Following the announcement this evening of the appointment of David Pearson as the Chair of the National COVID-19 Social Care Support Taskforce.
Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum says:-
“I welcome the announcement of a National COVID-19 Social Care Support Taskforce that will bring together the multiple strands of work that have been developed to address the impact of COVID-19 on those receiving social care. Social care must never again be seen as an afterthought in government or public thinking, or action. We look forward to working with David Pearson to ensure that this taskforce keeps the government on track in fulfilling commitments to enable those who receive care and support to have access to safe, quality, person centred care. In addition, I was very pleased to hear David acknowledge the ‘extraordinary acts of kindness’ enacted by the social care workforce up and down the country and the debt of ‘gratitude’ to those 1.5 million staff.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic the skills and expertise of social care staff has come to the fore, and this taskforce will play a vital role in ensuring this is appropriately recognised and embedded in our understanding of the social care professional.”
Vic Rayner goes on to say:-
“This taskforce will provide a real opportunity for all partners to work together to ensure a coordinated focus on managing this virus, and bring energy and attention to the way in which COVID-19 is impacting social care now – and critically in planning and preparation for the future.”
She concludes by saying:-
“This taskforce has a huge job ahead of it, and the list of priorities has to have people at the heart of it. In order for there to be care that meets people’s needs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to have urgently established:
- Smooth, reliable, resilient PPE supply chain;
- Regular, routine weekly testing;
- Learning from across the UK and the international community to inform actions now and in the future;
- Adequate funding to ensure the best quality care is delivered to everyone who needs it;
- Data that brings together a real-time picture which informs and shapes national and local policy responses;
- Access to the right clinical support to ensure people get the right health response at the right time, and
- Support to the workforce.”
ENDS
Note to Editors:
- The National Care Forum brings together 120 of the UK’s leading social care charities. Collectively, these charities deliver more than £1.9 billion of social care support to more than 135,000 people in 6500 settings. The NCF membership body collectively employs more than 85,000 colleagues.
- More information is available on the National Care Forum at nationalcareforum.org.uk. @NCFCareForum @vicrayner @NCF_Liz
- For enquiries, please contact Edna Petzen (edna.petzen@nationalcareforum.org.uk).
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