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Volunteers for redeployment to Social Care

18/01/2022

Open letter to staff – volunteers for redeployment to Social Care

Dear Colleagues,

I am providing an open letter for Council staff to firstly thank those staff that have volunteered for redeployment to support our efforts to keep people safe who are receiving social care. The number of volunteers so far may be low but each and every offer is very much appreciated. We will be agreeing how best to use that time with those who volunteered and make use of that time very quickly.

Secondly I want to explain a little about our situation in the hope that it may help those who are undecided if they can help us.

Since March 2020 Adult Social Care staff have been delivering essential and critical care services. For a short period some of our day services were unable to open, but that apart, staff both in the Council, and in Partner agencies who deliver social care on our behalf have been at work, delivering support to the vulnerable in our community. Our vulnerable people are those who have frailties of age, Learning Disability, Mental Health problems and physical disability. Alongside, each of these people are those that care for them, their families and other unpaid carers.

As the pandemic progressed, there was increasing demand for social care associated with isolation, reduction in ability to attend day services, from exhaustion of family carers. This, combined with the stress upon Adult Social Care staff created through trying to meet demand, has led to the unprecedented situation where we are now not able to adequately support vulnerable people and their carers in Moray.

We have already asked our own HSCM staff to help do more to support and they have responded magnificently. However we still need to do more for vulnerable people of Moray and that is why we are now asking Council staff to help us provide that support.

Some support delivered by home care is practical and personal care. Some support for vulnerable people and their carers may be through helping a social worker support a carer by visiting, listening to what their problems are and taking that back to the social worker. It might be that the vulnerable person or family may want some practical help, and you, with the social worker, may work out if that is something you can do or not. Our teams are stretched and if you have administrative skills you may through your expertise be able to make things easier for them by supporting our existing administrative staff, or by relieving social workers or others of admin tasks so that they can support our vulnerable people.

Social Care is a valuable service for our people in Moray.

If you think you can help us, please let us know. If you want to discuss this confidentially because you are not sure if you can help, please contact us at jane.mackie@moray.gov.uk

Kind regards,

Jane Mackie
Chief Social Work Officer

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