About the Inquiry
Background
Following closures of residential care facilities and general funding issues with independent, voluntary and council run facilities, the Health and Sport Committee agreed to undertake an inquiry into social care for adults over 18 years.
We wanted to explore the future delivery of social care in Scotland and what is required to meet future needs.
We held an event, Scotland 2030: A Sustainable Future for Social Care for Older People, on 16 November 2018, in collaboration with Scotland’s Futures Forum, to consider the future of social care for older people in Scotland. The event considered the general proposition of how social care would look (and be financed) in 2030.
The Scottish Government Adult Social Care Reform Programme has been working to reform social care in Scotland. Our inquiry was not intended to replicate that work, but to instead explore the future delivery of social care in Scotland and what is required to meet future needs.
Timetable
Following publication of the Scottish Government's Independent Review of Adult Social Care on 3 February 2021, and our own report on 10 February 2021, we held one further evidence session on Tuesday 23 February 2021. We heard from six individuals, two from each of our earlier panels, on their views of the outcome of the review and the Committee's report.
Following our final evidence session on 23 February 2021, we received supplementary evidence from Annie Gunner Logan, Director, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland:
Evidence
Initial inquiry
Our initial inquiry into social care was to be a forward-looking strategic approach designed to encourage an exploration of how social care can be co-ordinated, commissioned and funded differently in the future. You can view the written submissions we received here.
However due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scrutiny of social care was paused. The pandemic brought several issues to the fore in relation to care homes and wider social care. On 4 June 2020, the Committee took evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on the issue of COVID-19 in care homes.
Summaries of evidence from the initial social care inquiry, and the session exploring the impact of COVID-19 on care homes, are now available:
During August and September 2020 the Committee carried out a further online survey to receive the views of those who receive, or provide, care and support at home. A summary of the results of this survey is now available:
Revised inquiry
Moving forward, the Committee agreed to consider social care in its entirety, scrutinising what the future model of social care should look like, incorporating lessons learned from the pandemic.
The revised inquiry drew on evidence received prior to the pandemic and heard from individuals on what changes are required to happen in social care.
During October and November 2020 we held three evidence sessions as detailed below:
Additional evidence received
In addition to the evidence summaries above, we received the following additional information to inform the Committee's inquiry:
- HS/S5/20/SOC/1 - Marie Curie (276KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/2 - RCOT (89KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/3 - Scottish Womens Convention (232KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/4 - RCOT (93KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/5 - Age Scotland (182KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/6 - Shared Lives Plus (99KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/7 - Inclusion Scotland (129KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/8 - Scottish Care (141KB, pdf)
- HS/S5/20/SOC/9 - Unison Scotland (60KB, pdf)
- Letter from Ed Humpherson, Director General for Regulation, Office for Statistics Regulation - 1 December 2020 (168KB pdf)
Correspondence
Following the publication of our survey results on "How has COVID-19 impacted on care and support at home Scotland?", the Convener wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport regarding lessons learned and actions taken. The letter also addressed the recommendations in the recent Care Inspectorate report on "Delivering care at home and housing support services during the COVID-19 pandemic", published in September 2020:
The Convener received a response from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 14 December 2020:
The Convener also wrote to the Care Inspectorate regarding the survey results and the recommendations in the Care Inspectorate report:
The Convener received a response from the Care Inspectorate on 27 November 2020:
Following our evidence session on 23 February 2021, the Convener issued a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport:
Report
The Committee published its report on 10 February 2021.
We received a response to the report from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 17 March 2021.