National Care Service Bill Stage 2: call for member input
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 26th August 2024
The ALLIANCE are seeking our member's input on our draft response to the National Care Service Bill Stage 2 call for views.
The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee are currently seeking views on proposed changes to the National Care Service (NCS) Bill at Stage 2. Significant changes have been proposed since the Bill was originally introduced to the Scottish Parliament, including the agreement on shared accountability for social care between the Scottish Government, local governments, and NHS boards.
The ALLIANCE are submitting a response to the consultation based on what we’ve said and heard throughout the process, and are keen that our members are also able to input into our response. In our draft response, we:
- Call for changes to the proposed NCS principles that would require sufficient investment to deliver upon them; better inclusion for rehabilitation and palliative care; and to strengthen the role of co-production.
- Welcome the commitment to give all members voting rights, and recommending the inclusion of third sector representation, on the proposed NCS Board and local boards.
- Express concern that the NCS Board as proposed may not have sufficient focus on national consistency, improvement, monitoring and standards.
- Recommend the further development of a strong evidence base to inform decisions around including children and young people’s services directly within NCS infrastructure.
- Note frustrations around the long delays to implementing Anne’s Law and rights to breaks for carers, which have been included within the Bill but should not be dependent on it.
- Welcomes proposed amendments to the NCS Charter that would require consultation with people accessing NCS services, unpaid carers, and family members.
Our draft response is attached as a resource to the bottom of this page, and we would like to hear your views by Wednesday 4 September. The form below is intended for members who would like to input short points. Any data you enter will only be used to inform our response, in line with the ALLIANCE’s privacy policy. If you have more detailed points you would like considered for inclusion, please email those directly to rob.gowans@alliance-scotland.org.uk.
National Care Service Stage 2 Call for Views
Let us know your views on the proposed changes to the National Care Service Bill
End of page.
You may also like:
Share your views before 19 February
Continue readingReform of the council tax system is long overdue, with the current system negatively impacting funding for services including social care.
Continue readingFirst monitoring report shows improvements in wellbeing and services alongside ongoing gaps in data and unequal outcomes
Continue readingProgress in many areas is welcome, but the budget must go further on social care, mental health and third sector support.
Continue readingThe 'joint statement on prevention' partners have issued a follow-up ahead of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget.
Continue readingEvent calls for human rights to be a priority ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections in 2026.
Continue readingCommission raises concerns over the state of economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland
Continue readingNew online platform invites individuals and communities to shape Scotland’s path to net zero
Continue readingA survey of ALLIANCE third sector members found a worsening financial crisis arising from a range of pressures.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE has produced a briefing for the Scottish Parliament debate on BSL, taking place on 11 December 2025.
Continue readingScottish Government outline actions in response to economic, social and cultural rights observations
The plan comes in response to the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights earlier this year.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE urges stronger social care integration, a clearer prevention focus and digital inclusion at the heart of NHS Delivery proposals
Continue readingNearly half of unpaid carers cut back on essentials as financial and health pressures intensify
Continue readingNew report warns thousands spending their final months in financial hardship and fuel poverty
Continue readingIndependent expert panel review recommends major changes to align abortion law with modern clinical practice
Continue readingALLIANCE and Engender call for an intersectional and rights-based approach to underpin a national investigation into maternity services.
Continue readingThe response welcomes ambition of draft standards but identifies key gaps in inclusion and communication
Continue readingThe Civil Society Working Group on Incorporation - of which the ALLIANCE is a member - has three main asks.
Continue readingMost respondents supported the principle of a balance between cross-cutting and condition-specific work.
Continue readingAny extension of Freedom of Information duties directly to the third sector must account for resource and capacity.
Continue readingThe Scottish Government are aiming for a single framework alongside time-limited action plans that can be condition-specific where required.
Continue readingNow is the time for a full-throated defence of the ECHR and HRA. No one has human rights, unless we all have human rights.
Continue readingHave your say in the draft 'Quality prescribing for Chronic Pain: a guide for improvement 2026-2029'.
Continue reading70% of disabled women reported feeling worse off financially compared to last year.
Continue readingA partnership of organisations including the ALLIANCE have issued an open statement on what's needed to urgently tackle health inequalities.
Continue reading