Creating A National Care Service In Scotland - Extra Funding To Ensure Groups Are Heard

16th September 2023

If you do not work in Social Care and perhaps even if you do you may not be aware that the National Care (Scotland) Bill is relentlessly making its way through the the complicated processes of the Scottish Parliament to become law. The control over social care will be removed from local councils and transferred to a new Scottish Government organisation. It is not an easy matter to dismantle what has taken decades to evolve. In the process a lot of consultation has been taking place and this is the latest move on that front. Many are afraid of what will happen and how it will affect employees and the people they serve in ever community in Scotland.

Third sector organisations are being awarded new funding to help ensure as many voices as possible are contributing to the design of the National Care Service.

The funding will facilitate contributions from minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system.

Organisations will each receive £5,000 to encourage the communities they work with to have their say on how future community healthcare and social work services should look.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said "As we build a National Care Service that best fits the needs of everyone in Scotland, we need to hear from people directly.

"The new National Care Service will set the standards and guidance to support the design and delivery of community healthcare and social work services locally.

"The complexities of getting this right should not be underestimated. People with experience of the current system, whether receiving health and care support or delivering it, are the experts. We need to hear those voices - and those of groups who are often overlooked.

"We know that minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system are under-represented in our co-design work to date. We also know that people affected by dementia are a key group we want to hear more from and we will benefit from partnering with an organisation with expertise in this area.

"I am confident the funding to support co-design activity with seldom heard communities will help us shape a system we can all benefit from and be proud of."

The partner organisations are:

LGBT Health and Wellbeing
Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
The Simon Community
Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of offenders (SACRO)
Alzheimer Scotland

What is the National Care Service Bill Scotland?
The Scottish Government's National Care Service (Scotland) Bill aims to make Scottish Ministers accountable for social care, as they are currently for health care, within Scotland. It will be one of the most significant reforms of public services since the creation of the National Health Service (NHS).

National Care Service Scotland Bill
The Bill allows Scottish Ministers to transfer social care responsibility from local authorities to a new, national service. This could include adult and children's services, as well as areas such as justice social work. Scottish Ministers will also be able to transfer healthcare functions from the NHS to the National Care Service.