What is the National Care Service?
The National Care Service (NCS) aims to improve community health and social care support in Scotland.
The National Care Service (Scotland) bill was introduced in June 2022. In its original form, it proposed allowing Scottish Ministers to transfer social care responsibility from local authorities to a new, national service. This could include adult and children’s services, as well as areas such as justice and social work. Scottish Ministers would also be able to transfer healthcare functions from the NHS to the National Care Service.
Throughout an extended Stage 1 period, there has been consultation and co-design with key stakeholders, including people who are supported, their families and support providers. The intention was to hear the views and experiences of these stakeholders and to use this to develop and strengthen the proposals.
During this time, it was agreed in the Verity House Agreement that overall legal accountability for the NCS will be shared between the Scottish Government, local government and the NHS. This means that staff will continue to be employed by local authorities, and local authorities will continue to be responsible for delivering services.
The first debate in the Scottish Parliament on the National Care Service took place on the 29th February 2024.
How is Carr Gomm influencing the National Care Service?
Carr Gomm has been actively contributing to the development of the NCS to ensure that the experience and insights of Carr Gomm and people who we support are heard.
We call for the NCS to:
· Recognise the positive impact of excellent person-centred support provided by Carr Gomm.
· Support equal recognition and reward for all social care workers, regardless of employer.
· Pause all competitive tendering; explore collaborative and ethical commissioning approaches; and ensure SDS is a real option for all eligible citizens.
There are several ways Carr Gomm is influencing good change through the NCS:
Carr Gomm’s Involvement Group:
The Involvement Group is made up of people supported by Carr Gomm. At their monthly meetings, they have been discussing how a National Care Service could improve how people access, live and thrive with social care support. They have contributed to regional co-design sessions and national consultations and met with civil servants and MSPs.
MSP Visits
Carr Gomm welcomed MSPs from across Scotland to Carr Gomm’s services. They heard about the impact Carr Gomm has in their constituency area. We shared with them how Carr Gomm and the people we support are not broken, as people are enabled to live their best possible lives with our support. In 2023, Carr Gomm received visits from 7 MSPs from various political parties, including the First Minister.
- The First Minister visits our Glasgow Office
- Jeremy Balfour MSP meets our Edinburgh & Lothians services
- Gillian MacKay MSP visits Carr Gomm’s Falkirk Service
- Welcoming Carol Mochan MSP to our Borders Service
- Michael Matheson MSP visits Falkirk Service
- Jenni Minto visits Dunoon service
- Sandesh Gulhane visits Glasgow service
CCPS #4StepstoFairWorkCampaign
Carr Gomm has been involved in the Coalition of Care Providers Scotland (CCPS) #4StepstoFairWorkCampaign, recognising that many of the ambitions of the National Care Service should be brought forward earlier.
Read Deputy Chief Executive, Andrew’s blog on the #4StepstoFairWork
#ValueSocialCare Campaign
In the lead-up to the National Care Service parliamentary discussion, we launched our #ValueSocialCare Campaign. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the importance of social care, its positive impact on people’s lives and how essential it is to thousands of people across Scotland.
Watch the video below to hear people supported in Forth Valley share their favourite things about Carr Gomm, and check out more content from our #ValueSocialCare Campaign.
Scottish Parliamentary Debate
On the 29th of February, 2024, stage 1 of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill was passed in Parliament. The Bill will now move into Stage 2, where amendments will be considered by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee before Stage 3, when the full Parliament will have a final vote on whether to pass the Bill.
Watch the video to see the full debate.
Ministerial Statement
On the 21st of November, 2024, Maree Todd, Social Care Minister, announced there would be a delay to the next stages of the National Care Service (NCS) Bill.
Watch the video to hear Maree Todd’s full statement.
Influencing Change blog
Read our Influencing Change blog below to hear more about what Carr Gomm is doing to shape the National Care Service.
For more about how Carr Gomm influences change, click here.
Social Care Wage Uplift – Letter to the First Minister
Lucy Wren, our Chief Executive, has written to the First Minister calling for the Scottish Government's Fair Work agenda to be realised in social care. As our letter explains, the Scottish Government's continued funding of social care wage policy at the minimum level...
Will a National Care Service recognise digital inclusion as a human right?
Shannon McNee, our Digital Inclusion Development Manager, asks how a National Care Service can recognise digital inclusion as fundamental to people's human rights. Disabled people, and those living with long-term conditions, are significantly more likely to face...
It’s time to change the narrative on ‘bed blocking’
The phrase ‘bed-blocking’ is currently bandied around in the media as people try to make sense of increasingly long A&E waiting times and surgery cancellations. When you stop to think about this phrase, it conjures up images of people (probably elderly) refusing...
Does the way we access social care in Scotland work?
Becs Barker Operations Manager for Community Contacts, Involvement, Quality and Innovation. asks: Does the way we access social care in Scotland work?
Statement on the CCPS joint letter sent to the First Minister
Lucy Wren, our Chief Executive, has signed a joint-letter to the First Minister calling on him to increase pay for social care staff. Andrew Thomson, Deputy Chief Executive, reflects on why Carr Gomm is joining over 100 other organisations to call for change....
Is social care in crisis?
Andrew Thomson, Deputy Chief Executive, answers the question: Is social care in crisis? Any news report will shout loudly in the affirmative: social care is in crisis! The reporting will highlight that too many people don’t have access to the right support; too many...
Do we value Social Care?
Paul Marshall, Senior Operations Manager in the West of Scotland, explores whether we value social care in Scotland. "Whichever one of the first three words we emphasise as we read this question, the spectre of cost doesn’t seem to be too far away. For years,...
Carr Gomm’s Involvement Group continues to influence the National Care Service
Our National Involvement Group met with Rachel McGruer, Deputy Director of Adult Social Care; Local Improvement and Transformation, to share what they think the National Care Service should look like. The group raised the following questions and thoughts: How...
First Minister visits our Glasgow Office
First Minister Humza Yousaf visited our Glasgow office to discuss our support in the city and across Scotland. Last Friday, we were delighted to welcome Humza Yousaf to meet with our Chief Executive, Lucy Wren, Senior Operations Manager, Paul Marshall, and...