Children's home staff 'extremely anxious' over lack of PPE
Fiona Simpson
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Children’s home staff and social workers have been left “extremely anxious” over a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) leaving many providers forced to supply their own equipment through local businesses and universities, professionals working in the sector have said.
An internal report sent to members of the Independent Children’s Homes Association (ICHA) said all 150 homes across the UK asked to share experiences of Covid-19 had not been supplied with PPE.
The report states: “Homes without PPE (all homes) were extremely anxious about having to care for any child diagnosed with the virus, particularly in relation to the safety of other children living in the home and the safety of staff.”
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It adds that “no homes reported problems with getting appropriate general supplies although all are concerned about a lack of PPE”.
One director of care at an independent children’s home said the provision had not received a vital supply of PPE ordered before the government imposed lockdown measures.
They said: “We have had to call on universities etc to engineer and produce PPE for us whilst keeping the home on full lockdown. We could only sensibly move to a partial lockdown because we now have PPE equipment.
“I worry for children within homes who do not have the equipment and/or staff, and who may need to rely on the same agency staff who potentially have been supporting homes for older people where infections appear to be rife and the risk of staff exposure is high due to shortages in PPE.”
The shortage has also led local authorities to ask local businesses to supply items including masks, overalls and gloves for staff despite the government announcing an emergency plan to deal with “unprecedented demand” for PPE last week.
Official government advice states that social workers carrying out home visits and children’s home staff should only use PPE when in contact with a child who has shown symptoms of Covid-19.
Surrey County Council has warned of a limited supply of PPE coming into the county and has appealed for any businesses – including tattoo artists and beauty salons – that can provide them with vital equipment.
Meanwhile, Croydon Council has appealed for help from local firms for PPE to reach the hundreds of carers across the borough and the West Midlands combined authority has urged the region’s manufacturing companies, including Jaguar and Land Rover, to help make medical masks, gloves, goggles and aprons.
A school in Luton stepped in to support its local council’s appeal by developing a secure and comfortable visor that is now being delivered to local health and care staff.
York City Council appealed to the government to provide more PPE for social workers in an open letter which read: “Social care is at the frontline of responding to the outbreak of coronavirus and I know that in York, our workforce is doing an incredible job in extremely difficult circumstances.
“They are, of course, also doing a dangerous job, putting themselves at great risk to protect vulnerable residents and support our communities. Ensuring their safety should be paramount, alongside the safety of those that they are supporting.”
The appeals come weeks after the British Association of Social Workers revealed some staff had been forced to make their own DIY protection kits due to lack of PPE.
Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a three-tier plan to increase the supply of PPE in the UK including the launch of a new website allowing social care staff to request emergency supplies.
Councillor Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s health and wellbeing board, said: “We have been working with the government to ensure more PPE is available for everyone who needs it, including those working in children’s homes and across children’s services. We are relieved to know that extra supplies have begun arriving across the country but hugely concerned that deliveries in some areas continued to be delayed. All areas need their deliveries to arrive with the utmost urgency.
“Councils and care providers not only need good-quality supplies of this PPE immediately but also in the days and weeks ahead. It is vital that even more of this vital protective equipment is available to those who need it, including our valuable social care staff and others providing essential local services.
“Ongoing, consistent and reliable supplies of PPE is needed for all our critical workers, including those in social care but also other parts of the local government workforce who may need it, for councils to be able to support the national effort in beating this disease.”
