Neil Gray visits Carr Gomm to discuss the pressing challenges facing the social care sector.
Carr Gomm continues its work to improve Scotland’s Social Care landscape through constructive dialogue with key decision-makers. On January 15th, we welcomed Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, to discuss pressing challenges facing the sector and explore potential solutions that could benefit both the people we support and our dedicated staff.
Standing Strong While Facing Challenges
During the meeting, our Chief Executive Lucy Wren delivered a clear message: while social care is not broken, recent developments are making it increasingly difficult to deliver core services. The impact of local authority cost-cutting measures and National Insurance increases poses significant challenges to our ability to provide person-centred support. Cabinet Secretary Gray acknowledged these concerns, noting ongoing discussions with Westminster regarding National Insurance increases.
Defending Vital Services
Our successful work in addressing delayed discharge, particularly in Argyll & Bute, took centre stage in the discussions. Despite proven effectiveness, these vital services now face reductions due to local authority decisions. We emphasised how these cuts could jeopardise the progress made in supporting people to return home from hospital and maintain their independence in the community.
Shaping the Future of Care
The conversation turned to the development of the National Care Service (NCS), with Carr Gomm highlighting our substantial contributions to the Derek Feeley Independent Review of Adult Social Care. Cabinet Secretary Gray indicated that a forthcoming National Care Service announcement would focus on deliverable outcomes.
Championing Fair Work and Better Commissioning
The meeting addressed crucial workforce challenges, with our Deputy Chief Executive Andrew Thomson emphasising the need for wages that reflect the qualifications and regulated nature of social care work. The Cabinet Secretary expressed agreement, confirming the Scottish Government’s commitment to improving practitioner wages through their Fair Work programme.
We also raised concerns about current commissioning practices, particularly the default use of framework contracts and their impact on service delivery. Our alternative vision of community-based commissioning sparked interest from the Cabinet Secretary, who committed to investigating more effective models.
At Carr Gomm, we remain committed to our core message: while we are not broken, we need better resourcing to ensure everyone can experience person-centred support that enables them to live their best possible life.
Read more:
Pushing for Real Change: Carr Gomm Hosts Jackie Baillie MSP
A Moral Imperative: Carr Gomm Responds to National Care Service Delay