Developing the Social Security Charter: co-design process

6. Conclusions

The Scottish Social Security Charter has been co-designed. The process has brought together the considered thoughts, views and ideas of people with lived experience of social security and stakeholders. The people with lived experience that worked on the Charter shared decision making with the Scottish Government and have been guided by experts in a carefully formulated programme of capacity building and co-design.

The Core Group were the basis of the charter co-design work. The process was difficult for this group, for many their conditions make it hard for them to travel, be in a noisy room with many people, take part in discussions and digest a large amount of complex information in a short time period. Nevertheless this group not only undertook these tasks, they did them well, and the quality of their input is manifest in the draft charter.

We asked the core group how they felt about the process they had gone through, whether or not their needs were met during the process and to what extent they felt their voice was heard and is explicit in the charter.

Every member of the Core Group who told us about their experience said that their physical health, mental health, sensory issues and learning difficulty needs were met all or most of the time.

"I feel everything was done to help all of us no matter what our needs were".

Every member that replied to us told us they felt well supported through the process, and the vast majority understood all the information they were given.

And all but one were fully able to give their opinions. Some comments included:

"Anything I didn't understand I just asked. Got an answer asap."

"(the officials)…Encouraged me to participate & feel valued."

"They (the officials) always LISTENED."

Finally we asked to what extent they felt their opinions are reflected in the draft charter. The vast majority of those who replied told us they felt their opinions were completely reflected and a small minority saying mostly.

The draft charter expresses what the principles in the Act mean to a wide range of people with experience of social security, and who needs to do what to ensure that the vision of a system based on Human Rights, from policy design all the way through to operational delivery, is realised.