Social care staff go that extra mile to help people most in need

Bruce McLernon, December 20th 2010

Social care staff go that extra mile to help people most in need

Social care staff across Wales have been going out of their way to maintain services to the most vulnerable people in our communities during this latest period of heavy snowfall.

Such weather undoubtedly brings considerable challenges, and councils are working hard to ensure those most at risk continue to receive the services they need, particularly older people, people with learning disabilities and those people who don't have other networks to rely on and are isolated.

Underpinning such activity is the dedication of social workers and social care staff who are working incredibly hard to reach those most isolated, and in many cases going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure those most vulnerable receive much needed care and support.

There have been numerous examples over the past week of staff taking on additional work, working many additional hours, cancelling holidays and volunteering to be on call so that essential services could be delivered.

To ensure those people who receive care at their homes aren't left abandoned, home care and supported living staff have been working tirelessly to reach people needing help. There have been numerous examples of homecare assistants walking long distances in treacherous conditions, having been forced to abandon their vehicles, to get to service users.

4 x 4 vehicles are being used to reach some of those most isolated and staff are working hard to retain the meals on wheels service across the country, ensuring the hot meals are being delivered to those who need them. There have also been examples of elderly people living at home but had lost power and heat, being taken into a residential care setting to escape the icy conditions.

Staff from residential homes can also be commended for keeping care homes fully operational, ensuring residents are being cared for. Staff have worked double shifts, going to work with over night bags prepared to sleep over night in case other staff could not get in to work. In Swansea, one member of staff has not been home for three days.

Managers and staff have changed the care homes that they normally work in so that they could get into work and there have been many examples of staff walking considerable distances to work and staff with 4x4 vehicles collecting care staff not able to get out in the snow to their place of work.

To help keep these critical services running there has also been strong partnership working between councils, with the sharing of 4x4 vehicles, sharing of social care facilities and social workers helping out in other local authority areas to get to isolated people on county borders.

Bruce McLernon, President, ADSS Cymru said:

"Local councils are often an easy target for criticism when services are affected by severe weather, but these examples highlight that local authority staff will go the extra mile to help people most in need. The effort and commitment of staff during the last few days has been nothing short of amazing, and councils and their staff should be commended for their hard work and commitment to provide services to the most vulnerable in their communities in very difficult circumstances.

"Our partners in the independent and voluntary sector also have to be complemented for the efforts their staff have made to ensure essential services continue to be delivered in these challenging conditions"

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