Registered managers membership
Welcome to this regular bulletin that brings the latest news and shares some of the exceptional work that's being undertaken in social care. We'll be sharing blogs, interviews and news from people working on the ground in nursing and other experts in the field of nursing.

We're so excited to bring you the first edition of We Are Social Care Nurses and you're one of the first people to receive it. We know that you have an interest in nursing and so we hope that you enjoy reading about what is happening on the ground. We'd like this to be a voice for nurses working in social care.

If you'd like to receive future bulletins, you need to subscribe, by filling in the very simple form that is on our website.
 What is social care? 

Social care is used as an umbrella term to cover a whole range of people, settings, needs and wants. It can become complex when looking at funding or the needs that can be met in a social care setting, which can be healthcare needs as well as social care needs. Complex care can and is delivered in residential social care establishments, through outreach services, and in individual homes for many people, spanning all ages and circumstances, from birth to death.

A defining factor of social care isn't what service is being delivered or how it's funded but the ethos and model that surrounds it.

Think Local, Act Personal's 2018 'Making it real' framework is a good starting point to develop knowledge and understanding of how to deliver good care and support across the health, care, and housing sector. The framework has been co-produced and led by people who need care and support to "reflect the reality of how they wish to live their lives as citizens in the community, and not as ‘service users' or patients."

Care, be it health or social, when seen from a position of a social model perspective is about the whole person, taking into account active participation, choice, and ensuring the person who needs care and support is seen and heard. Understanding the individual and the complexities of their life can support the way that professionals and services can best have impact.

Social care is a term used for or 'added on to' a whole range of experiences, settings, workforce, care recipients and services.

What social care isn't:
  • A centrally funded national service.
  • A 'one size fits all' service.
  • A national service that has a central infrastructure.
Skills for Care's workforce data suggests nurses in social care number 34,000, providing nurse-led person centred care; and there are up to 500 nursing associates working in social care. All are registrants with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and bound by the Code (NMC, 2018).

The distinct expertise of this group of registered nurses is in enabling individuals with care and support needs, many of whom have multiple co-morbidities and complex health issues, to live positively in their own homes. They embody the capabilities and cultures of both health and social care professions and employ their nursing knowledge and skills within a social model of care. Their focus is not only on an individual's health condition and resulting impairment but also on the impact this has on their participation in social and community life.
A word from Deborah Sturdy
In each edition of We Are Social Care Nurses, Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse of Adult Social Care, shares her insights.

I think Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), summed up feelings around the world when he recently said,
"All of us are sick of this pandemic".

Expressions of gratitude no longer seem adequate to acknowledge the immense contribution frontline care colleagues have made in the midst of this public health crisis, but they're nonetheless heartfelt, even in their repetition.
Last year, I met many families on my visits who had hugely positive things to say about the quality of care their relatives received. The sensitivity and compassion you demonstrated, then and now, supported them through difficult times and continues to provide comfort and reassurance.

None of us expected the latest COVID-19 variant to create such widespread disruption and pressure on the health and care system. Once again, everyone is digging deep to manage this wave – and of course we will. The immense commitment of the care workforce is not in question, but we need to care for each other, just as we do for those we are tasked to support.

I'm not just talking about within teams or care settings. We need to forge stronger networks within our communities of practice, keep pace with new developments and maintain our sense of belonging. That’s why it's reassuring to see engagement growing within and between established networks like those of the Queen's Nursing Institute and Skills for Care.

It's also why I'm so pleased we’re launching We are Social Care Nurses with Skills for Care. I see this as a real opportunity to amplify the voices of social care nurses and build our specialisms. We have so much to learn from each other, including our NHS colleagues and they likewise have much to learn from us. By linking with Chief Nursing Officer Ruth May and her team, we'll make sure this essential publication is shared widely with NHS colleagues.

Nursing Times have committed to a regular column for social care nursing, allowing us to showcase the immense skills, expertise, and complexity of support we provide each and every day. Building awareness of our vital role is the primary aim. This newsletter will share best practice, champion diversity and demonstrate our ability to lead from the front and influence positive change.

The recently announced workforce reform funding will help us gain equity around continuous professional development (CPD) with the NHS for the first time. I am delighted we have secured this for every registered nurse.

Meanwhile, celebrating success through the Chief Nurse Awards and the national honours schemes not only showcases the very best of us, but also sets out what we're capable of and our collective potential to do so much more.

Beyond rewards and recognition, we'll be publishing a review of the role of social care nurses and building an evidence base. Research and evidence are essential if we're to strengthen, enhance and prove the efficacy of our specialisms. Demonstrating the transformative power of our work is one of the best ways to encourage others to join nurse led services, and there is nothing more persuasive than personal testimony from colleagues transferring from the NHS and other sectors.

Whatever we do, we must remain focused on the future, build on our achievements and be proud to be social care nurses. We are a force to be reckoned with and this newsletter will prove it.

Thank you all, for the incredible difference you make in people's lives every day!

Deborah

 Spotlight on Chief Nurse Adult 
 Social Care Award Winner: 
 Emily Burton 
Registered nursing associate Emily Burton was presented with a silver award from Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Deborah Sturdy in the inaugural Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Awards in July 2021.

The first ever Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Awards celebrated the incredible efforts of social care nurses and care workers in England throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Emily was the second recipient to be presented with an award and is the first ever registered nursing associate to receive a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) award.

Emily was nominated by her employers at Stewton House in Louth who supported her through the registered nursing associate training as one of the first graduates in the role in 2019.

She received the award as recognition of her hard work and her place as a positive role model, mentor, and inspiration to her team.

Emily has progressed from the role of care assistant, which she started in 2010 with no relevant experience, through to a registered nursing associate, and now deputy manager of a 48-bed nursing home.

As a nursing associate she works with the care team, leading by example and encouraging them to increase their skills and learn new processes. Her positive example has led to one other care assistant from the home qualifying as a registered nursing associate last year and two others enrolling this year.

Emily has also volunteered her time to support the Lincolnshire Care Association and the workforce development team in Lincolnshire to promote the nursing associate course.

The Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Awards recognise the outstanding care, leadership, and inspiration shown by social care nurses to colleagues, patients, and residents throughout the country.

As a first of its kind, the awards intend to celebrate and promote the rewarding profession of social care nursing as well as the exceptional individuals within it.

We'd love to hear from you
We Are Social Care Nurses is to highlight and showcase what is going on in nursing, to give a voice to the nurses who are working in social care, and for colleagues to better understand the complexity of the role.

We'd like the content to be led by the workforce to show what is happening on the ground and in reality, and so if you'd like to contribute by writing about a topic of your choice, maybe something that is particularly important to you, please email SocialCareNursing@skillsforcare.org.uk
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