Safe staffing programme
The safe staffing programme was commissioned by the Scottish Government to support care services to prepare for enactment of The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. This is the first legislation in the UK to set out requirements for both health and care services and will affect legislation that guides the requirements of the services you currently provide.
Enacted on 1 April 2024, the Act is applicable to all health and care staff in Scotland. Statutory guidance has been published alongside the Act. The aims of the Act are to enable safe and high quality care and improved outcomes for those experiencing health care or care services through the provision of appropriate staffing. This means:
Having the right people, in the right place, with the right skills, at the right time.
The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 is in four parts.
Guiding principles for staffing
Staffing in the NHS
Staffing in care services
General provisions
Part one and three are applicable to children and young people's services.
Part one: Guiding principles
Part three: Staffing in care services
You can watch all safe staffing bitesize videos and webinars on our Youtube playlist.
We created a poster to raise awareness of the Act for services and their staff. Please download the poster for CYP services and display in your service.
Use safe staffing cards sway for a deeper understanding of the Act and the implications for your service. The cards can be used as part of a self-evaluation exercise, to identify strengths and raise awareness for areas for improvement.
We have collated the voice of the sector which we gathered during in person events and webinars. Please find the word cloud for children and young people services which incorporates the 8 main principles.
The See Me video highlights the importance of stigma in the work place and highlights further resources to support staff wellbeing.