Council workers urged to help out in care homes over Christmas

Nursery staff are among public sector workers being asked to spend the Christmas holidays helping to alleviate staff shortages in Glasgow care homes.

Glasgow City Council employees with care and support experience have been invited to undertake paid shifts throughout the festive season.

The temporary workers will not distribute medication and instead will help facilitate visiting across the city’s Health and Social Care Partnership care homes under the supervision of experienced staff.

The request was made amid “higher than usual staff absences” due to Covid, sickness and holidays.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Due to higher than usual staff absences because people are having to self-isolate, are ill or are taking much needed time off over Christmas, we have asked for assistance from colleagues within other areas of health and social care and the council to work alongside our experienced team in our five HSCP care homes.

“Our care homes are currently full and open for visiting and we want to ensure residents and their families have a safe and enjoyable festive period.

“We are looking for people with relevant caring and support experience such as nursery staff to help cover the public holidays in particular.

“Resident and staff safety is at the heart of everything we do and that remains our highest priority.

“Volunteers with relevant experience would be deployed alongside an experienced member of our team.”