People’s experiences of Self-directed Support in South Lanarkshire

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

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 South Lanarkshire highlights evidence of good practice and where improvements can be made in South Lanarkshire. We hope it can assist in the strategic planning and delivery of future SDS/ social care.

The Easy Read summary of the report is available here.

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. 
• Local peer networks and resources, including Take Control South Lanarkshire, should be encouraged and supported. 

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

“The report rightly highlights the importance of access to good quality information about the process and how SDS is being delivered. We acknowledge the strong support from our independent information service Take Control South Lanarkshire as well as our advocacy partners The Advocacy Project, Speak Out Advocacy and People First, together with a host of third sector support organisations. […] It is recognised that SDS does not sit on its own and many individuals face challenges in other parts of their lives. Recognising these challenges and adopting a solution focussed approach is at the heart of where we want to be. Equality, fairness, and consistency is the benchmark that should apply.” 

The research team are organising an online feedback session with key stakeholders from South Lanarkshire on Monday 18th October 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 South Lanarkshire 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-Johnston, Membership Development Executive at SDSS (mark@sdsscotland.org.uk).

End of page.