The Scottish Social Services Council has today published its new strategic plan which sets out how it intends to support the workforce, employers and people using services across Scotland following the pandemic and ahead of the creation of a National Care Service.

Three years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scotland’s leading body to oversee social services – the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) – says its new plan will help services rebuild.

Publishing its Strategic Plan for 2023-2026, the SSSC says it is focused on supporting a “trust, skilled, confident and valued” workforce across social work, social care and children and young people’s services. It says an emphasis on staff will have a positive impact on the safety and wellbeing of people using these services, by maintaining high professional standards.

As well as social workers, the SSSC registers people who work in early years and residential child care, adult day care, residential care, care at home and housing support services.

The organisation acknowledges the “unprecedented challenges” that the sector has faced and continues to face from the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis in continuing to provide high-quality care to people across Scotland.

As with the NHS workforce crisis, the SSSC says the social care sector is facing “significant challenges” presented by recruitment and retention of staff as services rebuild following the pandemic.

SSSC Acting Chief Executive, Maree Allison, said:

“Our new strategic plan sets our direction for the next three years and how our work will support the workforce and employers to make sure care is delivered by a trusted, skilled, confident and valued workforce.

“Coming after a tumultuous and challenging three years of the pandemic, it’s important we have a clear focus on how we fulfil our role and protect the public.”

While outlining that the workforce will be regulated to ensure it is fit to practice, the new strategy also states that the SSSC will seek to improve not just the competence, but the confidence and wellbeing of the workforce.

Additionally, it aims to ensure the social work, social care and children and young people workforce is valued for “the difference it makes to people’s lives”.

Launching his new policy prospectus, ‘New Leadership – A Fresh Start’, outlining the Scottish government’s commitments, First Minister Humza Yousaf last week committed to delivering a £12 an hour wage for social care staff in the next three years.

Alongside workforce and cost-of-living crises, the SSSC identifies the Scotland’s policy developments due this summer as contributing to “a time of significant change” for the sector – including the NCS Bill, delivery of The Promise and recommendations from the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation.

Its strategic plan “acknowledges the impact of these factors” while detailing how the SSSC aims to deliver its work priorities over the next three years.

Earlier this month the new Minister for Social Care, Maree Todd announced a second delay to the progress of the NCS Bill until after autumn – with further consultation set to continue throughout summer.

SSSC Acting Chief Executive, Maree Allison added:

“We expect the next three years to also be a time of significant change with several policy developments and recommendations due to come in, which will mean changes to the delivery of care.

“We are also adapting in response to the developing landscape through our Future Proofing Programme, so being registered with the SSSC is simple, easy to understand and that people know about the benefits and value of registration and the standards, skills and qualifications needed to deliver high quality care. 

“We look forward to working with registrants, employers, people with lived experience, our partners and Scottish government to deliver the outcomes in our new strategic plan.”

Read more: Mr Yousaf: “Scotland is a great place to work”; Auditor General: Difficult choices for Scotland’s NHS; Social deprivation linked to frailty; RCN: Staff need to see light at the end of the tunnel

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