Amendments to National Care Service Bill include measures to transform the way social care is delivered
The Scottish government is continuing with plans to introduce a National Care Service (NCS), with its National Care Service Bill currently making its way through Parliament. Ahead of Stage 2 proceedings on the Bill later this month, a raft of proposed new amendments give us a clearer idea of what will be involved – should the Bill receive parliamentary agreement and pass into law.
Photo of Scottish Parliament by Chris Flexen / Unsplash
One major change is a new name for this legislation: it is proposed to call it the ‘Care Reform (Scotland) Bill’, in recognition that the new National Care Service will be established through both legislative and non-legislative means.
Other amendments include ensuring that the so-called ‘Anne’s law’ is enshrined in law with the aim of upholding the rights of people living in adult care homes to see loved ones and identify an essential care supporter. Further amendments aim to aid easier communication by ensuring that all those working in or supplying services to the health and social care sector follow the same information standards. To provide strategic leadership at national level, it is proposed that the law include the creation of a new post: National Chief Social Work Advisor.
The Bill will also retain measures to establish a legal right to breaks for unpaid carers. This subject has been in the news recently, with the Scottish government identifying an additional £5m in the draft Budget for 2025-26 to support some 15,000 carers to take short breaks.
Last month, ministers announced that they would no longer use legislation to set up a new public body to oversee national improvements in social care. However, work to establish a National Care Service Advisory Board is ongoing and the board is due to meet for the first time in March.
Social Care Minister Maree Todd says: ‘Social care has the power to transform people lives, that is why it is so important that those accessing services receive the highest quality care, delivered consistently across Scotland. The amendments lodged in Parliament offer us the best opportunity to urgently get to work to reform the system and have a transformative impact on people’s lives.
‘Positive progress is being made on establishing an advisory board that puts people with experience of the social care system at the heart of it, helping deliver the changes we all want to see.’
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