Health and Social Care Standards: my support, my life

Foreword

I am delighted to be able to introduce the new Health and Social Care Standards and commend all of the hard work that has gone into creating these new, human rights based Standards.

The new Standards are wide reaching, flexible and focussed on the experience of people using services and supporting their outcomes. One of the major changes to these Standards is that they will now be applicable to the NHS, as well as services registered with the Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Everyone is entitled to high quality care and support tailored towards their particular needs and choices. This might be in a hospital; a care home; a children's nursery; or within their own home. Each and every one of us at some point in our lives will use or know someone who uses a health or social care service. These Standards are therefore hugely important to ensure that everyone in Scotland receives the care and support that is right for them.

I would like to thank everyone across the health and social care sectors involved in creating these Standards. You have worked hard to make them innovative and aspirational. Contributions from professional bodies, people who use services, service providers, private and third sector organisations, have created Standards that are applicable to a wide range of health and social care services.

Moving forward, there is still work to be done to ensure that the Standards are implemented successfully. We will support health and care providers, commissioners of services and inspection agencies to ensure a full understanding of what is required to meet the Standards and improve levels of care and support in Scotland.

Shona Robison MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport

New Standards on Connection for People Living in Adult Care Homes (Anne’s Law)

People living in adult care homes and their loved ones are undoubtedly amongst those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I would like to thank care home residents, their family/friends and staff for the steadfast commitment  they have made, and continue to make, during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep themselves and each other safe. However there has undoubtedly been distress caused by prolonged periods of not being able to see those that are most important to us.

Social connections and meaningful activity are vital for the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in a care home and families and friends play an essential role in the health and wellbeing of people who live in these homes.  The Scottish Government has committed to introduce Anne’s Law to ensure that people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and spend time with people who are important to them. The Health and Social Care Standards already include a range of standards to support people to remain connected to their loved ones. However, I have proposed to strengthen them as part of the delivery Anne’s Law.

In our recent public consultation there was considerable support to do this which was welcomed as an interim step towards the delivery of Anne’s Law.

I have therefore strengthened these standards by introducing two new ones (5.16 & 5.17) with an emphasis on helping people living in adult care homes to remain connected with their families / friends even in times of crisis and the involvement of family/ friends in the care and support of their loved ones.

I very much look forward to working with stakeholders across the sector in their implementation, building upon the success of the existing Health and Social Care Standards.

Kevin Stewart
Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care