Care Home Services (Visits to and by Care Home Residents) (Scotland) Regulations 2026: equality impact assessment
An equality impact assessment undertaken to consider and assess the impacts of the Care Home Services (Visits to and by Care Home Residents) (Scotland) Regulations 2026.
Equality Impact Assessment
Title of policy:
The Care Home Services (Visits to and by Care Home Residents) (Scotland) Regulations 2025.
Summary of aims and desired outcomes of Policy:
The aim of these regulations is to implement the changes made by the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 to the Public Sector Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. The purpose of these changes is to ensure that:
- people living in adult care homes can identify at least one person as their Essential Care Supporter if that is their wish, and
- that they can connect with the people who are important to them through in-person visits and visits out of the home unless there is a serious risk to life, health or wellbeing.
However, even where there are such exceptional circumstances, some types of visits should always be supported. The desired outcome is to safeguard the rights of care home residents to maintain meaningful connections with their Essential Care Supporters and protect them from isolation.
Directorate: Adult Social Care and National Care Service Development
Division: Regulation, Improvement and Integration Support