Social care services in Moray remain under significant pressures as winter approaches. Staff within Health & Social Care Moray (HSCM), which provides social care services with employment through Moray Council, and those employed by external partner providers, continue to work in challenging circumstances, leading to a renewed call to the wider community for continued understanding and support.
The recruitment and retention of social care staff is a national challenge. Lack of capacity impacts on the ability of health and social care partnerships, and independent and third sector providers, to respond to rising demand for care and support from people living at home, people returning home from hospital, and those living in residential settings.
Partners in all sectors of social care in Moray are working collaboratively to provide the care and support people need. Staff are constantly adapting and working as flexibly as possible to maintain services and start new care packages, said Simon Bokor-Ingram, Chief Officer of HSCM. This can sometimes result in unavoidable changes to peopleโs current services.
Mr Bokor-Ingram said: โOur priority is to ensure we can maintain delivery of high quality, safe and effective care and support for our most vulnerable residents. We must continue to work flexibly and adapt services to enable us to respond to surges in demand and changing pressures within the care system.
โWe recognise any changes can be difficult for people receiving a service and their families, as well as the staff delivering care, and we will always involve people in discussions and decisions about their individual care and support.
โOur partners in care approach with people in communities and unpaid carers is as crucial as itโs ever been. We understand the strain many families are under and greatly appreciate their ongoing support in what continues to be an exceptionally testing time.โ
He welcomed the launch of a national recruitment drive to encourage more people into the wide variety of roles available within adult social care. The campaign focuses on the difference someone working in adult social care can make to peopleโs lives and highlights the rewarding relationship between carer and care receiver.
โOur thanks go to all those already working in the social care profession for their incredible commitment and ongoing efforts and we hope the campaign draws more people to consider if a career in social care might be right for them,โ Mr Bokor-Ingram said.
โOur workforce levels are less than we need right now, and along with our partners we are continuing to take local action to address our vacancies.โ
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To learn more about roles in adult social care and to search for local vacancies, visit the campaign website https://caretocare.scot/next-steps/#find-a-jobย
