Statement on Health and Sport Committee Report on Engagement by Integration Authorities

Scottish Care welcomes the newly published Report of the Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament.

The report follows a parliamentary inquiry into the extent to which the public, service users, the third sector and independent sector are being involved effectively in the work of Integration Authorities (IAs).

In its report, the Committee found a lack of consistency in stakeholder engagement across IAs which are now in their second year of operation across Scotland.

The committee heard evidence from a range of organisations including Scottish Care which presented both written and oral evidence.

While some areas of good practice were cited on stakeholder engagement, the committee heard concerns over engagement being ‘tokenistic’, ‘overly top down’ and ‘just communicating decisions that had already been made’.

The Committee states in their Report their belief that a piecemeal approach to engagement with stakeholders cannot continue, and that meaningful engagement is fundamental to the successful integration of health and social care services.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) Act 2014 (the Act) sets out the legislative framework for integrating health and social care.

During passage of the Act the then Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being stated “the third and independent sectors will be embedded in the process as key stakeholders in shaping the redesign of services.”

The Act sought to achieve this vision by placing a duty on integration authorities to ensure stakeholders were fully engaged in the preparation, publication and review of strategic commissioning plans.

Scottish Government guidance on strategic planning states services should be “planned and led locally in a way which is engaged with the community (including those who look after service users and those who are involved in the provision of health and social care)”.

In responding to the Health and Sport Committee Inquiry Report Scottish Care’s CEO, Dr Donald Macaskill stated:

“I wholeheartedly agree with the findings of the report and its call to end a tick-box approach to engagement with the third and independent sectors. Effective and meaningful engagement is critical for the success of health and social care integration. Scottish Care’s evidence to the Inquiry highlighted that where there was appropriate and effective engagement that there were real benefits for all involved.

However partnership without presence is simply never going to work. Out of the 31 Integration Joint Boards the independent care sector has representation on only 8. This is hardly effective engagement.”

 

 

 

 

Inaugural Care Lecture sees call for Social Care Commission

Scottish Care is delighted to be hosting the first Care Lecture which will be held in the Banking Hall, 30 St Vincent Place, Glasgow on Thursday 31st August from 6.45pm.

We are very grateful for the support and sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank in this venture which we hope will become an annual event. It is an opportunity to highlight the significant issues facing social care and in particular older people in modern Scotland.

The lecturer this year is Ms Judith Robertson, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission who will talk to the subject: ‘Human rights in social care in Scotland.’

Speaking ahead of the Lecture, Ms Robertson said:

“Putting human rights at the heart of social care systems ensures every service user has all they need to live with dignity, freedom and respect when they need it most.  If embedded in existing social care policies and practices, human rights can improve experiences for everybody – from service users, to workers, to care providers. The evidence of this impact can be seen through examples of human rights in practice in some health and social care settings in Scotland including the National Dementia Strategy.

“However gaps continue to be felt where it really matters – in the reality of too many people’s day-to-day lives. This is why we are calling for the urgent establishment of an independent Scottish Commission on Social Care. A commission: that listens to and learns from those who have experienced social care; that guides national and local government to put the rights of these citizens and wellbeing of society as a whole first; and ensures social care policies and procedures live up to our country’s vision for a fair and just society.

“The UK and Scottish Governments, and social care providers –  across the public, private and third sector – in Scotland can and must do more to address gaps in social care. An independent Scottish Social Care Commission could help them do this – as recommended by the group that developed the shared ambition for the Future of Social Care in Scotland – ‘facilitating honest conversations about for example where to invest or disinvest to make the greatest impact for communities throughout Scotland.’

“Establishing a commission of this nature would also demonstrate to the United Nations (UN) that Scotland is making real progress in in meeting some of the human rights obligations that our governments have agreed to. Indeed, this was one of our key recommendations in our submission to the UN’s recent universal periodic review of human rights in the UK.”

Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care said:

“Human rights are talked about a lot these days and I am very pleased we will have the opportunity to hear from Ms Robertson on what that means for social care in Scotland. Scottish Care welcome the call from the SHRC for the establishment of a Scottish Commission on Social Care.

“We are quite rightly committed to creating a world class health and social care system in Scotland. Such a system has to be based on the rights and dignity of all people.

“But talk about rights can be easy and casual. Putting human rights into practice is much more challenging. It means, amongst other things, that the way we buy care has to be rights based not driving costs down to the bottom in the name of efficiencies. It means we have to adequately reward and remunerate a workforce dedicated to helping another realise their rights and who themselves understand that they have human rights which need fulfillment. It means that the delivery of care, the environment, the purposes of activity in care homes and in our community, are all solidly rooted in the soil of human rights. It means that citizens have maximum control and choice, the ability to lead independent lives, to be cared for in compassion and when the time comes to make rights based choices as their life ends.

“The new Health and Care Standards give us in Scotland the potential to be ground-breaking but that potential has to be worked for and won’t be realised overnight.

“There are too many instances in Scotland today where older Scots are being actively denied the exercise of full choice and control over their social care and where there is a clear breach of their rights as equal citizens. This acceptable form of discrimination has to end.

“Like so many others I want to live in a Scotland which enshrines human rights in its social care. That will remain a dream until we end the age discrimination which treats older Scots more unfairly than others. It will remain a dream until we recognise the value and contribution of social care workers and end the gender discrimination in their treatment. I don’t want to be dreaming I want to live and breathe in a fully rights based country.”

Ends