Important information for LCiL service users regarding coronavirus/COVID-19
This page will be updated with any new guidance or information regarding the current coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Up-to-date NHS guidance is available here; www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Updates will be added in chronological order and dated, so please scroll down if you wish to read older updates.
Friday 5th June 2020
Covid-19: Guidance on Self-directed Support Option 1 and Option 2
The Scottish Government, COSLA and Social Work Scotland have published guidance on SDS options 1 and 2 in relation to COVID-19.
The guidance, a PDF, can be downloaded here; SDS Social Care Guidance for Covid19
You can also find Frequently Asked Questions about the guidance via; https://socialworkscotland.org/latestupdatesoncovid19/
Monday 11th May 2020
PPE for PA employers in East Lothian
If you require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and live in East Lothian, you can contact East Lothian Council’s Social Work Contact Centre on 01875 824 309.
Social work office hours are Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm and Fri 9am-4pm.
Out-of-hours, including public holidays and weekends, you can contact Emergency Social Work Service (ESWS) via (Freephone) 0800 731 6969.
Thursday, 7th May 2020 (updated on Monday 11th May with testing information for those in Midlothian)
COVID-19 testing for Personal Assistants (key workers)
The Scottish Government has released further guidance on the availability of COVID-19 testing for key workers, including Personal Assistants.
https://www.gov.scot/news/testing-expansion/
Currently, LCiL are aware of specific guidance from some local authorities as to their procedures for offering COVID-19 testing to Personal Assistants. Please see below for details, along with details of key worker testing via the UK Government which is also relevant for Scotland.
Further updates from other local authorities LCiL supports service users in will be updated as we become aware of their procedures or any changes to their procedures.
Please note: this guidance on testing only applies to key-workers/PAs, not to PA employers.
For Personal Assistants in the City of Edinburgh Council area
Your employer should make a referral for testing the same day that you or a household member reports any symptoms. Testing is only valid in the first 24-72 hours of symptoms showing.
Referrals should be made via the Emergency Social Care Team on;
0800 731 6969
You should provide the name and contact details of the PA and the date when symptoms began showing.
The tests are carried out at a drive-through facility at the Chalmers (Sexual Health) Centre, 2a Chalmers St, Edinburgh EH3 9ES.
Personal Assistants must be able to drive to/be driven to the facility in a personal vehicle. No alternative transport is available at this time.
For Personal Assistants in the West Lothian Council area
Personal Assistant employers can request a COVID-19 test for their PAs within 72 hours of symptom onset. PAs can also make the request directly, on behalf of their employer, where required.
The document provided by West Lothian Council is an Excel spreadsheet which cannot be easily uploaded to our website and many people will not have Excel at home but you can, alternatively, email WLHSCPproviders@westlothian.gov.uk with the following information;
- Your name, as employer, and your address
- PA’s name, date of birth, their home address and mobile phone number
- The date their COVID-19 symptoms started
- If your PA lives with other people, they are also eligible for testing and you should provide the same information for them
The tests are carried out at two drive-through facilities; the Chalmers (Sexual Health) Centre, 2a Chalmers St, Edinburgh EH3 9ES and West Lothian College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston EH54 7EP
Personal Assistants must be able to drive to/be driven to the facility in a personal vehicle. No alternative transport is available at this time.
For Personal Assistants in the East Lothian Council area
Personal Assistant employers can request a COVID-19 test for their PAs within 72 hours of symptom onset.
The employer will need to collect the names of the people to be tested, the date for the onset of symptoms for that person, and the contact telephone number for the person to be tested. This information should be emailed to;
OHenquiries@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
‘COVID-19 staff testing’ must be the subject line of the email.
Occupational health will contact the person to be tested to gather the necessary information and to organise an appointment for a test. They are unable to reply from this in-box so do not send any other queries to this email address.
The tests are carried out at a drive-through facility at the Chalmers (Sexual Health) Centre, 2a Chalmers St, Edinburgh EH3 9ES.
Personal Assistants must be able to drive to/be driven to the facility in a personal vehicle. No alternative transport is available at this time.
For Personal Assistants in the Midlothian Council area
Personal Assistants in the Midlothian Council area and their households can apply for testing if they have symptoms and should do so within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms.
Testing can be applied for via; https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/
The nearest national testing centre is at Edinburgh Airport or there may be an option of attending a mobile testing unit at more local locations. It may also be possible to receive a home-test kit.
Once registered, the Personal Assistant will receive a text offering either an appointment at one of the testing sites or a home testing kit.
You can download Midlothian Health & Social Care Partnership’s guidance on testing here; Midlothian H&SCP PA testing for COVID-19 (PDF) Midlothian H&SCP PA testing for COVID-19 (Word)
For key/essential workers in other local authorities
If you’re an essential worker who is self-isolating (not able to leave home), you can now apply for you and your household to get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) via the UK Government website. This also applies to Scotland and the nearest national testing centre is at Edinburgh Airport.
You can apply for testing via;
https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/
6th May 2020
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Unpaid Carers and Personal Assistants (PAs) in West Lothian
If you are an unpaid carer or a PA providing personal care, West Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership is working with Carers of West Lothian to make PPE available to you.
If you or the person you care for is in the shielded category, or if you normally use PPE in your caring role but are struggling to get it from your usual supplier, PPE is available to protect you or the person you are looking after.
To check whether you are eligible and to place an order, please contact Carers of West Lothian (COWL) on 01506 448000.
Please be advised that this is a criteria-based service based on Scottish Government guidance in agreement with the National Carers Organisations (Shared Care Scotland) and that there is an agreed question set which COWL will go through with the Carer / PA.
Monday 27th April 2020
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
We would like to share an update from City of Edinburgh Council regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Personal Assistants/Personal Assistant (PA) employers.
If you live in the City of Edinburgh and require PPE for your PAs and are unable to source this yourself, you can now contact the Council’s Strategic Lead for PPE to make a request. Their contact details are below. Please note that it is also possible to visit the SMART Centre, without an appointment, to collect PPE. The Centre is open 8.30am to 16.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Hannah Cairns
Head of SMART Services, SMART Centre, Astley Ainslie Hospital
133 Grange Loan, Edinburgh EH9 2HL
Telephone: 0131 537 9429
Mobile: 07713 091797
Email: Hannah.Cairns@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Wednesday 8th April 2020
COVID-19 and Annual Leave
Can I ask staff to take annual leave for a set period?
You can ask your employees to agree to take a period of annual leave. If the employees do not agree, then you may give notice ordering them to take holiday on specified dates. There are no legal requirements about the form that this notice must take, but this notice should be at least twice the length of the period of leave that the employee is being ordered to take. This is also outlined in their terms and conditions of employment.
When staff return to normal working patterns, they will have accrued a lot of annual leave. Can I do anything about this?
Staff will continue to accrue annual leave as normal whilst under contract with an employer. Normally, employees are required to “use or lose” statutory annual leave (5.6 weeks) in the year in which it accrues, unless they are on a form of family leave or, in some circumstances, have been unable to take holidays due to sickness.
One option, to prevent a large amount of annual leave building up without being taken, is to give notice to employees requiring them to take leave (see above). However, to help with this issue the Government has amended the Working Time Regulations to allow statutory holidays accrued this year to be carried forwards for up to two years where it was not possible for staff to take leave due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The carry-over amount will be limited to four weeks’ statutory leave. Statutory holidays above this amount should be taken this year. Contractual holidays over and above the 5.6 weeks statutory entitlement are a matter for agreement between employers and staff.
Some employers already allow carry-over of leave from one year to the next. An employer could allow for more leave than usual to carry forward or require staff to take holidays this year, whether on certain dates or at the employee’s choice.
Can staff take annual leave to “top up” furlough leave and pay?
From the Government guidance published to date, it appears that staff on furlough leave must be designated as being absent on those grounds, which would suggest that they cannot be deemed to be on annual leave at the same time. In order for an employer to apply for support with wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the staff member must be furloughed for a minimum of three weeks. However, once the minimum period of furlough is spent, the employee could take annual leave for a period.
We continue to wait for definitive guidance from the Government / HMRC on whether annual leave can be used during furlough. As one of the key features of being furloughed is that you cannot undertake work for your employer, which is also the case during a period of annual leave, it has been speculated that it is possible for employees to use up periods of annual leave during furlough leave.
For employers seeking to act now and who are choosing to combine furlough leave with annual leave, please note that if further guidance confirms it is not possible to use up annual leave during furlough leave and reclaim costs through the scheme, you may need to allow the employee to reschedule that leave for later in the holiday year.
24th March 2020
The UK and Scottish Government have announced new guidance designed to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. You will likely have heard about this already but you can download a UK Government issued PDF here;
Full_guidance_on_staying_at_home_and_away_from_others__1_ (PDF)
LCiL would advise all PA employers to follow government guidance but would also highlight that PAs should be considered essential, key workers so, unless you or your PAs have to self-isolate due to being ill, your PAs can still travel to work and continue to support you.
In the event of a care crisis, you should contact your local authority. Contact details are available on this page. Please scroll down.
We have also had a number of enquiries from service users, worried that their PAs will not be able to get to work in light of the new guidance. It is our understanding that PAs will be considered key workers as they are ‘front-line’ social care workers. Please see Government guidance below. This may also mean that if your PA has school-age children, they could be entitled to continued school provision. They should contact their local authority/school regarding this.
Monday 23rd March 2020
Neighbourhood help
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of volunteer groups across the Lothians are coordinating support for vulnerable people who are self-isolating and require support with someone doing their shopping for them, picking up prescriptions and more, even assistance with dog walking.
Below you’ll find some links which you may wish to explore. LCiL are not affiliated with any of these groups and you should use usual caution when it comes to giving out personal details but there are plenty of good people out there looking to offer their support if you feel this is appropriate for you.
For some links, you may need to be signed up to, or willing to sign up to Facebook.
To access the Edinburgh postcode based help requests and help offers groups please, use this Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoronaEdiLocalGroups/learning_content/
To volunteer and/or ask for help in Dalkeith and Woodburn area, please use this Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/506952593331425/?hc_location=ufi
To volunteer and/or ask for help in Kirkliston area please, use this Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/211918693222004/?hc_location=ufi
To volunteer and/or ask for help in West Lothian please, use this Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/westlothiancovid19support/
To register a dog owner whose canine is potentially remaining without support in case of COVID-19 illness or self-isolation please, use this online form but if it’s not yourself then check with the dog owner before registering. This is the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9soJL0E4G5ftQoiqFkYF7zYjC-_FqBBLmYkOifxDTqBy-6Q/viewform?fbclid=IwAR033nuJOtEnHcB4KYrTuNzitZozmJZRWKSaLuTCowIg-nZyjKcU4KRPhnk
Wednesday, 18th March 2020
Coronavirus/COVID-19 and people in receipt of a direct payment and/or Independent Living Fund Scotland funding
For Personal Assistant employers
You and your Personal Assistant (PA) should make yourselves aware of current NHS advice and follow it. Up-to-date guidance is available here; www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
If your PA is self-isolating or has been tested positive for COVID-19 and earns at least £118 per week they would qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the first day of absence for up to two weeks and the cost for this can be recovered from the state.
If the PA earns less than £118 per week then they would need to approach the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in regards to benefits.
If you need to self-isolate then your PA should not come to work but they will still need to get paid as they are available for, but unable to attend, work. You can still use your direct payment for this. Depending on the type of assessed support you require there may still be some tasks your PA can safely carry out for you; shopping, for example.
Please keep up to date with NHS guidance regarding COVID-19 and if you require employment law advice you can contact your Employer’s Liability Insurance providers employment law advisors or the LCiL’s Independent Living Team.
Lack of support
Any absences due to self-isolation or illness will have a negative impact on many people. As a direct payment recipient, your local authority maintains a duty of care and if you find yourself without support or with reduced levels of support that put you at risk, you should contact your local social work department. This duty of care applies whether you use your direct payment to employ PAs or to contract with a care agency.
In all cases, your first port of call should be your allocated social worker if you have one. Alternatively, you should contact;
City of Edinburgh Council
Social Care Direct
0131 200 2324
socialcaredirect@edinburgh.gov.uk
Monday to Thursday 8.30 am to 5 pm and Friday 8.30 am to 3.55 pm
Or out with these times (evenings, weekends and public holidays);
0800 731 6969
East Lothian Council
Social Work Contact Centre on 01875 824 309.
Monday to Thursday 9 am-5 pm and Friday 9 am-4 pm
Emergency Social Work Service, for evenings, weekends and public holidays 0800 731 6969
West Lothian Council
During business hours;
Assessment and Care Management Team 01506 284848 adultsocialcare@westlothian.gov.uk
Out of hours;
Social Care Emergency Team – 01506 281028 / 01506281029 SCETReferrals@westlothian.gov.uk
Midlothian Council
Adult social work 0131 271 3900
Children and families 0131 271 3413
Emergency social work (outside business hours) 0800 731 6969
Independent Living Fund Scotland
In light of the latest COVID-19 developments, ILF Scotland has taken the decision to suspend home visits to the recipients of their 2015 Fund.
Instead, they will carry out 2015 Fund reviews through a combination of telephone calls, emails and Skype. If you are due to have a review visit soon, one of their assessors will be in touch to advise further.
At this time, ILF Scotland’s day to day work will carry on as usual and they will continue to make payments. You can contact their specialist caseworker team on 0300 200 2022 or enquiries@ilf.scot
Tuesday, 17th March 2020
From LCiL’s CEO, Florence Garabedian;
“Dear LCiL service users
I am writing to you to let you know how LCiL is mitigating the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic at present. Given the rapid change of governmental advice, and our duty to protect staff and follow procedures, we are planning for the worst-case scenario. As a small organisation, our relatively small number of staff may well be affected, compromising our ability to deliver services as normal. We also have a duty to reduce the risk of spreading infection to people using our services, so we are reducing, or cancelling, meetings of any kind.
For users of the Financial Management Support Services
- Payroll service
We will do our upmost to provide you with information to pay your staff and HMRC on time, as normal. In case we were too low on staff to do this, and we could not process your timesheets on time, we advise you to do the following:
- If your staff have worked the same hours as the previous month, when we have provided you with the correct salary figures, you should pay them the same amount.
- If their working hours have increased from the previous month, you should still pay them the same amount as the month before and settle the difference later when we provide you with the correct figures.
- If the hours have decreased you should pay the number of hours at the minimum wage rate £ 8.21 (until 5th April 2020) and/or £8.72 (from 6th April 2020) and settle the difference later when we provide you with the correct figures; e.g. if your staff have worked 50 hours, you should pay them
50 X 8.21 = £410.50 (to the 5th April)
50 X 8.72 = £436 (from 6th April 2020)
- In relation to HMRC – you should pay the same amount as you’ve paid the month before.
I would like to clarify that this should be done only as an emergency response if we are unable to deliver the service as usual.
- Financial management support service (or enhanced financial management service)
We will do our upmost to pay your staff on time with the right amount. If, however, we were too low on staff to process your timesheets on time, we will follow the payroll process as described above and pay your staff and HMRC accordingly.
For users of the Independent Living Service
The Independent Living Team is doing as much as possible to provide continuity of service. However, in line with Government advice, they are cancelling any visits and will have no direct contact with service users until further notice. Meanwhile independent living officers will continue to communicate with service users as much as possible by email or by phone.
For users of the Grapevine Disability Information Service (in Edinburgh only)
The service will do its upmost to keep its phone line open, although it may be reduced at some point. Meanwhile the service will continue its on line service. Face-to- face support for benefit interviews are now cancelled until further notice.
For users of the SDS programme
Previous participants in the project will be contacted personally. We can confirm, however, that all in person workshops and meetings are cancelled until further notice. We hope to have some virtual groups running soon.
We are sorry about the current and potential disruption of the services we normally provide and we hope you understand that this in order to minimise greater and longer impact of the current Coronavirus /COVID-19 situation
With kind regards,
Florence Garabedian, CEO”