Scottish Government
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Self-directed support Bill published
People who receive social care must be given increased independence and the opportunity to change their lives for the better, Michael Matheson said recently.
The Public Health Minister was speaking as the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill was published. The legislation seeks to lay the foundations for self-directed support to become a mainstream choice for people receiving care, introduce the language and terminology of self-directed support into statute and make it clear that it is the citizen’s choice as to how much control they want to have.
The Scottish Government is investing almost £40 million over the next three years to support the rollout of self-directed support in Scotland.
Mr Matheson was at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh today to mark publication of the Bill, meeting a number of stakeholders including people who use self-directed support, family carers, local authorities and NHS staff, and care and support providers. He said:
"Most of us will at some point in our lives depend on social care – whether it’s for ourselves or a loved one. We have an obligation to ensure that care is both of the highest quality and as flexible and responsive to an individual’s needs as possible.
"That’s why we want to see self-directed support – which gives people greater control over their own care – become the mainstream approach for social care in Scotland. Self-directed support will play a key part in reshaping care and ensuring that people are supported to live in their own home where it is their choice to do so.
"The Bill published today will give individuals informed choice and promote positive collaboration between recipients of social care and those who provide services on their behalf. There has been extensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders on the way forward and I am confident the Bill will help us build on the very positive progress made in implementing our 10-year strategy to providing real choice and control for those receiving social care."
There are a number of ways self-directed support can impact positively on lives. For example, an individual could receive a direct payment to get support to live in their own home – such as help getting washed and dressed – or arranging support to attend college or take part in fitness activities.
Welcoming introduction of the Bill, Lisa Curtice, Director of the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD), said:
"Disabled people have the right to control their own lives and to live an independent life. By bringing forward legislation on self-directed support the Scottish Government has demonstrated its commitment to these principles and SCLD looks forward to working alongside disabled people and their families to ensure that the legislation leads to significant and beneficial change."
Annie Gunner Logan, Director of the Coalition of Care and Support Providers (CCPS) said:
"We congratulate the Scottish Government on the publication of the Self-Directed Support Bill and look forward to playing our part in developing legislation which we are confident will make a major contribution to improving the quality of life for many thousands of people in Scotland with care and support needs."
Marlene Murray, of Ayr, whose husband Kenny has dementia and has benefited from self-directed support through an Alzheimer Scotland pilot funded by the Scottish Government, said:
"With self-directed support I feel as if my life has come back to me…I have a life again. My husband is out and about he’s meeting people, rekindling friendships – we have something to talk about….things are totally different and it’s absolutely fantastic."
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