National Care Service Forum 2024: report

What you told us – delivering social care support

1. The Workforce Charter should include paid and unpaid carers, and capture shared values and goals across different models of care.

Some people mentioned including children’s services and justice services in the NCS to ensure there is continuity of care. There was discussion around whether the Workforce Charter could support disparate employers to value work in the same way. People talked about needing to address the basics to raise the status of the caring profession and improve recruitment and retention.

Other points people raised around this included:

• that to be useful the charter must be understood and lived on the ground
• whether there’s a role for Trade Unions to help support a charter like this
• that all charters on related issues should complement each other
• the example of the Dementia Charter as a way to demand standards and responses

2. Shared training across different employers, workforces and areas would be helpful.

People questioned why local authority and third sector staff are trained differently. They asked if the NCS would be able to centralise training and take costs from the employer. Some said local authorities should provide training and pay for it. This would help ensure consistency and help third sector organisations afford important training.

Other points people raised around this included:

• NHS Education for Scotland (NES) training modules could be improved by favouring face-to-face training support
• some would like to see an improved pipeline into the care profession, using care roles as opportunities for students to gain experience alongside studying
• the need for more ways to complement roles with relevant study – for example, a psychology course

3. As well as pay, we need to focus on staff wellbeing and offering support.

People highlighted that paid carers can also be unpaid carers in their personal lives. Carers working in the third sector may not have the same benefits as carers working for a local authority, including around unpaid care responsibilities. We should also consider the disparity in pay between social care and NHS. Low pay in social sector means low staff numbers.

Other points around this included:

• the lack of a clear definition of social care versus personal care, which matters for local authority funding
• that the cost of mileage for carers’ travel to rural communities should be considered
• that caring staff may feel forced to work long hours and are at risk of burnout
• the positive example of how one community-based team’s integrated data dashboard is informing improvements to delivery

4. Person-centred care planning, involving care coordinators and families working together, can make a difference in the quality of care received.

People highlighted the importance of having a single coordinator, such as a nurse. They said a consistent carer can notice changes in someone’s life, detecting issues earlier. They said good teamwork between care workers, discharge teams, and other professionals is key to quality care.

Other points people raised around this included:

• concern that the introduction of a statutory NCS Board might create unnecessary layers of oversight and cause confusion
• that strategic long-term planning, focusing on early intervention, could alleviate some resource challenges
• the feeling that skills can be taught, but values are central to good care delivery