Interim National Care Service Advisory Board: Advice to Scottish Ministers and Council Leaders - Coming Home

Risks/challenges associated with advice

Challenge: Public services in Scotland are currently operating within extreme financial constraints and additional funding is not available

Response/mitigation: There is a fundamental moral duty to support people whose human rights are not currently being met.

This proposal recognises the financial challenges local authorities, health boards, and health and social care partnerships are currently facing, and the particular difficulties for local authorities in meeting their legal duties under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to meet eligible care needs for those whose needs are particularly complex.

A national top up scheme would provide additional funding to support those on the Dynamic Support Register move into community-based placements. Supporting community-based provision aligns with the preventative agenda, which seeks to minimise harm through careful and appropriate management. Over time, moving away from acute or out of area support is expected to lead to savings, even where some community support is extensive, and requires clinical input.

Challenge: Local areas are best placed to identify and meet the needs of their residents.

Response/mitigation: The interim Board recognises the statutory role of local delivery bodies to work in partnership to deliver national priorities in ways that work for local needs and preferences. The Independent Living Fund has a sound track record of working collaboratively with local partners. This collaborative approach is critical to making progress.

Challenge: Statutory partners’ reporting burden is already too great: there is not capacity to measure/report on more

Response/mitigation: The interim Board has recommended taking this work forward through the Social Care Data and Intelligence Programme Board. This supports wider efforts to rationalise and maximise the value of social care data collections through all partners, in line with the ambitions of the Verity House Agreement.

Challenge: The Coming Home Short Life Working Group is due to publish an Action Plan, and we should await that Plan before agreeing further actions.

Response/mitigation: While the interim Board will review the Action Plan with interest when it is published, it does not believe further action can wait.

Urgent improvements are needed now for people living in unsuitable settings.