National Care Service: statement of benefits

What will the NCS do?

The NCS will be responsible for social work and social care support, including support for carers. It will also be responsible for planning and commissioning primary care and community health services. To ensure services are joined up, from a community healthcare context GPs, Nurse Directors and other clinical and healthcare leaders will engage in the development of local plans.

Our commitment is that the NCS will:

• enable people of all ages to access timely, consistent, equitable and fair, quality health and social care support across Scotland;
• provide services that are co-designed with people who access and deliver care and support, respecting, protecting and fulfilling their human rights;
• provide support for unpaid carers, recognising the value of what they do and supporting them to look after their health and wellbeing so they can continue caring, if they so wish, and have a life beyond caring;
• support and value the workforce;
• ensure that health, social work and social care support is integrated with other services, prioritising dignity and respect, and taking account of individual circumstances to improve outcomes for individuals and communities;
• ensure there is an emphasis on continuous improvement at the centre of everything we do;
• provide opportunities for training and development, including the creation of a National Social Work Agency providing national leadership, oversight and support;
• recognise the value of the investment in social care support, contribute to the wellbeing economy, make the best use of public funds, and remove unnecessary duplication.