Post-legislative scrutiny of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013

Overview

Background

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is undertaking an inquiry into how the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 has worked since it came into force. 

The Committee wants to find out from you about whether you feel the Act is producing the expected outcomes, to what extent, and if not, why not?

What is the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013?

The main provisions of the Act came into effect in April 2014.

The Act was intended to ensure that care and support is arranged, managed and delivered in a way that supports choice and control for individuals.

Four fundamental principles of self-directed support (SDS) are built into the legislation. These are:

1. Participation and dignity
2. Involvement
3. Informed choice
4. Collaboration.

All social care in Scotland should be provided in line with the principles set out in the Act.

In addition to the principles, the Act contains a duty on local authorities to offer four options to people who have been assessed as needing a community care service.

These are:

• Option 1: The individual or carer chooses and arranges the support and manages the budget as a direct payment.
• Option 2: The individual chooses the support, and the local authority or other organisation arranges the chosen support and manages the budget.
• Option 3: The local authority chooses and arranges the support.
• Option 4: A mixture of options 1, 2 and 3.   

How to share your views 

We are seeking your views on the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013.

The Committee wants to hear from anyone who has a view on, or experience of, self-directed support, including those with lived experience of SDS, experts, staff and organisations supporting individuals in receipt of care, as well as the general public. 

This call for views asks one main question:

Please tell us what you, or the person you represent, think about the implementation of self-directed support to date.

We will also ask basic demographic questions, such as which part of Scotland you live in.

We will treat all responses to the survey as anonymous, so your name will not be published. Instead, a summary of key issues based on the responses will be published on the Scottish Parliament website. This summary will not identify you in any way.

The closing date for giving your views is 11.59pm on Friday 5 January 2024.

If you have any questions about this call for views, please email hscs.committee@parliament.scot or call 0800 092 7500. To contact through BSL, you can call the same number through the Contact Scotland BSL video relay service: contactscotland-bsl.org 

Easy Read version – you can print out a copy of this

Easy Read version – you can fill this in online

Complete a British Sign Language (BSL) version of the call for views