U-turn on mandatory vaccine won't bring back 'skilled' home care workers who have already quit

Home care chiefs have welcomed the government’s U-turn on mandatory Covid vaccinations for all NHS and home care workers due to come into force in April, but raised fears they may have already lost "skilled workers forever" at a time when social care is "experiencing the worst staffing crisis in memory".

Following predictions the NHS would be hit by a loss of over 70,000 frontline staff and a fifth of the home care workforce would quit if the mandate was introduced in April, Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced yesterday evening to the House of Commons that the government is removing the legal requirement for all health and social care staff in England to be double jabbed against COVID-19.

The mandate for care home staff to have the jab came into force on 11 November and led to thousands of care workers being sacked.

Mr Javid said: “While vaccination remains our very best line of defence against COVID-19, I believe it is no longer proportionate to require Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment through statute.

“So, Madam Deputy Speaker, today I am announcing that we will launch a consultation on ending Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment in health and all social care settings.

“I have always been clear that our rules must remain proportionate and balanced – and of course, should we see another dramatic change in the virus, it would be responsible to review this policy again.”

Mr Javid explained that the vaccine mandate was put in place because of the severity of the Delta variant, but now with the Omicron variant being the dominant variant and less severe plus the success of the vaccine rollout, he says it is only right the policy was reviewed.

'Some employers have already initiated dismissal processes'

The Homecare Association said it was “pleased” at the U-turn but called for immediate "clarity" of conditions regarding unvaccinated staff.

Dr Jane Townson, its chief executive said: “We need immediate clarity, however, about the short-term implications given that the deadline for the first dose of vaccine is this Thursday 3 February 2022 and employers are poised to start dismissal procedures with unvaccinated staff.

"Indeed, some employers have already initiated dismissal processes where employees have notice periods of three months, which is more common for live-in care.”

The home care director of Radfield Home Care, Alex Green said they are "extremely pleased" with the decision to revoke the mandatory vaccination.

Mr Green added: "A large majority of our care professionals chose to be vaccinated, and while we fully support the vaccination program, we feel that forcing staff out of the sector at this time of extreme staff shortage would have been extremely unhelpful and would have significantly increased the risk of harm to clients through greater staff absence."

Dr Josh Macaulay, one of the directors of Kendal-based Westmorland Homecare, echoed these sentiments, saying: “We welcome the U turn on mandatory vaccination. Home care providers would be devastated by staff losses if vaccinations are mandatory and it is no longer proportional or ethical to enforce vaccinations in the context of the reduced severity of omicron and the high community uptake of boosters.”

'Arguably going without care because of depleted workforce is a greater risk'

Abbots Care Ltd (Hertfordshire) was also pleased at the change in policy, with its chief executive, Camille Leavold saying: "We decided at the beginning of the vaccination programme that the last thing that the anxious care workers needed on top of months of the COVID-19 challenge was for us to make vaccination mandatory by the threat of otherwise losing their jobs. Using our rapid vaccination campaign, we were left with seven per cent of staff left who remained unvaccinated.

"We are pleased to see the consultation on the mandatory vaccinations are now taking place and the government produces a more proportionate strategy which weighs up the risks and rewards of enforcing the vaccinations. Arguably, going without care because we have a depleted workforce is a greater risk to many older people in our communities."

The Care Workers Charity (CWC) welcomed the "change in thoughts" but was "saddened" by the high "loss of valuable staff and high stress levels in the sector which also, in turn, affects those who receive care".

Karolina Gerlich, executive director of the CWC said: "Since July last year the social care workforce has been singled out as the one area of society who have had their choice removed and approximately 30,000 wonderful care staff leaving the sector. As a result, this has added to a devastating recruitment and retention issue."

Rebecca Young, head of external affairs at the charity Revitalise, which offers respite holidays to disabled people, called the ditching of the mandate a "great relief" and said: “At Revitalise, we have already lost several long-standing colleagues because of the mandate, at a time when we were already struggling to recruit. This means we have had to cap the number of people we can care for who really need our services, a devastating blow to people in desperate need of respite breaks.

“This has been a widespread crisis in social care, with some providers simply having to close their doors due to staffing shortages, meaning that a policy aimed at protecting the disabled and elderly has actually put thousands at risk."

’Social care staffing must be treated as seriously as NHS staffing’

Access Social Care, which gives free legal advice to people with social care needs, said the government's U-turn on the mandate is a “step in the right direction,” but with 3 February being the deadline for home care workers to have received their first dose of the vaccine, it was too late for those who have already quit the profession.

Kari Gerstheimer, chief executive and founder of Access Social Care said: “We might have lost these skilled workers - some with decades worth of invaluable experience - forever."

There are no plans in Scotland and Wales to make Covid jabs mandatory for NHS workers or care staff, while there will be a public consultation on the issue in Northern Ireland.