A consultation on plans to create a National Care Service in Scotland is to launch next month.

It follows a pledge by the SNP to seek views on the major reform within the first 100 days of winning the May elections.

The 8 August to 18 October consultation period was revealed as Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart announced a new ‘social covenant steering group’ that will help guide the development of a new National Care Service.

Nicola Sturgeon has said the new model, which is promised to be up-and-running by 2026, is the biggest public sector reform since the creation of the NHS.

Membership of the group, which met for the first time today and is chaired by Mr Stewart, includes what the Scottish government says are ‘real life experts’ with first-hand experience of social care.

It will have the responsibility of drawing up a set of values that will “underpin” the new service.

The independent review of adult social care, which recommended the setting up of a National Care Service, said there was a lack of trust in the social care system and an “explicit social covenant to which all parties would sign up” was needed.

Panel members include three people who sat on the review, including local authority representative Councillor Stuart Currie, who has questioned the sums behind a National Care Service.

Göran Henriks, a Swedish social care expert, and Jim Elder-Woodward from the Scottish Independent Living Coalition, a late addition to the team after criticism about a lack of first-hand experience on the review panel, are also on the social covenant steering group.

One member of the group, Marion McArdle, whose daughter Laura has Down’s Syndrome, said she expected the group to be a “partnership” between the government and experts, and people with real experience of the system.

“I’m optimistic that this can only be a good thing and a great step forward in getting it right for Scotland’s citizens who are entitled to a social care system which at the very least meets their human rights,” she said.

 

The Scottish government has issued a list of those in the group:

Sarah Cronie

Sarah is an ambassador for young people with long term health conditions, learning disabilities, early experience of bereavement, care experienced young people and young carers and experienced all these challenges herself at a young age. Nineteen-year-old Sarah works with the Usual Place in Dumfries, a community café which provides training, education and employability skills for young people with additional support needs.

Dr Caroline Gould

Caroline lives on the Isle of Skye and works for a local charity for disabled people and advises on accessibility of buildings and services and training of staff. 

Tommy Whitelaw

For five years Tommy Whitelaw was a full-time carer for his late mother Joan who had Vascular Dementia. Since 2011 he has engaged with thousands of carers through his ‘Tommy on Tour’ blog and is National Lead for Caring and Outreach with the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland’s Carer Voices project.

Marion McArdle

Marion McArdle cares for her adult daughter Laura who is affected by Down’s Syndrome and as well as having suffered severe brain damage following a heart operation. Marion is on the board of governors at PAMIS which supports families In Scotland who have a family member who has profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Sophie and Robert Hogg.

74-year-old Sophie has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Robert is her husband and carer.

Susan McKinstry

Susan and her wife Maria have care needs.

Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi 

Kiana is a young disability rights activist who has complex care needs.

Robert Faulds

Robert had addiction issues and was on methadone for 18 years and was addicted to heroin for two decades. He has now recovered and volunteers at an addiction centre where he helps others

Richard Toner

Richard is a is a young man with disabilities who is able to study at college with the help of a care package.

Carmen Simon

Carmen is a social care worker, and a member of the Unite union, who supports adults with complex care needs. 

Helen Morrison

Is a resident in a South Lanarkshire care home. 

Shubhanna Hussain-Ahmed

Shubhanna has been a carer since 2010 for her Mother and her husband. She is currently the Partnership Development Officer at the Coalition of Carers in Scotland.

Jim Elder -Woodward.

Jim has cerebral- palsy and is also an experienced campaigner for disabled peoples’ rights. He was also a member of the IRASC advisory group

Cathie Russell

Cathie has been campaigning with Care Home relatives Scotland to protect the rights of loved ones in nursing and residential care. She is a former Corporate Communications Manager at South Lanarkshire Council.

Cllr Stuart Currie (COSLA)

Councillor Stuart Currie is the COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care. He was also a member of the IRASC advisory group.

Dr Pauline Nolan 

Pauline Nolan is Policy manager at Inclusion Scotland which runs the Scottish Government funded People-led Policy Panel, a diverse group of people who all have lived experience of adult social care support.

Janet MacLugash

Janet lives in the Highlands. She is a member of Inclusion Scotland and the People Led Policy Panel.

Göran Henriks

Chief Executive of Learning and Innovation, Qulturum, Jönköping County, Sweden Goran is a board member of the Swedish Institute for Quality, SIQ and the Chairman of the Strategic Committee of the International Quality Forum organised by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Goran was also a member of the IRASC advisory panel.

 

Read more: Pam Duncan-Glancy: Where’s the care restart?; Review member questions cost of care reforms; Audit Scotland: National Care Service funding unclear; Warning over “piecemeal” approach to Feeley review

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