Scottish Care research has uncovered the scale and impact of delayed payment for care packages delivered by independent providers across the country. Public contracts should be paid within twenty-eight days. Yet this is not always the case.

When asked the level of late payment they are working with, 100% of respondents have informed Scottish Care that they operate with payments due over 30 days. With sums in certain cases going into the millions, the average owed amongst the cases provided to Scottish Care is £303,986.

When asked if they had any late payments that are more than 60 days, 62.8% stated they were, with an average sum of £139,990 owed per case. Again, certain providers are owed millions.

Care providers deliver vital support to their communities across the country. If they are not appropriately remunerated for delivering these vital services, their very existence comes under threat. It is again, those in need of care and support in our communities who will suffer. The situation is predicated on the misunderstanding of the current fiscal condition on the independent care sector in Scotland.

Scottish Care members have articulated the impact on their ability to deliver much need care:

“Our tendered care packages are accepted and delivered without issue, yet we wait months for eventual payment. The time we spent chasing these payments, critical to our ongoing survival as a business, could be spent delivering the care our clients need and deserve.” (Care at Home Provider)

“In a time where we, and the rest of the independent sector, need to grow to meet rising demand, this inadequate commissioning of services like ours further burdens our operations and the care our homes provide.” (Care Home Provider)

This undervaluation of social care is in stark contrast to independent services’ foundational importance to Scotland’s economy, and the ability to save significant sums of money through a preventative approach that addresses issues such as delayed discharge.

As a result of this, Scottish Care calls for:

• An urgent short-term investment to ameliorate the funding shortfalls of commissioning and procurement bodies.
• An immediate end of late payments for the delivery of care packages, and the prompt payment of owed monies.
• A systemic change towards a model of ethical commissioning and procurement under a National Care Service (NCS), with statutory provisions to empower providers:
  • A standardised process of recourse to claim owed monies, including interest fees.
  • A transparent method of financial assessment that keeps providers informed throughout the process of admission and assessment.
• A permanent representative of the independent care sector as part of new National Care Boards under an NCS, to routinely advise on issues impacting the financial viability of the sector, such as late payment.

Appreciating the current fiscal challenges local authorities face, Scottish Care is committed to working in partnership to remedy these issues and ensure the ongoing delivery of care and support across Scotland.

-Ends-

The Delayed Payment Briefing Report is available here.

Next First Minister must ensure Scotland’s ‘globally significant’ commitment to care delivers concrete changes, campaigners say

Campaigners have warmly welcomed Scottish Ministers’ backing for a new world-leading commitment on care, and say that it must not be overshadowed by the political upheaval facing the Scottish Government. Instead, campaigners say ‘to be worth the paper it’s written on’, the next First Minister must fully deliver a meaningful step-change in how both unpaid and paid carers in Scotland are valued and supported.

Following a successful campaign by A Scotland That Cares, a coalition campaign backed by over 70 organisations with Scottish Care as part of the steering group, including leading Scottish charities, think tanks and trade unions, the Scottish Government has proposed a new, dedicated National Outcome on care.

Once finalised it will make Scotland one of the first countries in the world to make such an explicit and comprehensive commitment to driving and transparently measuring progress on how care and, crucially, those who look after someone, are valued.

First introduced in 2007, the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework (NPF) includes eleven National Outcomes, the goals which it says describe ‘the kind of Scotland’ it wishes to create. However, there is currently no Outcome on care, a glaring omission which A Scotland That Cares sought to change during the Government’s recent review led by the Deputy First Minister, Shona Robison.

The campaign, backed by carers across Scotland, was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when people and many politicians took to their doorsteps to ‘clap for carers’ and other key workers. Since then, the campaign has shown how the undervaluation of all forms of care is leaving too many people who look after someone, particularly women, to pay a deep financial and personal price, including poverty and burn-out.

The draft new National Outcomes recommended by Scottish Ministers have today been lodged at the Scottish Parliament for scrutiny by MSPs before being finalised, and they include a new National Outcome on Care, which states ‘We are cared for as we need throughout our lives and value all those providing care’.

As well as covering care at all stages of a person’s life, the new National Outcome will cover everyone with caring responsibilities in Scotland; from unpaid carers looking after friends and family, including young carers, to parents looking after children and paid social care and childcare workers.

Becky Duff, Director of Carers Trust Scotland, said: “Carers, whether paid or unpaid, are the backbone of our society, providing essential support and compassion to those in need. For too long, their tireless efforts have gone unseen and unappreciated, resulting in carers often facing burn out and poverty. The Scottish Government’s landmark new commitment to carers is a positive step towards ensuring that carers of all kinds receive the recognition and resources they urgently need and deserve.”

The creation of a new National Outcome on care comes as public support for carers remains high, with polling showing nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults in Scotland back a new National Outcome on care. It has already attracted support from multiple political parties.

A Scotland That Cares says the new Outcome must be underpinned by robust indicators, such as those proposed by academics through the University of the West of Scotland – Oxfam Partnership, to ensure that its delivery translate into practical policies, adequate funding, and meaningful support systems that make a tangible difference to the daily lives of carers.

Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care, said: “For decades, carers of all kinds have provided an essential service which, despite its Cinderella status, has kept our communities and economy afloat. The new National Outcome on care must be a line in the sand, and given the weight, impetus, and funding it needs to drive the substantial spending and policy changes required to address the myriad of issues facing the care sector, carers and those they care for.”

Campaigners are urging MSPs from across the political spectrum to back the new National Outcome while ensuring that Scotland’s 13 proposed National Outcomes have more weight in driving policy and spending decisions across all levels of government.

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “This hugely welcome, globally significant commitment to carers cannot be overshadowed or undermined by short-term political upheaval. The next First Minister must instead ensure the proposed National Outcome on Care is worth the paper it’s written on by delivering rapid and transformative changes that boost investment in care and give carers the support they need. It’s time that carers, and the contribution they make to our country, are both visible and valued.”

Find out more about the A Scotland that Cares campaign at ascotlandthatcares.org

Survey Reveals Urgent Concerns Over International Recruitment in Social Care 

Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care providers in Scotland, has conducted a survey revealing significant challenges faced by care providers in recruiting and retaining internationally recruited staff. The findings shed light on the potential risks to social care service delivery across Scotland due to recent decisions by the Home Office regarding international recruitment pathways.

The survey was initiated in response to Scottish Care member reports regarding increasing difficulties in international recruitment. The Home Office’s decision to request additional documentation and communication issues exacerbated concerns among care providers, particularly around Certificates of Sponsorship.

Data gathered from the survey revealed several key insights:

• Over 66% of Scottish Care members are currently recruiting staff from overseas, indicating a heavy reliance on international recruitment pathways.
• However, 68% of respondents expressed reluctance to consider international recruitment in the future, due to concerns over sustainability and financially viability.
• Respondents from 14 Local Authority areas indicate that care providers employ over 15% of staff from overseas, with 7 areas reporting over 25%.
• Alarmingly, some care providers reported between 95 – 100% of staff being internationally recruited, posing significant risks to service sustainability.

These findings highlight a serious concern over the sustainability of social care delivery in Scotland. The potential loss of internationally recruited staff could intensify the existing vacancy challenges and impact overall service provision.

Scottish Care urges policymakers to address the urgent issues facing social care recruitment. Immediate action is needed to protect social care service provision and support the sector’s workforce.

Scottish Care has prepared a Briefing Paper for the International Recruitment Survey Findings, which is available here.

Care at Home & Housing Support Awards 2024

Entry deadline extended – 18 March
Great news! We’ve extended the deadline for nominations to our annual Care at Home & Housing Support Awards until 5:00 pm on Monday 18 March 2024.

Don’t miss out on the chance to nominate deserving individuals and organisations in the homecare sector across Scotland. With 10 award categories, there’s ample opportunity to celebrate exceptional skills and commitment.

Before submitting your nomination, please review the guidelines carefully to ensure compliance with judging criteria.

Judging will take place in March/April, with the Awards Ceremony set for Friday 17 May, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow, following the 2024 Care at Home & Housing Support Conference.

Don’t miss out on early bird tickets for the conference and book your place before the end of March here!

Join us in recognising the outstanding contributions of our dedicated homecare professionals and enter the awards now!

Find out more and enter here.