National Care Service Forum 2024: report

This report covers what happened at the National Care Service (NCS) Forum 2024. It includes details of the programme, the speakers and some of the topics people discussed. We held the forum in Glasgow on 7 October 2024.


About the NCS Forum 2024

How people took part

We offered people three ways to take part:

  • in person at the venue, where they could listen to the speakers and take part in discussion groups
  • online using Zoom, where they could listen to the speakers and take part in discussion groups
  • online using YouTube, where they could listen to the speakers only

Who took part

Around 300 people joined the event online and in person, including:

  • stakeholders
  • people who access social care support
  • the social care workforce
  • carers and unpaid carers.

What happened on the day

Chair and speeches

The event was introduced and chaired by Katherine Crawford, CEO of Age Scotland.

We also heard speeches from:

  • Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
  • David Duke, CEO and Founder of Street Soccer Scotland
  • Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport

You can read transcripts of Mr Gray and Ms Todd’s speeches online.

Panel discussion

This year’s panel members were:

  • Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport
  • Marion McArdle, a member of the Social Covenant Steering Group and unpaid carer for her adult daughter
  • Professor Stephen Gibb, from the University of the West of Scotland, whose research expertise includes Human Resource Development in Care
  • Graham Galloway, CEO of Meeting Centres Scotland
  • James Calder, National Policy and Engagement Officer, MECOPP (Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project)

The panel shared their own views on the topics from the interactive discussions.

In-person and online stalls

At lunchtime, in-person attendees could choose to visit stalls to learn more about different areas of the NCS. Zoom attendees could join groups online to hear about these same areas in the week prior to the event.

Interactive discussions

There were two interactive discussion sessions for people attending in-person and joining by Zoom.

We gave each table or Zoom group questions on two topics to discuss.

The topics were:

  • embedding rights and equalities
  • shaping the system
  • accountability and the NCS Board
  • delivering care support

You can read about the discussions on each topic below.

Contact

Email: NCScommunications@gov.scot

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