Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland
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The Academy have been heavily involved in the discussion around basic income and the calls for it to be universally implemented in Scotland.

Basic income in this context refers to a restructuring of the current social security system, whereby bureaucratic assessments for payments would be scrapped and payments would be flat, tax free, and paid to every adult.

The Academy hosted a session on ‘Making Universal Basic Income transformational for everyone’ at the Basic Income Earth Network Congress in Glasgow, which saw speakers share their thoughts on what would be necessary for a basic income to be transformational for everyone. This included noting the difficulties faced by disabled people, people living with long term conditions, and carers under current social security measures.

In 2021 we published our refreshed basic income paper Emphasising Humanity Transforming Livelihoods: Basic Income. In the paper we consider some of the ways in which a Basic Income could be transformational, and how it could value people and work previously under-recognised.

Additionally, the Academy have produced three short videos examining more progressive styles of budgeting, in particular human rights budgeting, gender budgeting and participatory budgeting.

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A report looking to ensure that essential services, such as shops, community spaces and essential public services, are 20 minutes away.

In 2022, the Health and Social Care Academy published a report exploring the 20-Minute Neighbourhood concept, which had recently been endorsed by the Scottish Government.

The aim of a 20-Minute Neighbourhood is to ensure that essential services, such as shops, community spaces and essential public services, are within a 20 minute walk, wheel or cycle, ensuring everyone has equal and easy access to the services they need in their daily lives.

During 2021, the Academy partnered with Disability Equality Scotland and Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to run a series of events exploring the concept, which highlighted the key benefits and challenges of a 20-minute neighbourhood, with a specific focus on inclusivity, diversity and accessibility.

Read more about the final published report.

Watch the report summary here:

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The Academy highlights the challenges faced by the current economic system and how this has created barriers to climate action.

The Health and Social Care Academy are at the forefront of highlighting climate action, especially in relation to the cost of living crisis. As a result, there has been progress made in highlighting the challenges faced by the current economic system and how this has created barriers to climate action.

This includes looking at how transformational change can be achieved, with focuses on a more sustainable system that champions wellbeing as a model for social and economic prosperity.

The Academy highlighted this in a cost of living report, ‘Disabled People, Unpaid Carers and the Cost of Living Crisis: Impacts, Responses and Long Term Solutions’, whilst in the run-up to COP26 in 2021, roundtable events were organised in partnership with Scottish Care to raise awareness of the role that social care can play in supporting sustainability actions and taking climate action. Following the series the ‘Climate Action and the Social Care Collective’ report was published, which outlined key principles and calls to action. Related areas of recent work conducted by the Academy relating to climate action have included calls for investing in the social care workforce, the planning and delivery of care and calls to embed climate commitments within systems.

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Previous Health and Social Care Academy work.

The Health and Social Academy has a portfolio of work, many of which are still used as resources and references.

Find out more about our previous work in:

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The work of the Health and Social Care Academy is underpinned by Five Ambitions for the Future of Health and Care.

Transformational change takes time, patience, and the courage to push beyond our current boundaries. These Five Ambitions identify the conditions required to help create a more equitable society which supports everyone to thrive, not just survive:

  • Be Human- We are all human and should be treated with dignity. Everyone can thrive if our rights are protected, defended, and promoted.
  • Lead Courageously- We can all be leaders in our own lives, communities and workplaces.
  • Share Power- We make changes in our own lives and communities when power is shared.
  • Reimagine Investment- We can transform society for everyone’s benefit with sustainable investment, patience, partnership and valuing one another.
  • Measure Outcomes- We should measure success in health and care with personal outcomes, not just short-term targets.

The Ambitions provide a starting point on our journey to achieving long term, meaningful and sustainable change in health and social care. They are intended to inspire, encourage action, and help identify the steps we need to take for a future where people and wellbeing are at the centre.

The reflective questions, included within the Ambitions, can be used individually and in groups to kick-start thinking and foster discussion about what’s needed so that everyone can thrive.

The case studies highlight how long term, sustainable and meaningful change is possible. They can help generate ideas and decision making about other ways to apply the Five Ambitions in practice.

The Five Ambitions can be seen in action on the Academy’s Our Work pages.

We’re keen to showcase and highlight examples of transformative practice, please get in touch if you would like to find out more, you can email us at academy@alliance-scotland.org.uk

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A report highlighting women’s experiences of pregnancy and maternity services during the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland.

Engender and the Health and Social Care Academy have recently published a report highlighting women’s experiences of pregnancy and maternity services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Drawing on survey responses from over 200 women across Scotland, this report found that the shift from in-person to remote appointments negatively impacted care standards, whilst gendered health inequalities, such as pain management and the lack of an intersectional approach, were also exacerbated by the pandemic. Additionally, it was found that isolation negatively impacted on pregnancies and maternity care, meaning women underwent invasive procedures, gave birth, and suffered miscarriage and baby loss without support, resulting in long lasting trauma.

The report highlighted a need for a gendered and human rights approach to crisis management, whilst it called for policy and service amendments to ensure women’s particular needs and experiences are accounted for at all stages.

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In 2023 the Academy commissioned research to investigate the accessibility of information for different groups on the right to health.

The research for the investigation knowledge and understanding the right to health project was undertaken by independent researcher Helen Oxley. The report includes input from organisations representing several population groups and explores the limitations in accessing information about the right to health, alongside challenges in claiming and complaining about rights and barriers for specific groups in achieving equal access to the highest attainable standard of health.

Watch this video with BSL interpretation, which gives and overview of the research and findings undertaken in the report:

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The series brings people together to discuss how we can build lives founded upon dignity and respect. 

The ‘Being Human’ series explores the importance of embedding human rights into health and social care policy and practice through a series of events including lectures and panel discussions. Events highlight the stigma, discrimination and inequality faced by disabled people, people living with long term conditions and unpaid carers in Scotland and the relationship this has to their rights.

The series brings together academics and professionals from across the sector to discuss how we can ensure everyone can live healthy, thriving lives founded upon dignity and respect. 

To help raise awareness and promote human rights the Academy produces resources including The Importance of Human Rights in Health and Social Care and Human Rights Act Explainer- human rights in Scotland.

Being Human series publications

Videos

News items

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The series outlines leadership styles and lessons and aims for the future across the sector.

Lead Courageously is a series of written pieces and/or podcasts on leadership across health and social care in Scotland. The series uses framing from the Five Ambitions to explore the role of courageous, collective, and compassionate approaches to leadership.

The series outlines leadership styles and lessons and aims for the future across the sector, giving personal accounts of what courageous leadership means. The aim of the project is to raise the profile of leadership in health and social care across Scotland to inspire, spark discussion and share information on leadership styles.  

Courageous leadership series publications

Videos

Podcasts

Opinions

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The Health and Social Care Academy are involved in a range of work.

The Academy programme offers a cross sectoral safe space to support, collaborative thinking, the dissemination of evidence and learning, and to promote the voice of lived experience with a focus on health and care integration.

Find out more about our different areas of work:

We are always keen to explore partnership working and discuss transformational ideas. If you have questions or want to get involved with the Academy, please email via academy@alliance-scotland.org.uk or call 0141 404 0231.

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