People’s experiences of Self-directed Support in Glasgow

The ALLIANCE and Self Directed Support Scotland have published a report on people's experiences of social care / SDS in Glasgow.

This report is part of a suite of Local Authority reports collated during the largest direct consultation of SDS to date – My Support, My Choice: User Experiences of Self-directed Support in Scotland (MSMC). The national report and the five thematic reports have been quoted in the Independent Review of Adult Social Care and provided key evidence for Social Work Scotland’s trialling of the new Self-directed Support (SDS) Standards.

My Support My Choice: People’s Experiences of Self-directed Support and Social Care in Glasgow highlights evidence of good practice and where improvements can be made in Glasgow. We hope it can assist in the strategic planning and delivery of future SDS/ social care.

The views expressed by research participants and analysis of the findings have led to a number of recommendations, many of which echo other independent reviews of SDS:

• People need good access to publicly available, high quality information about SDS/ social care, in a range of accessible and tailored formats.
• Sufficient time must be allocated for needs assessments and review meetings, to allow for detailed questions and consideration of the four SDS options.
• Further information and training for professionals is required about the four SDS options and supported decision making. 
• Glasgow HSCP should work with people who access SDS and unpaid carers to improve systems and processes related to care staff recruitment, training and quality.  
• Local peer networks, including Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL) and the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA), should be encouraged and supported. 

The report also includes a response from Glasgow HSCP, who said:  

“Notwithstanding the progress made to date and the examples of good practice highlighted in the report, we recognise that there is still more that can be done to improve people’s experiences of SDS. This is evident from the report’s findings, particularly around the timing, quality and accessibility of information received by some service users to inform choices and care planning decisions.” 

The research team are organising an online feedback session with key stakeholders from Glasgow on Thursday 9th September from 11am – 1pm.

Please register for the free session and join the conversation as we explore the delivery of SDS at every stage of the process, from first contact, to assessment, establishing eligibility, allocating resources, support planning and reviews.  To register, please visit the SDSS Eventbrite page (this link will take you away from our website).

The input of those living and/or working in Glasgow is very valuable in discussing next steps.

If you have any questions about the research, please email Dr Hannah Tweed, Senior Policy Officer at the ALLIANCE (hannah.tweed@alliance-scotland.org.uk) or Mark Han-Johnson, Membership Development Executive at SDSS (mark@sdsscotland.org.uk).

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