National Care Service Charter of Rights: equality impact assessment

Executive summary

This Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) supports the development, publication and implementation of the National Care Service (NCS) Charter of Rights (‘the Charter’).

The Charter has been developed in response to the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, which recommended that people should be supported to better understand their rights to social care and support.

The Charter sets out the existing rights of people accessing social care, social work and community health services, and provides clear information on how to raise concerns or make a complaint where those rights are not met. The Charter does not change or create any new rights and therefore does not constitute a change in policy. However, it aims to improve access to information about rights and, in doing so, strengthen people’s ability to realise their existing rights.

The Charter applies to anyone accessing, or waiting to access, social work, social care or community health services, including unpaid carers.

The EQIA assessed potential impacts across all protected characteristics and the Public Sector Equality Duty. Evidence was drawn from a range of sources including:

• national data
• national and international literature reviews
• stakeholder responses to the NCS Consultation
• desk research
• feedback from engagement through co‑design activities
• internal team discussions

The assessment identified positive or neutral impacts across all protected characteristic groups, with no negative impacts identified. Overall, the Charter is expected to be a valuable tool in supporting the delivery of rights‑based care in Scotland.

Monitoring of equality impacts will be embedded within implementation plans as the Charter progresses to the next stage. This will be supported through continued engagement with those who have helped to shape the Charter, including those it aims to support. Overall, the EQIA concludes that the Charter is likely to advance equality and human rights, with implementation offering further opportunities to strengthen inclusion and reduce inequalities.