refuse registration.

• If refused registration an applicant cannot reapply for

registration for at least a period of 2 years. They can reapply after 2 years, if there has been a material change in the individual’s circumstances otherwise they cannot reapply for a period of 3 years.

Applicants- what employers need to know:

• If applicants are not registered within six months of taking up

a post in a role which requires mandatory registration, the employer is potentially committing an offence in terms of the Regulation of Care (Fitness of Employees in Relation to Care Services) (Scotland)(No.2) Regulations 2009.

• The SSSC will notify the Care Inspectorate if we are aware of

any organisations who are not complying with the regulations.

What we need from employers?

• Inform the SSSC at the earliest opportunity when a registered

worker or applicant is subject to any form of investigation.

• When endorsing an application for registration ensure any on-

going concerns are noted and ensure all conviction information on PVG/Disclosure Form declared.

• Provide the SSSC with clear, specific information in relation to

the allegations.

• Keep the SSSC up to date with the progress of your

investigation.

• Provide copies of all disciplinary paperwork including any

appendices to disciplinary reports, witness statements etc. It is helpful if witness statements\minutes of meetings are signed when taken by the employer.

www.sssc.uk.com- “protecting the public”

• Details of employer responsibilities, link to the employer

referral form and guidance.

• Details of officer imposed sanctions and Sub-committee

decisions.

• Details of up-coming hearings.
• Details of registrants currently subject to interim measures.
• Indicative sanctions guidance.

Review of the National Care Standards Heather Dall

Session Outline

• NCS - history and purpose
• Scope of review/considerations
• Project Plan overview
• Discussion

History and Purpose – NCS

• History of NCS
• Purpose and range

NCS

Services for Adults

• Care homes for older people
• Support services
• Care homes for people with drug and alcohol

misuse problems

• Care homes for people with learning disabilities
• Care homes for people with mental health

problems

• Adult placement services
• Care homes for people with physical and sensory

impairment

• Housing support services
• Services for people in criminal justice supported

accommodation

• Short breaks and respite care

Services for Children and Young People

• Adoption agencies
• Care homes for children and young people
• Childcare agencies
• Early education and childcare up to the age
• f 16
• Foster care and family placement services
• School care accommodation services

Services for Everybody

• Care at home
• Hospice care
• Independent hospitals
• Independent specialist clinics
• Nurse agencies
• Independent medical consultant and GP

services

• Dental services

Scope of NCS review and considerations

• Policy and Delivery Landscape

Project Plan

• Project Plan development
• Project Group/structure/roles
• Objectives/timescales
• Scoping
• Communication
• Engagement
• Formal Consultation
• 2014/5 Development

Discussion

• 1. Should overarching outcomes match

existing frameworks – or are different

• nes needed?
• 2. Should overarching outcomes reflect

integrated health and social

• 3. What does that mean for HSS?
• 4. General comments/issues