This story was first published on healthandcare.scot

Social care and social work will be stuck in the middle of a ‘tug of war’ between national and local government if the National Care Service Bill passes in its current form, social work leaders have warned.

The Scottish Association of Social Work has told the Scottish parliament’s health and care committee that the shared accountability agreement between local authority organisation COSLA, the NHS and the Scottish government signed last year will be ‘untenable’ in practice.

The association says government amendments made to the Bill because of this closed-door agreement will effectively give ministers more power to direct council spending.

It warns this could have ‘far reaching consequences for local democracy’.

The letter says: ‘From the outside, it has increasingly felt like this Bill is being seen as a solution to the wrangling between national and local government, giving ministers additional powers to direct local government spending.

‘We doubt most of the public are aware of the implications of this.

‘If implemented in this way, social work and social care will likely find itself at the centre of a tug of war played out through the National Care Board.

‘Neither our workforces nor the people we support can afford for this to happen.

‘If ministers distrust local government to spend effectively on their citizens, the Scottish Government should grasp the nettle of local government reform in an open and transparent manner.’

The association urges the Scottish government to stop its pursuit of seeing the Bill through parliament, and focus instead on work it says will have the greatest impact in improving social services.

This includes the overhaul of eligibility criteria and resourcing, the proper implementation of fair work, ethical commissioning and self-directed support, and reducing poverty.

Unhappiness rumbles across Scotland’s social care sector

The letter is the latest in a growing bundle of correspondence which has been sent to the committee by alarmed and dejected stakeholders, all voicing their concerns about the National Care Service Bill.

The Scottish government has faced pushback on its National Care Service plans since they were first published in 2021.

How to properly evaluate the co-design process, challenging governance arrangements and the ability of MSPs to scrutinise the proposal were some of the main concerns back then.

The Bill has now undergone four delays, been scrutinised by an expert legislative advisory group and undergone a partial rewrite, in attempts by the government to get its main stakeholders back on side.

Members of this expert group – which include the Scottish Association of Social Work – have since told the health and social care committee that the amendment-making process was fraught with issues and sought to distance themselves from the new version of the Bill.

This month a major trade union has decided to withdraw its support for the National Care Service Bill, citing its inability to continue to commit the time and effort needed to engage properly and the lack of faith among its members in its potential to improve services.

GMB are far from the only organisation where hope in the Bill is waning – there has been a marked decline in those choosing or able to engage in the consultation process.

When the health committee first asked people for their views on the Bill in summer 2022, 219 people and organisations responded formally and hundreds more engaged on the – now seemingly not-in-use – engagement website.

The most recent engagement exercise which ended last week received just 147 responses.

The health and care committee will continue its scrutiny of the amended National Care Service Bill before stage 2.

An independent advisor to the Scottish Association of Social Work will, alongside representatives from Social Work Scotland and the National Self-Directed Support Collaboration, be among the first to give evidence at the first session tomorrow (Tuesday).

A panel made up of trade union and professional body representatives, including GMB. will also share their views with the committee tomorrow.

A Scottish government spokesperson said:

“Those who work and use social care have clearly said the way the system is delivered needs fundamental transformation and sustainable change if it is to meet the needs of people and provide the high standard of care that people should rightfully expect. 

“People who receive support through social care, their families and communities must be involved in planning and delivery at local level and it’s crucial we ensure those who use or work in the social care, social work and community healthcare services are at the heart of our reforms.

“We want shared accountability which ensures local government and the NHS retain their functions, assets and staff and the National Care Service Board will be where that shared accountability is realised and focussed on improving outcomes for people.

“We remain committed to establishing a National Care Service that delivers clear, consistent national care standards before the end of this parliamentary term.”