Scottish Labour Party Debate: Addressing the Crisis in Social Care Now

Jackie Baillie S6M-15613 That the Parliament notes that the Scottish Government formally committed to introduce a National Care Service (Scotland) Bill in September 2021; further notes that the Scottish Government’s proposed amendment to part one of the Bill setting out the establishment of a National Care Service board has been roundly rejected by stakeholders; understands that the cost to date is £30 million, without a single penny being spent directly on care; urges the Scottish Ministers to accept that the Bill now has no realistic prospect of success in its current form; calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate steps to alleviate the crisis in social care, including delivering sufficient support for health and social care partnerships, and further calls on the Scottish Government to set out a timetable, before the Parliament’s Christmas recess, for progressing reforms, including a right to respite care, Anne’s Law, ethical commissioning, collective bargaining and the establishment of a National Social Work Agency. Neil Gray S6M-15613.4 As an amendment to motion S6M-15613 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Addressing the Crisis in Social Care Now), leave out from "formally committed" to end and insert "introduced the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill in June 2022 to address the substantial concerns highlighted from the Feeley review, which noted poor and variable levels of social care around the country and the need for nationally enforceable standards of care; further notes that the Bill includes a right to respite care, Anne’s Law and ethical commissioning; welcomes that the Scottish Government is developing a collective bargaining approach for social care in collaboration with local government, trade unions and social care providers and its continued commitment to establishing a National Social Work Agency; acknowledges the open letter from disabled people’s organisations, which states that wholesale reform is so urgently needed; agrees that the service users, their families and carers should be the focus of a National Care Service; deplores that the increase in employer national insurance contributions from the UK Government will negatively impact on care services by increasing the cost to third parties contracted to deliver adult and children’s social care services by almost £90 million and, according to COSLA estimates, to local government by £265 million, and agrees that, if the UK Labour administration does not reimburse this in full, it is the provision of these services that will feel the brunt." Sandesh Gulhane S6M-15613.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-15613 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Addressing the Crisis in Social Care Now), after "directly on care" insert ", despite over 6,000 people in Scotland currently waiting for a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community".