Plans for UK’s first National Care Service outlined in Scottish bill
Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 22 June, 2022
A historic bill to take social work and social care outside local authority control and under the UK’s first National Care Service has been introduced by the Scottish government.
New bodies called ‘care boards’ directly accountable to ministers will be created to deliver the service, with social care staff in councils transferred across to them.
A key area of contention – whether children’s services and justice social work will be included in the transfer – remains unanswered.
Instead, ministers intend to carry out a separate consultation on this over the coming months.
The creation of a National Care Service (NCS) was a key SNP policy pledge in the 2021 Scottish elections and follows recommendations from the Feeley review of adult social care.
It aims to end a “postcode lottery” of care to ensure it is “offered in the same way and at the same standard throughout Scotland”.
A “nationally-consistent, integrated and accessible” electronic social care and health recording system will be also created, along with a charter of rights for people accessing care.
The bill also allows for the establishment of a National Social Work Agency to lead training and development, education and workforce planning within the profession.
This government agency will also set social work terms and conditions, including pay.
Alison Bavidge, national director of the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW), said: “This is a major piece of legislation that will bring significant change to social work and social care in Scotland. It is a high-level framework bill, with much of the detail expected to be fleshed out through secondary legislation.
“As it passes through parliament, SASW’s focus will be to work with MSPs, the Scottish government and other partners to influence and shape this legislation to achieve the best outcome for social work.”
Health secretary Humza Yousaf said the plans represented “the most ambitious reform of public services since the creation of the NHS”.
He added: “The design of the NCS will have human rights embedded throughout, and the actual shape and detail of how the NCS works will be designed with those who have direct experience of accessing and providing social care.”
Opposition parties in Scotland, however, have been quick to criticise the bill.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie claimed it represented the “biggest power grab in the history of Holyrood – one that threatens the very existence of local government in Scotland.”
The Scottish Conservative Party’s social care spokesperson Craig Hoy said: “The last thing we need right now is major bureaucratic overhaul of the system which would see precious resources diverted away from the frontline and into employing hundreds more management and admin staff.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton described the legislation as a “top-down reorganisation of care”.
Unite claimed the plans could cost up to £1.26 billion over the next five years. The union’s general secretary Sharon Graham described the bill as “incomprehensible, incoherent and dreadful”, adding: “The plans to transfer services, people and property from local authorities to the Scottish government is a recipe for disaster and represent an all-out assault on local democracy.”
A consultation of SASW members last year highlighted concern of social work being divided into silos under the plans, with adults service separated from children’s and justice services.
Contact SASW’s policy officer Jonny Adamson with comments at jonny.adamson@basw.co.uk