Care changes not working to full potential - Audit Scotland

Changes to social care to allow extra control should be benefitting more people, a new report says.

The Audit Scotland found no evidence of the change needed to fully implement a 10-year strategy for self-directed support (SDS).

Since 2014, SDS means that people who need care from a local authority have the option of being given money to organise it themselves. Councils spend £3.4 billon annually on social care, providing support for more than 200,000 vulnerable adults and 18,000 children and their families.

The new report said there was still a lot to do to provide this for everyone.

Assistance ranges from everyday tasks such as dressing and preparing meals to helping individuals live more fulfilling lives at home, at work and in their communities.

The reorganisation of social care means that support is now largely provide by the new local health and social care integration authorities, drawn from councils and the NHS.

The report for the public spending watchdog, the Accounts Commission, and the Auditor General, said many people had benefited from self-directed support but not everyone was not getting enough choice and control. Those less likely to benefit, according to the report, are people lacking support from carers, personal assistants o friends and family, those aged 85 and over and people with mental health problems.

The report said the Scottish government and partners had underestimated the challenges and scale of change needed, while implementation had also stalled during the integration of health and social care. It said more reliable data was needed on the choices available for people using social care services and their carers should have better information.

The report also acknowledged authorities were facing pressures from increasing demand, limited budges for social care services and challenges in recruiting and retaining social care staff.

Ronnie Hinds, acting chairman of the Accounts Commission, said: “Authorities must respond more fully to provide services that make choice and control a reality for everyone who needs social care."

Caroline Gardner, Auditor General, said: “SDS is clearly working well for some people but many more people can and should benefit from it.

"The Scottish government has invested £70 million in SDS and needs to work with its partners to boost progress and develop its full potential."

Aileen Campbell, public health minister, said: “The report's recommendations give clear direction on what must be done to ensure that self-directed support becomes embedded as Scotland's mainstream approach to social care.

"We expect local authorities, who are responsible for implementing self-directed support, to make progress on implementing these recommendations."