ALLIANCE respond to Labour’s Scottish Policy Forum call for input

The ALLIANCE submission focuses on the wellbeing economy and fair finances, health and social care reform, and human rights.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) have responded to the open call for input to Labour’s Scottish Policy Forum, suggesting key priorities for action across finance, health, social care and social security. As a non-partisan organisation we appreciate the opportunity to engage directly with the Scottish Labour Party in this way, but emphasise that the proposals and observations we offer are the same as we would freely offer to any party seeking our input.

In our submission, the ALLIANCE make several general comments on the framing of economic growth versus a wellbeing economy, and possible areas of focus for NHS reform. We also put forward a number of specific policy proposals, including:

• Progress social care reform, including ending the postcode lottery; procurement reform; equal rights for all members of IJBs; and abolishing non-residential care charging.
• Invest in the sensory sector and services, support the new definition of Deafblindness, implement the findings of the review into audiology services, and develop a successor to the 2014 See Hear Strategy.
• Act on the recommendations of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review and ensure sufficient, sustainable funding for mental health services.
• Protect the current provision of Community Links Workers, and roll the programme out to more areas.
• Passport access to the higher rate of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment through disability and carers payments.
• Reform the deficits-based approach to disability payments, with regard to the final recommendations of the Independent Review of the Adult Disability Payment (due in July 2025).
• Press the UK Government to amend the Scotland Act to remove unintended limitations on the Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate for human rights.
• Pass a Human Rights Bill, incorporating a range of international human rights protections and accountability directly into Scots law.
• Deliver fair funding for the third sector, including sufficient, multi-year funding, and ensure this approach is embedded across all public sector funders.
• Embed a human rights budgeting approach to Scotland’s public finances.
• Progress long-overdue reform to local taxation, to ensure that local government provision of social care and other local services are adequately and sustainably funded.

You can read the full response via the resource links below.

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