7(1)The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as practicable after Royal Assent, establish and maintain a fund to be known as the “social care staff support fund”.
(2)The Scottish Ministers must use the fund to provide financial assistance to workers in the social care sector—
(a)whose ability to undertake contracted health and care work is, or has been, restricted, for a reason relating to coronavirus (such as, but not limited to, inability to work in multiple or linked workplaces), and
(b)as a result of that restriction, whose income is reduced and consequently would experience, or are experiencing, financial hardship during the period when Part 1 is in force.
(3)The Scottish Ministers must by regulations make further provision about the establishment, maintenance and administration of the fund.
(4)Regulations under sub-paragraph (3)—
(a)must be laid before the Scottish Parliament as soon as practicable after they are made,
(b)cease to have effect at the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which they are made unless, during that period, they are approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament.
(5)In calculating the period of 28 days in sub-paragraph (4)(b), no account is to be taken of any period during which the Scottish Parliament is—
(a)in recess for more than 4 days, or
(b)dissolved.
(6)If regulations cease to have effect as a result of sub-paragraph (4)(b), that does not—
(a)affect anything previously done under the regulations,
(b)prevent the making of new regulations.
(7)In sub-paragraph (2), the “social care sector” includes any care service within the meaning given in section 47 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.