Scottish care home group Renaissance Care has set out plans to increase inclusivity and security among its workforce. 

The group, which operates 16 care homes throughout Scotland with over 1,200 staff, launched the initiative in January with a commitment to supplying sanitary items for female staff in all its facilities with the provision of sanitary towels and tampons in all staff bathrooms.

The move is part of the group’s efforts to create a safe and happy working environment and comes following calls from The British Medical Association for these essentials to be accessible to all healthcare staff throughout Scotland.

“Sanitary items are not a luxury; they are a necessity and should be treated as such by employers,” said interim people services Corinne Morrison-Gillies. “The nature of our job in the care sector means our staff do not have regular working patterns therefore can easily be caught off guard by their menstrual cycle, adding undue pressure to what can be a challenging job. 

“Our staff work incredibly hard, and the last thing they should have to worry about is having access to, what we consider bare essentials. By having free period products available in all our care homes we hope to remove barriers and create an open and safe working environment for our employees.”