Call for evidence launched in the Independent Review of Inspection Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care in Scotland

On 24 October 2022, the Scottish Government launched a call for evidence and stakeholder engagement in the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care in Scotland ("the Review").

The Review was announced in late September of this year and is intended to lead to recommendations to improve social care support services for those who use them and work within them. In particular, the Scottish Government has stated that the Review "will ensure a human rights and person-centred approach is central to the inspection and regulation of social care and will consider how this can be applied across linked services". This will involve looking into how scrutiny can keep up with the changing landscape of the sector and the link with other support services, like community health services.

Amongst other things, the Review will consider how the regulation and inspection of social care and other linked services can generate improved outcomes for individuals within a regulatory framework that is consistent with the needs and requirements of the proposed National Care Service.

The Review is being chaired by Dame Sue Bruce and her independent recommendations report will be published in June 2023. It will be supported by an Advisory Panel and a Practitioner and Stakeholder Panel, details of which are still to be announced, which will provide specialist advice to Dame Bruce. The panels will include individuals who have both current and past lived experience of social care support services, as well as those working within the social care support service sector.

Individuals are invited to share their written views with the Review on how they think inspection and regulation can ensure social care support services improve continuously, both now and into the future. They will also be able to participate in the call for evidence through a series of in-person stakeholder engagement events in November held throughout Scotland aswell as a series of online events held throughout November and December.

The Review seeks input from a wide range of voices and has encouraged everyone who has an interest or whose life has been impacted by the inspection, scrutiny and regulation of social care support services to participate in the call for evidence. This could include social care support service providers, users and families of users, as well as those who work within the social care support service sector.

The call for evidence is open until 23 December 2022.

If you have any questions or would like more information on this topic, please get in touch with Fiona McLeod or your usual Brodies contact.