Adult social care: independent review

Executive summary

At the centre of the remit for this review was a request to recommend improvements to adult social care support in Scotland, primarily in terms of the outcomes achieved by and with people who use services. Having listened carefully, over the last several months, to the voices and the stories of many people with lived experience of social care support, unpaid carers and staff working in the sector we believe that there are three things we must change in order to secure better outcomes. These can be summarised as follows:

1. Shift the paradigm

2. Strengthen the foundations

3. Redesign the system

Shifting the paradigm

We need to start by challenging some of the prevailing narrative about social care support. It has its fair share of challenges, as this report will recognise and tackle, but it need not be unsustainable, or in crisis, or confined to the margins of society. Strong and effective social care support is foundational to the flourishing of everyone in Scotland. It is a good investment in our economy and in our citizens. In order to maximise the potential of social care support we have to change our perspective of what is social care support. We need to shift the paradigm of social care support to one underpinned by a human rights based approach. The table below summarises the changes required which are explored in greater detail throughout our report:

Old Thinking:
Social care support is a burden on society
Managing need
Available in a crisis
Competition and markets
Transactions
A place for services (e.g. a care home)
Variable

New Thinking:
Social care support is an investment
Enabling rights and capabilities
Preventative and anticipatory
Collaboration
Relationships
A vehicle for supporting independent living
Consistent and fair

Strengthening the Foundations

As we will rehearse in various sections of this report, there are many strengths in the Scottish system of social care support. We need to build on those foundations. We need self-directed support and the Independent Living Fund, and we need integration of health and social care. The challenge here is implementation. How do we bridge the gap between promise and reality? That will require a step change in the capability of the system across the whole country, in the adoption of science based improvement methods, and in the ability of the National Care Service to learn from success and failure – to solve problems when they are identified and to scale-up and spread promising practice much more effectively.

A second foundation that needs nurturing and strengthening is the social care workforce. For us to achieve the improvements we seek, they need to feel engaged, valued and rewarded for the vitally important work that they do. We have not made recommendations about the social work workforce in proposed new arrangements as we believe these will require careful consideration alongside implementation of The Promise the review of children's services, and any changes planned for criminal justice social work.

Third, we need to support and enable unpaid carers to continue to be a cornerstone of social care support. The contribution they make is invaluable. Their commitment and compassion is humbling. We need to provide them with a stronger voice and with the networks, support and respite they need to continue in their vital role.

Redesigning the System

We won't achieve the potential of social care support in Scotland without a new delivery system. We need a National Care Service to achieve the consistency that people deserve, to drive national improvements where they are required, to ensure strategic integration with the National Health Service, to set national standards, terms and conditions, and to bring national oversight and accountability to a vital part of Scotland's social fabric. The National Care Service will bring together everyone with a role to play in planning and providing social care support to achieve a common purpose.

We also need a transformation of the way in which we plan, commission and procure social care support. We need an approach that builds trusting relationships rather than competition. We need to build partnerships not market-places.

Finally, it is vital that we amplify the voice of lived experience at every level in our redesign. We have a duty to co-produce our new system with the people who it is designed to support, both individually and collectively.