Adult social care support and community health: draft Scottish learning and improvement framework

Joint Foreword

Foreword from the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and the Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)

The Scottish Government and COSLA are committed to securing continuous improvement in the provision of a robust and responsive social care support and community health system. We agree on the importance of delivering high-quality care and support across the country. Our vision is clear: to build a system that is person-led, inclusive, and adaptable to the evolving needs of our population

“The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework” (SRF) published in June 2025 highlights the shared ambition of between Scottish Government and Local Government is to ensure people of all ages are able to live well, with the right support, and to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. Implementing the changes set out in this Framework will bring significant, positive improvements to how people in Scotland experience health and social care.

The “Draft Scottish Learning and Improvement Framework for Adult Social Care Support and Community Health” SLIF is part of this vital work. By setting out the vision and priorities for improvement that have been agreed across the health and social care sector and supporting an approach which further builds improvement and quality management into the system, the SLIF will ensure we are capturing learning and working towards the same agreed outcomes.

Central to the SLIF is the invaluable contribution of our dedicated healthcare, social work and social care workforce. We are committed to fostering a culture of innovation and learning, where best practices are shared and new approaches are embraced. This will not only enhance the quality of care and support but also ensure the workforce feel valued and supported, and that our services are sustainable and resilient in the face of future challenges.

Whilst significant work has taken place to get the SLIF to the position it is in today, this is only the beginning of the journey. The Scottish Government alongside COSLA, NHS and SOLACE have begun work with stakeholders from across the breadth of our health and social care systems to operationalise, test, review and shape the framework to support its implementation and to achieve it’s vision.

To ensure the SLIF makes a real difference to people’s lives, we will regularly review and monitor the framework to provide updates on its delivery and progress towards creating a system that tracks improvements by the outcomes that matter to people.

We would also like to express our gratitude to all out partners that have shared their time and expertise in co-producing the SLIF.