The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee is investigating how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on social care, including social care services at home.
Earlier this year the Committee planned to explore how social care could work differently in the future. This work was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee will now examine social care further, exploring how lessons learned can be applied in the future to improve social care systems and delivery in Scotland.
Now MSPs are keen to hear about people’s experiences of social care at home during the pandemic, whether people felt safe and supported and what lessons should be learned should there be a second wave or future outbreaks.
Lewis Macdonald MSP, Convener of the Health and Sport Committee, said:
“The Covid-19 pandemic rocked the social care sector right to the foundations. Our inquiry comes at a time of vital importance as the demands of our social care services have become incredibly complex. We want to make sure that the future approach to and delivery of social care are able to rise to the challenge.
“We have already received submissions from a range of people involved in social care. To supplement that information, the Committee wants to hear from those who provide or have received social care at home as they will be best placed to inform us of changes needed. We want to ensure care is person-centred and of the highest possible standard.
“We want anyone experiencing social care to receive the best possible care, regardless of where in Scotland they live, and we look forward to hearing people’s views from across the country.”
The Committee is seeking responses from the public, and in particular invites individuals receiving care at home, family members and unpaid carers; staff, managers or owners of care at home services; and personal assistants providing care to share their experiences.
Background
The Health and Sport Committee agreed to undertake an inquiry into social care at the beginning of 2020 to explore how social care could be co-ordinated, commissioned and funded differently in the future. This was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Committee is now continuing that work examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social care sector and exploring how lessons learned can be applied in the future to improve social care systems and delivery in Scotland.
You can learn more about the work of the Health and Sport Committee on the Scottish Parliament website.
You can give the Committee your views here:
www.parliament.scot/socialcareandcovid
The deadline for responses is Monday 7 September 2020.