About this event

The current policy landscape in Scotland is changing, with opportunities to reconsider how social care support is provided, with the aim of improving the outcomes achieved for people who use services.

 

As part of these improvements, the role of current eligibility criteria is being considered, with the government accepting the Feeley recommendation:

People should understand better what their rights are to social care and supports, and “duty bearers”, primarily social workers, should be focused on realising those rights rather than being hampered in the first instance by considerations of eligibility and cost.

 

We know that eligibility criteria are currently intended to be used as a tool to manage finite resources in a time of increasing demand. However, in amplifying a focus on deficits and encouraging a focus on people in crisis, opportunities for preventative support and strengths based practice can be missed. The challenge is in how to shift the paradigm to an enabling, rights based approach, while making the best use of all available resources.

 

This event will bring together key stakeholders from across Scotland, including people with lived experience, unpaid carers, policymakers, practitioners and professional bodies to discuss alternative approaches to eligibility criteria. The intention is not to determine a particular model at this stage, but to build a better informed basis for decision-making on this important topic.

 

Leaders from across the UK will speak about their experiences of redesigning structures and services and delivering support in alternative, innovative ways, while discussion groups will enable participants to explore these ideas further and consider how they might be applied in a consistent way across Scotland.


Papers for the meeting

Information for Participants and Consent Form

Agenda

Agenda (Easy Read)

Event Briefing ( Easy Read)


Presentations from the Meeting

Graham Kilpatrick – Midlothian Council

Mark Smith – Gateshead Council

Dundee Carers Centre


Useful Reading on Eligibility Criteria

Community Led Support –  Key Findings