Counting the Cost of Choice and Control: Evidence for the costs of self-directed support in Scotland

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the research: particularly the managers, finance officers and commissioners in the Local Authorities, the workers in the provider and support agencies, and the individual users and carers who gave up their time to share their experiences with us. We appreciate the assistance we received with identifying stakeholders from national and local organisations. We have worked throughout this project with a reference group of service users, carers and practitioners who have remained anonymous but provided us with invaluable insight and comments on our methods and findings, and we would particularly like to thank them for their help. We received administrative support at the University of Stirling, particularly from Leigh Ward, Sharon Day and Morag Crawford, which made running the project possible.

We would also like to thank the Scottish Government for commissioning this research, and the Self Directed Support team and research advisory group who provided invaluable insight and guidance throughout the project. They were:

• Jennifer Willoughby, SDS Bill Team, Scottish Government
• Craig Flunkert, SDS Bill Team, Scottish Government
• Bette Francis, SDS Team, Scottish Government
• Fiona Hodgkiss, Health Analytical Services, Scottish Government
• Christine Sheehy, Health Analytical Services, Scottish Government
• Julie Rintoul, Health Analytical Services, Scottish Government
• Iain Pearce, Health Analytical Services, Scottish Government
• Margaret Petherbridge, Falkirk Council & ADSW
• Annie Gunner Logan/Dee Fraser, Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland
• Maureen McPeak, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL)

The project team take full responsibility for the contents of this report, including any errors or omissions therein.

Project team

Professor David Bell, economist, School of Management, University of Stirling

Professor Alison Bowes, sociologist, School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling

Dr Alison Dawson, research fellow, School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling

Ms Elizabeth Roberts, economist, School of Management, University of Stirling

Professor Kirstein Rummery, project manager, School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling