Cllr Ricky Henderson: Care site is just the job '“ and don't forget your jab

There's little doubt that working in health and social care can be both challenging and rewarding. Every day our care workers provide essential services, supporting people in need to make their lives that little bit easier.

Clrr Ricky Henderson has had his flu vaccination

Effective recruitment and retention of staff is vital for the future of health and social care in the Capital. Last week saw the launch of Novacare, a recruitment website created by an Edinburgh-based healthcare technology start-up. It provides a one-stop shop for those interested in working in the care sector and will be used by our service provider partners in their recruitment drives.

The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership is excited to be involved in the launch of Novacare as we believe it will help support our partner providers in overcoming the difficulties we all face in recruiting care workers in the city. It will also make better use of resources by streamlining administration and reducing the average time taken for recruitment.

As we move into the colder months, it becomes even more apparent how much our care staff and unpaid carers are valued and relied upon by the people they support. I would like to thank staff and carers for their commitment to delivering high quality care and often going ‘above and beyond’ for their clients.

Planning for winter is an important part of health and social care service delivery, given the additional pressures placed on local systems from seasonal influenza, norovirus, weather, public holidays and other factors. The Integration Joint Board recently considered a report detailing the lessons learned from initiatives that ran last winter and agreed proposals for increased and enhanced services during the coming winter period.

Ensuring a high uptake of flu vaccination among our frontline staff and citizens most at risk is one of the most effective elements of winter planning. Last winter was a bad period for flu, and I would encourage everyone reading this article to consider getting a flu vaccination sooner rather than later. The vaccine is provided free of charge to certain people including those most at risk of complications and those working in healthcare. And before anyone asks, yes I’ve had my mine!

Councillor Ricky Henderson is Chair of Edinburgh Integration Joint Board.