Scottish Care welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to a three-month period of engagement on the future reform of social care and looks forward to working constructively alongside government, local authorities, health and social care partnerships, people who access support, unpaid carers, the workforce, providers and wider stakeholders in what must be a serious and substantive national conversation. The Programme for Government commits to a period of dialogue to agree reforms which make best use of existing resources, deliver fairer and more efficient services and maintain a focus on community need. We welcome that opportunity and stand ready to contribute positively to the discussions ahead.
However, any conversation about reform must begin with a realistic understanding of what social care is today. Social care is not simply a support function for the NHS, nor can its success be measured solely by its impact on hospitals and health services. Social care is a public good in its own right. It enables people to exercise choice, maintain relationships, participate in their communities and live lives of meaning, dignity and purpose. Reform will only succeed if it starts from an appreciation of the strengths, contribution and value of social care itself rather than viewing the sector exclusively through a health service lens.
At the same time, Scottish Care recognises that reform is both necessary and overdue. Scotland faces demographic change, increasing complexity of need, workforce pressures and continuing financial fragility across health and social care. The current system is too often characterised by inconsistency, unmet need and unequal access to support. There is therefore a shared responsibility to embrace change where it improves outcomes for people and communities.
If Scotland is serious about delivering more preventative, community-based support, then resources must follow ambition. Reform cannot be achieved by expecting social care to do more with less. There must be an honest discussion about how investment is distributed across the wider public sector system and a willingness to shift resources towards those forms of support which enable people to remain well, connected and independent within their communities.
The workforce must be at the heart of any reform programme. No structural change will succeed unless we properly value, support and reward those who deliver care and support every day. Scottish Care has consistently argued that the Real Living Wage must be viewed as the floor, not the ceiling, of our ambition. The next phase of reform must deliver meaningful progress on recruitment, retention, professional recognition, career development and terms and conditions for the social care workforce.
The next three months must also move beyond rhetoric and deliver practical outcomes. Scottish Care believes that the process should result in a clear commitment to a sustainable funding settlement for social care, a workforce deal which secures the future supply of care professionals, a reduction in bureaucracy and duplication, and a rebalancing of resources towards prevention, community support and early intervention. It should also reaffirm social care as a distinct and valued public service in its own right.
Professor Donald Macaskill, Scottish Care, CEO commented:
“Scottish Care enters this process with an open mind and a willingness to engage fully and constructively. Nothing should be off the table. However, the measure of success will not be whether new structures are proposed or fresh reports are written. It will be whether Scotland emerges from this process with a credible plan to secure the long-term sustainability of social care, properly value its workforce, invest in community support and ensure that every individual can access the care and support they need, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.
Scottish Care looks forward to playing its full part in helping to shape that future.”
