A Call for a Care Revolution in Scotland: Scottish Care to Unveil ‘Myth-Busting’ Report at Annual Care at Home & Housing Support Conference
The annual Scottish Care at Home and Housing Support Conference & Exhibition is scheduled to take place on Friday 17 May 2024 at Radisson Blu in Glasgow. Organised and hosted by Scottish Care, the leading representative body for the independent social care sector, supporting providers, their workforce and individuals accessing care and support. This conference is the only event of its kind to focus specifically on homecare in Scotland.
Titled ‘Care Revolution: Time to Act’, the conference will unite stakeholders from across the care at home and housing support sector. The day will see over 200 stakeholders attend, including care providers, homecare staff and colleagues from academia, local authority, NHS and the Scottish Government.
This event presents a crucial opportunity to address current sector challenges and shape the future of social care in Scotland. It facilitates valuable connections and support among staff, providers, and managers.
The conference agenda also features a Fireside Chat with Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd and Dame Jackie Baillie, along with inputs from representatives of HACT and the Glasgow School of Art. Delegates can explore topics as diverse as ethical commissioning; international recruitment; wellbeing; homecare software; technology, digital and data.
The day will end with an Awards Ceremony hosted by Pop Idol Winner, Michelle McManus, to celebrate the best of the independent homecare workforce. The conference, exhibition and care awards are the largest of their kind for the care at home and housing support sector in Scotland.
During the event, Scottish Care will release a ground breaking report titled “Myth-busting: The First Steps of the Care Revolution”. This comprehensive briefing report aims to dispel prevalent myths surrounding the independent social care sector in Scotland and shed light on the critical issues facing the industry.
Key findings from the report include:
- The independent sector delivers the majority of social care services in Scotland, encompassing 75.6% of all care services, 83.1% of care at home services, and 85.5% of care home services for older people.
- Despite its critical importance, the independent sector receives insufficient funding, leading to a sustainability crisis marked by closures of care services across the country.
- The undervaluation of care provided by the independent sector contrasts starkly with its foundational role in Scotland’s economy and wellbeing.
- The report highlights real-world examples of the impact of funding cuts on care providers and individuals receiving care, emphasising the urgent need for change.
In response to these findings, Scottish Care calls for urgent action to address the sustainability of the independent sector, including short-term investment to alleviate funding shortfalls, an updated cost model for care home contracts, and a transparent minimum rate for homecare packages.
Karen Hedge, the Deputy CEO of Scottish Care says:
“The Care at Home and Housing Support Conference 2024 is a pivotal event that promises to shape the future of social care in Scotland. Under the conference theme, ‘Care Revolution: Time to Act,’ this gathering is not just another event, it’s a rallying point for stakeholders across the care at home and housing support sector.
The insights from our Myth-Busting Report highlights the urgent need for a transformative change and care revolution in Scotland’s social care sector. We must address the systemic undervaluation and underfunding which plagues the independent social care sector to ensure the delivery of rights-based, person-led care for individuals in our communities.”
The Myth Busting: The First Steps of the Care Revolution report is available here.
