Care Health & Social
Volume 1. Issue 1. 2018
Health & Safety An introduction to eye care at work Indemnity insurance – what you need to know Stay safe on social media
1
Save Care Now
Northumbria Healthcare
Health & Social Care is the magazine of UNISON Northumbria Healthcare. Issue 1. August 2018
Contact us :
UNISON Office, Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington, Northumberland.
Over 500,000 adults in the UK rely on care workers from local councils to get them out of bed, make their food, wash them, dress them, brush their teeth, help them take their medication, help them with their often serious medical needs and keep them company.
01670 529825
northumbriahc.unison .site
NorthumbriaHealthcare-UnisonBranch https://twitter.com /nhcunison
These care workers are there every day for people who are elderly, disabled, have mental health problems or who have had an accident or health problem and have been in hospital. The problem is that councils have been outsourcing care services to private providers who are cutting corners. And vulnerable people who need care are losing out.
UNISON’s Residential Care Charter and Ethical Care Charter for home care staff are available at http://www.savecarenow.org.uk/
2
Many residential care workers are poorly paid and poorly treated. So they struggle to make ends meet and struggle to provide quality care within a system in crisis. Yet their role is crucial for a civilised society to function. UNISON, the leading representative for care workers in the UK, is campaigning for higher standards of care across all residential settings. Dignity and justice must be at the heart of a care system. Everyone in residential care deserves to be supported and properly looked after – irrespective of their wealth, age or disability. For this to happen, care workers must be valued.
Residential care workers across the UK came together to discuss the barriers that plague their sector and solutions that would enable them to provide dignified care.
An introduction to eye care at work Although extensive research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has found no evidence that computer monitors cause eye diseases or permanent damage, it is still known and accepted that using display screen equipment for many hours can cause discomfort and eye strain. Computer vision syndrome Computer vision syndrome is a common condition among frequent monitor users, with symptoms ranging from tired eyes to blurry vision. Other symptoms of computer vision syndrome are difficulty focussing on distant objects, headaches, dry eyes and eye strain.
It’s also helpful to change the type of work you are doing – especially if you can change to a type of work that does not involve looking at computer monitors. Your employer must let you take regular breaks or regular changes in activity. What is display screen equipment (DSE)? Display screen equipment includes computer monitors or displays that are used to display information. Computer monitors are often referred to as visual display units (VDUs) in health and safety terminology. Microfiche readers and control screens are also display equipment.
If you experience any of these symptoms you should visit an optician for an eye test, to rule out anything more serious. Taking care of your eyes If working with computer displays is a significant part of your working life then you should minimise the risks of prolonged use by taking regular breaks. Short but frequent breaks are best.
Free eye tests – what you are entitled to If it is essential that you spend some of your working days using a display screen (or are due to start using a screen) then you are entitled to an eye test
3
paid for by your employer. While your employer may suggest their preferred optician, if you have special requirements and need to see a specialist, your employer is obliged to make a reasonable payment towards the cost. Help with the cost of glasses If an eye test shows that you need to wear glasses when using a visual display then your employer is obliged to pay for your glasses. Even if you need glasses for other work activities your UNISON rep may be able to help you get financial support towards the cost of glasses. Northumbria Healthcare Trust will pay £60 towards the cost of glasses: see RMP09 display screen equipment policy for details
UNISON’s professional indemnity As part of your membership of UNISON we offer our members in health and social care professional indemnity insurance. This is a very important benefit as indemnity cover is now a legal requirement if you are on a professional register. The cover offered by our insurers is what is known as a ‘contingent’ policy which means that members must first and foremost be insured by the organisation they work for (under what is known as a ‘frontline’ cover). In simple terms this means that in order for you to be covered by UNISON’s policy, your employer must provide cover for you. Then why do I need UNISON’s cover? UNISON’s cover is for the rare occasion where the employer’s insurance doesn’t protect you. This is a valuable benefit when, for example, the organisation you work for doesn’t recognise that they have a responsibility for actions you took while at work. This is known as vicarious responsibility.
When am I covered? If you work for the NHS If you work for the NHS, you will already have an appropriate indemnity arrangement. The NHS insures its employees for work carried out on its behalf. This means that you will be covered if a claim is made against you in an NHS role, i.e. the NHS cover acts as your ‘frontline’ cover. You are therefore covered by UNISON’s professional indemnity cover. This includes members who work as an agency nurse or who are self-employed working wholly within the NHS.
If you work in private healthcare/agency work outside the NHS If you are employed in private healthcare (for example, a nursing home or general practice), it is likely that your employer will have an appropriate indemnity arrangement for you. .
4
This will provide appropriate cover for all the relevant risks related to your job. Arrangements may vary between employers so you should always be sure to confirm what the cover is where you are working. It is essential when you do not work for an NHS body, for example when you work for a GP practice or private run facility such as a nursing home, that the organisation you work for provides professional indemnity cover for you. We recommend that you ask them to do so and, if they refuse, they need to explain why they don’t think you need it. However, if they continue to refuse to provide professional indemnity cover for you, then you (or your agency) will need to arrange your own professional indemnity insurance and provide your agency with proof that you have done this Just so you are clear, you cannot use your UNISON membership as proof of having professional indemnity insurance in place (as you cannot rely on the existence of our
‘contingent’ policy when there is no ‘frontline’ policy arrange professional indemnity cover on your behalf at their expense.). UNISON’s position, in this situation, is that we would expect your agency to agree to arrange professional indemnity cover on your behalf at their expense. If you carry out work for two private healthcare providers, for example you work as a practise nurse in two separate GP practices, you should be insured by both with one of the practices being the lead insurer (the lead insurer should be the one where most of your work is carried out. If you work equally in two practices then your insurers should negotiate who the lead insurer should be). If you are self-employed If you are self-employed or are an independent contractor, working on your own and taking responsibility for your own actions – for example where you are genuinely acting and practising independently on a feefor-service basis – you have no employer who has a duty of care and who is vicariously liable for your actions. If this is the case for you, you will need to arrange your own cover because although UNISON’s cover is very comprehensive our insurers have not agreed to extend cover to this group of workers. .
If you are a student Student nurses are covered where you are a student working on a placement
If you are a volunteer The charity or other organisation arranging your volunteering must provide its own indemnity insurance for health professionals acting in voluntary roles in order for UNISON’s contingent insurance to apply. If it does not you are unlikely to be covered by UNISON’s insurance. If the provider of the volunteering opportunity – the charity or NGO – takes out their own front-line cover for you then you will be covered by UNISON’s contingent insurance. If they don’t then you should arrange your own frontline cover, in the same way you would if you were self-employed. If you do UNISON’s contingent insurance is likely to apply. If you act as a ‘Good Samaritan’ UNISON’s cover extends to where nurses are called upon to provide
5
emergency care (a Good Samaritan act) outside under the supervision of a NHS employer you are covered by NHS Indemnity their normal working hours, as long as they can demonstrate they were acting within their competence and were aware of their own personal safety. Is there a limit to UNISON’s indemnity? Yes, there is a limit of £1,000,000 for any one claim. Why has UNISON set its cover at this level? The chance of any member being successfully sued is very slim. To our knowledge there has never been a successful claim against a UNISON member for professional malpractice. In addition, any increase in the cover we provide, would increase the possibility of a malpractice claim against the individual employee and undermines the responsibilities of employers. Therefore, we believe, taking into account these points as well as the cost to UNISON of providing increased cover, we have set our cover at the right level. Are there any other exemptions to UNISON’s cover? Yes. The following groups are exempt from UNISON’s cover:
– midwives working outside the NHS – medical practitioners – expert witnesses – self-employed independent practitioners and individuals working on a fee for service basis – beauty treatments or medico legal work (other than those employed by the NHS)
– all claims relating to transmission of hepatitis non A (outside the NHS).
health care members since its formation in 1993.
Please note UNISON did not wish to exclude these groups.
You must contact us immediately in the event that a claim is made or threatened, or even if you are only aware of circumstances which might result in your needing to call upon our policy at some point in the future. You should contact the health team initially: health@unison.co.uk.
The decision to exclude these groups was taken at the instruction of its underwriters. Despite these exclusions this is the most comprehensive professional indemnity cover package UNISON has provided for its
There for you – when life gets tough If you are a member and you are experiencing financial difficulties, whatever the circumstances, There for You can offer you support. You may have financial problems for reasons including: • Relationship breakdown;
confidential service for members over the phone or in person if you are experiencing personal difficulties such as: • Being off work due to long-term illness; • Domestic violence or abuse
• Loss of income;
• Living on the breadline and needing
• Suffering from a long illness;
to pay for a major bill or vital item;
• Needing to buy equipment because of a disability
• Recovering from surgery; • Debt advice
• Caring for someone with special needs or an illness
We also have an online version of our debt advice service called clinic which provides advice and debt information and outlines key problems. The site also provides tools to help you set up a recovery plan.
There is no guarantee that we can offer you financial help, but thousands of members and their families do benefit from our support every year. For example, in 2012, There for You gave more than 4,000 grants to members totalling nearly £750,000. For more information contact 020 7121 5620, email thereforyou@unison.co.uk or contact your local branch General advice There for You provides support in coping with personal problems at home. We provide a
6
USING SOCIAL MEDIA SAFELY In the workplace, a good rule of thumb is ‘don’t post anything you wouldn’t be happy for your boss to see’ – this applies to all employees including those on placements and universities.
UNISON has represented a significant number of employees and students over social media posting in the last year – don‘t be caught out follow these golden rules.
We all like to use social media to update our friends on what we‘ve been doing. But if you don‘t use it responsibly, you can find yourself in hot water! Always remember everyone can see these pages and even if you change your settings to private there‘s no guarantee that a throw away comment made in jest won‘t come back to haunt you. Its always better to be safe than sorry, so be extra careful with what you post – including images.
Nowadays most employers and universities (if you are on placement) have social media policies in place to remind students and members of staff that they should be responsible and respectful of one another when using these sites. In fact, some employers even state that the content that you post on social media sites can be relevant to your employment‘. Prospective employers may search on social media including LinkedIn to check information.
So be safe when using social media! Only go on Facebook or Twitter during your breaks, get familiar with your social media policies (they can differ from workplace to workplace) and think twice before pressing enter because even though you can hit the delete button, it might just be too late.
No matter how stressful your shift or placement is, it‘s never a good idea to post your frustrations on Facebook or Twitter. It‘s more productive, and far safer, for you to pick up the phone and talk through your issues with a colleague, friend or family member.
3. Don’t criticise your employer, university or place-ment on social media
7
A few tips to remember: 1. Do use social media its a great communication tool 2. Don’t talk about patients or put information about them on sites
4. Don’t upload images from clinical placements onto facebook 5. Don’t upload photos of you doing funny or naughty things in your uniform
Your Union Matters Unions have brought significant changes to society, including: • • • •
• • • •
Unsocial hours For unsocial hours employers do not have to pay any extra rate. They only need to pay minimum wage for hours worked.
a national minimum wage; the abolition of child labour; improved worker safety; improving living standards by reducing the number of hours in the working week and encouraging a healthy work/life balance; improved parental leave; equality legislation; better protection of migrant workers and a reduction in exploitation; minimum holiday and sickness entitlements.
We get the following from July 18 to April19: Pay band
1 2
To illustrate the benefits of unions in the NHS we can compare what you are legally entitled to and what the unions have negotiated for health workers covered by agenda for change.
3 4-9
All time on Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8 pm and before 6 am Time plus 49% Time plus 43% Time plus 36% Time plus 30%
All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight)
Time plus 97% Time plus 85% Time plus 72% Time plus 60%
Sick Pay
Holidays
All workers can get £92.05 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they were too ill to work. However, to qualify they must have been sick for 4 or more days and earn an average of at least £116 per week. It’s paid for up to 28 weeks
Currently workers have the right to 5.6 weeks holiday. This means 28 days holiday for full time employees but the 28 days INCLUDES public holidays. We have the right to the following holidays Length of service
Annual leave and general public holidays
On appointment
27 days + 8 days
After five years' service
29 days + 8 days
After ten years' service
33 days + 8 days
We get
during the first year of service during the second year of service during the third year of service
.
during the fourth and fifth years of service after completing five years of service
Membership Matters 8
– one month’s full pay and two months’ half pay – two months’ full pay and two months’ half pay – four months’ full pay and four months’ half pay – five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay – six months’ full pay and six months’ half pay.
UNISON’s Car Parking Charter Over two thirds of NHS trusts in England charge their staff to use the hospital car park – and most do not guarantee a parking place, even though people buy an annual pass. If the staff spaces are all taken they then have to find, and pay for, a space in other car parks for the duration of their shift. That’s a double whammy they could do without. At the end of the day, we want all hospital parking to be free for NHS staff during their working hours. That’s why we are asking hospital trusts across England to sign up to our NHS parking charter and demonstrate their commitment to getting rid of parking charges for their staff. The majority of NHS trusts in England charge staff who use hospital car park, while most car parks in Scotland are free and all Welsh hospital car parks will be free from the end of the year. UNISON believes that staff should not be charged to park in the hospital car park when they are working. That is our goal, but where trusts can’t
abolish charges with immediate effect we want them to take practical steps to reduce the financial burden of parking costs for certain staff in the short term while they make plans to scrap the charges for all staff.
UNISON believes trusts should: commit to scrap parking charges for staff within two years and agree an implementation plan with UNISON only charge staff for the hours their vehicles are parked at the hospital guarantee a parking place for all staff with a valid parking permit provide emergency bays for on-call staff so they can park for free ensure that the cost of parking is affordable and charges are consistent across all sites, by charging on a sliding scale so staff earning less pay less
9
immediately give all staff with a disability free onsite parking immediately make on-site parking free for all staff working a night shift recognise the needs of staff whose choice about using their car is limited by the nature of their job or the availability of public transport and give those staff free parking recognise the needs of staff whose choice about using their car is limited by the nature of their job or the availability of public transport and give those staff free parking in the short term use the profits from staff parking charges to improve the safety and security of car parks develop sustainable transport schemes lie staff buses, pool cars for community staff, park and ride schemes and incentives for bicycle use and car sharing schemes
10