Right at Home UK welcomes government U-turn on mandatory vaccination
Leading homecare provider, Right at Home UK, has welcomed the launch of a consultation on removing mandatory vaccination as a condition for employment in health and social care settings.
Published: 03/02/2022
Mandatory vaccination would have required all care workers to receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine or face dismissal, and would have come into force on February 3rd. The policy threatened the jobs of tens of thousands of care workers across the country, at a time when many care providers are already struggling due to severe staff shortages.
The consultation announcement follows months of campaigning by the Homecare Association, of which Right at Home UK is a member, to reverse the decision and champion Carers’ right to make informed choices about the vaccine.
Right at Home UK firmly believes that vaccination offers the best possible protection against the virus. Each of our 75 franchise offices has always opted to discuss the benefits of the COVID-19 jab with our CareGivers to help them make the choice that best protects them and their Clients.
That said, Right at Home has always acknowledged that people choose not to be vaccinated for many reasons. The priority remains respecting personal choice and using the facts to encourage take-up of the vaccine wherever possible.
To that end, franchises have shared information of the benefits a CareGiver could gain from the vaccine from the start of the rollout, respecting each person’s right to ‘opt in’ whilst continuing to have robust infection prevention and control measures in place to protect them and the people they care for. This includes consistent lateral flow testing, correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and robust hygiene procedures. This approach means we have a 90% take up rate on the vaccination across our network.
Right at Home’s purpose is to deliver excellent quality care for vulnerable people and we are confident in our ability to continue delivering this safely, just as we have throughout the pandemic. Right at Home looks forward to seeing the outcome of the consultation and hopefully, a step-change in the Government’s focus towards sector-wide challenges such as recruitment.
Commenting on the news of a vaccination U-turn, Lucy Campbell, CEO of Right at Home UK said:
“Vaccination against COVID-19 is a public good, but enforcement was never going to be the best way forward – threatening the livelihood of tens of thousands of highly trained, skilled Carers across the sector is simply wrong after the deep sacrifices they have made, and continue to make, during the pandemic. This is why we welcome news of a consultation on mandatory vaccination as a condition of employment in care.
“At Right at Home, we have always prioritised information and education. This means speaking to our CareGivers and local teams about the benefits of the vaccine and subsequent booster jabs to them, the people they support and their loved ones.
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have followed guidance from all relevant public health authorities on infection prevention and control, securing the PPE, testing and resources we need to care safely for our Clients and keep our CareGivers healthy. We are confident in our ability to continue delivering the best care, companionship and support possible in every local community we serve across the UK.”
