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Minister shares further National Care Service updates ahead of Stage 1 report

  • Area of Work: Policy and Research, Social Care
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 6th December 2023
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The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee had requested an update on a range of areas before it could progress the bill's stage 1 report.

Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport has today (6 December 2023) written to the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to provide a further update on the National Care Service (NCS). The NCS Bill is currently due to complete Stage 1 of the legislative process in the Scottish Parliament by the 31st of January. However, in a letter sent last month (7 November), the Committee stated that they did not have enough information to produce a report on the bill, and requested further information.

In her letter, the Minister outlines some of the changes the Scottish Government intends on making to the bill following the agreement between COSLA and NHS Scotland on shared accountability. The Government has stated it no longer intends to abolish Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) and replace them with care boards. Nonetheless, it argues that reform remains necessary, such as revised chairing arrangements, the possibility of directly funding IJBs, and extending voting rights to lived experience members.

The letter also confirms the intention to establish a National Care Board, and states that what was originally proposed as a Ministerial power to intervene will be transferred to that board. Membership of the board will be defined by regulations rather than in the NCS Bill itself. The ALLIANCE has previously expressed concern that the proposals for a National Care Board may not be inclusive of the third sector, despite the significant role it plays in provision of social care.

Other measures outlined in the letter include re-affirming the commitment to establish a National Social Work Agency; removing the requirement to consult on future inclusion of children’s services as due to there being no transfer of functions this will instead be subject to the shared accountability agreement; the possibility of an amendment to expand the application of “ethical commissioning” to third sector bodies; and the continuation of the co-design process to inform areas such as representation on the National Care Board and the design of the complaints process.

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