Open with Care - supporting meaningful contact in care homes: guidance

02 Support to Open with Care, taking action and reviewing progress

This guidance has been developed with input from the following partners:

• Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, National Clinical Director, Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser
• Scottish Care
• Care home staff, managers and providers
• Clinical Professional and Advisory Group (CPAG) members
• CPAG engagement subgroup whose membership includes Age Scotland, Alzheimer Scotland, Care Home Relatives Scotland, National Dementia Carers Action Network PAMIS, Scottish Autism, Tide UK
• Care Inspectorate
• Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), including commissioners and contract managers
• Directors Public Health
• Nurse Directors
• Chief Officers.

We are grateful for their insights, input and continued support to sustaining the approach and accompanying safeguards.

2.1 Taking action and reviewing progress

This guidance applies to all adult care homes. Care homes are now asked to make arrangements to enable meaningful contact with residents and loved ones. Given each care home has different circumstances to take into account, this guidance allows appropriate local flexibility as we continue to fight the global pandemic. Care homes and relatives are asked to work together thoughtfully and constructively in the short period while preparations and adaptions are put in place.

Care homes should begin preparations and implementation immediately to support full adoption and embedding of the guidance across all care homes, accommodating up to two designated visitors per resident and ensuring that all of the safeguards to protect people are in place.

To note that vaccination is one of a number of safeguards that together allow meaningful contact to resume. Vaccination rates should not be seen as the sole reason for deciding whether visiting can take place, or whether residents can go out of the care home. It is about ensuring that all of the safeguards are in place help to support safe contact.

To assess our shared progress with this new approach, we will review the adoption of this guidance by the end of April 2021, with ongoing local and national monitoring from day one. Local Oversight partners, collaboratively led by the NHS Director of Public Health, Executive Nurse lead, Medical Director, Chief Social Work Officer, and Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, will directly support care homes who are facing challenges in delivery. The Scottish Government will actively engage where it is necessary and helpful to assist with delivery of this visiting guidance.