Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Care Staff Support Fund (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

(2) These Regulations come into force immediately after they are made.

(3) In these Regulations-

"expected income" means the greater of-

"the Fund" means the Social Care Staff Support Fund to be established under paragraph 7(1) of schedule 1 of the 2020 Act,

"integration authority" has the meaning given by section 59 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working (Scotland) Act 2014(3),

"relevant care service" means "a care home service", "a housing support service", "an offender accommodation service" or "a support service", all as defined by section 47(1) and schedule 12 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010(4),

"relevant social care worker" means an individual directly employed by a relevant care service on or after 23 March 2020,

"sick pay" means-

"2020 Act" means the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No. 2) Act 2020(6).

Establishment, maintenance and administration of the Fund

2.-(1) The Fund is established.

(2) The Fund is to be maintained and administered in accordance with regulations 2 to 5.

(3) The Scottish Ministers must maintain the Fund for the duration of the period when Part 1 of the 2020 Act is in force(7).

(4) The Scottish Ministers may appoint an integration authority or a local authority to administer the Fund on their behalf.

(5) The Scottish Ministers may pay such administration fees as they think fit to any person who they may appoint under paragraph (4).

Eligibility criteria to receive financial assistance deriving from the Fund

3.-(1) A relevant social care worker is entitled to financial assistance from the Fund if all of the conditions in paragraphs (2) to (5) are met.

(2) The first condition is that the relevant social care worker's ability to undertake contracted health and care work is, or has been, restricted for a reason relating to coronavirus.

(3) The second condition is that as a result of that restriction, the worker's income is, or has been, reduced.

(4) The third condition is that consequently the worker would experience, or is experiencing, financial hardship during the period when Part 1 of the 2020 Act is in force.

(5) The fourth condition is that the worker is, or was-

(a)unable to attend work as a result of having coronavirus, or

(b)self-isolating in accordance with relevant public health guidance.

Requirements for claim on the Fund by relevant social care workers

4.  In order to make a claim on the Fund, a relevant social care worker must provide evidence satisfactory to the Scottish Ministers, to them, or to such person appointed by the Scottish Ministers in accordance with regulation 2(3), that all the conditions set out in regulation 3 are met.

Amount of financial assistance to be paid from the Fund

5.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the maximum amount to be paid from the Fund to each relevant social care worker in respect of each period that the worker meets all the conditions in regulation 3 is the difference between-

(a)that worker's expected income from health and care work in respect of that period, and

(b)their actual income from health and care work (including any sick pay) in respect of that period.

(2) A relevant social care worker is not entitled to payment of an amount under paragraph (1) to the extent to which they have received a payment in respect of reduction in income for that period from any public body or other person.

Reimbursement of employers of payments to relevant social care workers

6.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an employer who pays a relevant social care worker an amount described in regulation 5 is entitled to reimbursement from the Fund, together with payment of such administration costs (if any) as the Scottish Ministers think fit.

(2) An employer must provide evidence satisfactory to the Scottish Ministers, to them, or to such person as they may appoint to administer the Fund, that-

(a)the relevant social care worker has met all of the conditions set out in regulation 3,

(b)the worker was entitled to the amount sought to be reimbursed, and

(c)the employer has paid to the worker that amount.

(3) An employer of a relevant social care worker is not entitled to reimbursement to the extent to which they have received a payment from any public body or other person in reimbursement of that amount.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision for the establishment, maintenance and administration of the Social Care Staff Support Fund ("the Fund").

Regulation 1 provides that the Regulations will come into force as soon as they are made and provides definitions of key terms in the Regulations.

Regulation 2 provides that the Scottish Ministers establish the Fund, and as to maintenance and administration of the Fund.

Regulation 3 sets out the eligibility criteria that a worker must satisfy to receive assistance.

Regulation 4 makes provision as to the making of claims on the Fund by a relevant social care worker.

Regulation 5 makes provision as to the amount that can be paid from the Fund.

Regulation 6 makes provision as to reimbursement of an employer who pays sums to which a worker is entitled from the Fund.