Update on the National Care Service (NCS) (Scotland) Bill

A letter has been sent to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in response to certain Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill.

On the 6th December, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd sent a letter to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in response to certain Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill. The letter is available to read in full on the Scottish Parliament’s website.

Some key updates from the letter:

Shared accountability agreement

Discussions with local authorities and NHS Boards have been ongoing since the summer on a variety of issues. Within our proposed new national framework, local authorities and health boards will keep service delivery functions, staff and assets.

While there’s still significant change needed at local level to bring consistently good quality services across the country, the Scottish Government recognise that it is important that they don’t bring about widespread change just for the sake of it. Instead, Ministers intend to make amendments to the legislation which allow the government to keep the knowledge and good work already happening in this area, whilst improving the areas that desperately need reform.

National Care Service Board (The Board)

In order to make sure there’s strong oversight of reformed integration authorities and a clear link between local and national shared accountability, Ministers will put forward amendments to the legislation which will make sure the reformed authorities are accountable to a National Care Service Board.

The National Care Service Board will be responsible for reviewing and overseeing the performance of local strategic plans. To support this, the Scottish Government are proposing to transfer Ministerial powers of intervention to the National Care Service Board. This will allow the Board to invoke those powers as a last resort and give it the levers needed to drive and support performance and take action if required. 

The involvement of people with lived experience will remain at the heart of these reforms, including at decision making level by extending who on the Board has voting rights. The detail of this reform will be co-designed with people with lived experience of accessing community health, social work and social care support services, as well as unpaid carers, care providers, workforce and organisational stakeholders.

National Social Work Agency

They have committed to establishing a National Social Work Agency (NSWA) and COSLA leaders have agreed to work with the Scottish Government and their key stakeholders regarding the structure and governance of the NSWA. Further information on the NSWA’s establishment will be provided in the coming months.

Children’s and Justice services

A decision has not yet been taken on the possible inclusion of children’s and justice services in the NCS. Any decision on the inclusion of children’s and justice services within the NCS will be informed by engagement with key stakeholders.

Read the full Minister’s update on the Scottish Parliament’s website.

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