Minute

SSSC / CCPS Fitness to Practice and RegistrationLiaison Group

16th January 2018 09:45- 13:00

Present:Alison Christie, CCPS; Cheryl Campbell, SSSC; Laura Lamb, SSSC; Nicola Chainey, SSSC; Grace Semple, Key; Katherine Wainwright, TPS; Caron Duffus, Places for People; Jim Gorman, Scottish Autism; Lynn Watson, C-Change; Teresa Thomson, Richmond Fellowship; Nicola Bailey, Red Cross

Apologies:Lynn Cole, Leonard Cheshire; Margaret Watson, Includem; Monique McCalman, Mainstay; Fiona Kimber, Eildon; Caroline King, Carr Gomm; Nancy Barron, Action for Children

1. Welcome, Introduction and minutes of 11th August 2016

AC welcomed everyone to the meeting, thanked everyone attending despite adverse weather conditions, thanked GS for organising the venue and invited everyone to introduce themselves.

Minutes from 17th October 2017 confirmed as accurate.

2. Matters arising

Health and Social Care Standards

  • CCPS is working with SSSC to identify workforce benefits/ challenges with the implementation of the standards. Nancy Fancott leading on this and event arranged for 22/1/18 with Care Inspectorate and Caroline Sturgeon, SSSC Learning and Development Adviser leading on this area of work

Shared National Vision for the Health and Social Care Workforce

  • Proposal to consider a shared workforce vision discussed with group and feedback will be passed to SWS who are leading on this.

Apprenticeships

  • Group invited to share any issues, concerns or challenges with AC prior to the Apprenticeship Workshop on 18/1/18 and these will be passed to relevant staff from Scottish Government and Skills development Scotland.

Dementia Champions Programme 2018

  • Details of Programme and lead contact at SSSC shared with group

3. Fitness to Practice Updates

  • Legally qualified chairs now in place. Preliminary matters will be dealt with beforehand so should speed up process.
  • Since the introduction of the new model more cases are being closed than opened
  • Applicant threshold: SSSC are able to share the types of information that comes to FtP for further scrutiny. This should support providers with risk assessing workers
  • Duty of Candour: E-learning module will be on SSSC website very soon. Another series of events has been planned and these will include more details of the Regulations (include link to details of events). LL will send flyer to AC for dissemination. Half of the places have been allocated for social care rather than first come.

4. Registration updates

  • 3,000 HS and CatH staff already registered
  • 2, 500 in process
  • 10, 000 people engaged in registration process
  • Registration will assess end of February/ early March and decide next steps if pace slows
  • Currently a 5 week delay to process registration applications however agency staff have been recruited to support existing staff
  • Workload is being prioritised between those needing to be registered and those wanting to but have a longer timeframe. SSSC do not want to leave people keen to register waiting for this to happen.
  • SSSC are looking at options to support people to register if needed. If people call SSSC they will talk them through the process at a suitable pace as they recognise some people are anxious about IT and getting telephone support with this
  • Final deadline to ensure registration by 2020 will be set nearer the time and based on numbers still to register
  • SSSC work is focused on the positives of registration and building relationships with registrants
  • SSSC moving to a new IT provider soon and hoping to improve the online registration process and make it more intuitive. Ensuring the right questions are asked to direct people to fewer options and help people select the correct part of the Register. If the Care Service Number is entered first then fewer Registration categories are displayed and followed by key questions.
  • Essential shutdown may be required for the new system between 25/1 and 29/1 (awaiting confirmation)
  • CC will ask group for input when moving forward with new processes
  • SSSC looking at potential of reducing to one Endorser but will need to explore this further
  • Referral rate from new registrants is steady but very low
  • TPS have a hints and tips guide for Managers to support registration; KW will share if requested

Comms Updates

  • 2. 000 employers leaflets requested
  • 17, 000 Workers leaflets
  • 10, 000 postcards
  • 300 posters
  • 10, 000 FtP leaflets
  • 1, 700 Managers leaflets (all figures approximate)
  • Requests have dropped off
  • Registration bulletins have stopped as planned activity completed
  • Registration App launched in December with 1, 300 downloads (quite high compared to other apps) Generally favourable responses
  • NC may ask the Communication Working Group to reconvene at end of February if need identified
  • Current activity
  • Development of Registration Card; not proof of Registration. Issue will be backdated to 2/10/17 and a new card will be issued on renewing Registration
  • SSSC will carry out a short survey later next year to see if this is working
  • Single page website in development with button on MySSSC to let people link to FtP, Bulletins, news etc. New page will have a digital welcome pack.
  • NC asked for views as SSSC are considering setting up a Registrants Forum- generally positive feedback for this from group
  • Group raised concerns about staff who are not IT confident/ literate, broadband coverage in remote areas and that many staff only have internet access via a mobile. SSSC 23 Things aims to build IT confidence and literacy and George Burton who leads on this has offered to support organisations where possible. All SSSC information can be viewed on mobile phones
  • PRTL
  • SSSC looking to develop short, snappy guidance for PRTL and to be clear it is about reflection and does not necessarily have to be formal training. Giving people pointers on how to think reflectively
  • Will be a bigger review of PRTL but things can be done in short term
  • Group suggested it would be beneficial if Appraisals could be included in PRTL

5. Disclosure Scotland Advisory Board updates

  • Awaiting opening of consultation with 3 options for future PVG Scheme based on DSAB and engagement feedback

6. Q&A practice sharing/ areas of concern

Suspending staff without pay as a result of lapsed Registration is a risk. Contract needs to be clear about the need to maintain Registrations and actions to be taken if individuals fail to do so. CC- if people apply early and Register early they have a slight advantage if Registration lapses as time pressures are not so imminent.

  • See questions below

7. Any other business

  • CC shared details of PRTL resources review and future plans including short, snappy guidance and hints to help people think reflectively
  • Sense Scotland produced 3 videos to support people with anxiety about undertaking SVQ; good resource to show staff

8. Date of next meeting

18th April 2018 09:45- 13:00

Key, The Square, 70 Renton Street, Glasgow G4 0HT

8. Safe Staffing Legislation

(Due to sickness of presenter this varied slightly from original plan and was a group discussion on the proposed legislation)

  • Most present were unable to see the benefit of the legislation
  • Care Inspectorate already has a role so what will the legislation change?
  • What about services that have nurses and care staff; will different tools be required?
  • Given the recruitment and retention challenges that exist and providers have not thought these could be addressed by workforce development tools what is likely to trigger a need for these?

Summary of Q&As

Question / Answers
Q1:Sometimes a worker’s NI number is incorrect; how can this be changed? / SSSC have no control over inputting NI numbers so if incorrect it is because the worker has inputted incorrectly. Registrant can change on MySSSC.
Q2: When putting in employment history the system does not allow actual start dates if this is longer than 5 years as only 5 years history is required; how can employers ensure actual employment history is inputted? / SM will look into this.
Q3: Why are there still so many parts of the Register? / SSSC are looking at multiple registrations and simplifying the Register however this will not happen overnight as one of the issues is the qualification condition. In the short term there may be a simpler way of applying for other parts of the Register on moving to another part.
Q4: Is SSSC planning to have people registering before applying for a post? / No, the Act states people will always have 6 months to apply.
Q5: GDPR means that employers may not be able to supply older information requested by FtP; will this cause employers problems? / No, SSSC aware they may not get all the information requested and are in the process of doing some work around GDPR.
Q6: Once CatH/ HS workers are Registered will there be other workers requiring to Register? / No, the categories are closed by Scottish Government. The need to be on the Register is set by the role and if it fits into SSSC definitions. There are some social services workers SSSC would like to see on the Register.
Q.7: A worker is linked on the Register with an employer that they applied for a job with but never worked with; if the employer contacted SSSC would this trigger an inquiry? / This is unlikely to trigger an investigation however if employers send SSSC and PVG a monthly list of leavers they will no longer be linked with that employer.
Q. 8: How should an organisation manage staff whose Registration has lapsed? / Guidance on SSSC and C.I. website. LL to send link

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