National Care Service: statement of benefits

Supporting Localism and Partnership

The NCS will not be a single large organisation. Localism will be fundamental to the development of the NCS, delivered through local delivery bodies and planning at a local level. Scottish Ministers will provide funding directly to these local bodies and they will be accountable to Scottish Ministers. However, the local bodies will be governed by local people who have experience and expert knowledge of the issues that need to be addressed within local board areas. Planning at a local level will play an important part in ensuring that support and services meet the needs of people in their own communities. Combining national accountability with local expertise will ensure that the right balance can be struck in ensuring consistent and fair quality of service provision across Scotland.

We are also very much aware of maintaining robust interfaces with NHS Boards and other services such as housing, homelessness, education, the justice system, Scottish Prison Service and others. The NCS and its local delivery bodies will participate in existing shared planning arrangements such as with Health Boards and Community Planning Partnerships, and will also be responsible for co-designing and putting in place social care provision. The NCS will support and enable a multi-agency approach to public protection, which will be delivered at a partnership level. We want to ensure the NCS has effective collaborative relationships with a wide range of other organisations, including local authorities, health boards, Police Scotland and those who provide services, focusing on meeting people's needs.

In the future, social care support services may also be planned and commissioned at the national level on a 'Once for Scotland' basis. IRASC suggested that this might be the case for health and social care services in prisons and support for people with specialist or complex needs, including the national commissioning of residential rehabilitation for alcohol and drugs and support for people with multiple and complex needs.