How has Covid-19 impacted on care and support at home in Scotland?

Closed 7 Sep 2020

Opened 10 Aug 2020

Results updated 10 Feb 2021

 The results of our recent survey on the impact of COVID-19 on care at home have now been published. You can read the summary of responses here:

download the PDF.download the PDF.

The Committee wants to make sure that the views expressed are communicated to policy makers.

We wrote to Jeane Freeman MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to provide her with a copy of the survey results and to ask for the Scottish Government to take urgent action to address the concerns raised.

We also wrote to the Care Inspectorate to ask them to respond to the findings and account for issues raised that are not reflected in their recent report ‘Delivering care at home and housing support services during the COVID-19 pandemic’

We have now received responses from both the Cabinet Secretary and the Care Inspectorate and these have been published and can be read on the Social Care Inquiry webpage.

On Wednesday 10 February the Health and Sport Committee published its inquiry report, The Future of Social Care and Support in Scotland.

The Committee intends to hold one further evidence session on Tuesday 23 February to take views on the report and the outcome of the Scottish Governmen't Independent Review of Adult Social Care.

Thank you for engaging with the Scottish Parliament.

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Overview

The Health and Sport Committee is looking into social care for adults over 18 years.

Earlier this year we planned to explore how social care could work differently in the future. However, our work was paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, see the Committee webpage.

The pandemic has highlighted several issues in relation to social care. We are now holding an inquiry to look at:

  • the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the social care sector;
  • wider issues impacting social care delivery that have come to light because of Covid-19; and
  • how lessons can be learned to improve social care systems and delivery in Scotland in the future.

Call for views

We are looking for views from people who provide, or receive, care and support at home. We want to hear from:

  • individuals receiving care at home
  • family members and unpaid carers
  • staff, managers or owners of a care at home services, or personal assistants providing care.

We have created a short survey to understand the impact of Covid-19 on care at home services, and what issues the pandemic has highlighted, improved or made worse. Please let us know, in the survey, if you would you be happy to be contacted to take part in our inquiry further.

The experiences you share will be added to evidence and insights we have already gathered about social care, and the effect of the pandemic on care homes. They will be used to support our formal sessions in October and November 2020.

Please note, we are not able to take up individual issues raised in this inquiry, but if you would like support or advice you can contact your Constituency, or Regional MSPs.

How to submit your views

Please submit your views by Monday 7 September 2020.

The Scottish Parliament and its committees value diversity and seek to work towards committee witnesses being broadly representative of Scotland’s society. As such we encourage members of underrepresented groups to submit written evidence If you need advice, please contact the clerks on the email address:  HealthandSport@parliament.scot

Before making a submission, please read our privacy notice about submitting your views to a committee. This tells you about how we process your personal data.  If you are under 12 years of age, please read this privacy notice.

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. The call for views is also available in an easy read version.

HealthandSport@parliament.scot

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