National Care Service Forum 2024 

The Donaldson Trust, represented by our Policy Lead, Stephen Caulfield, and Director of Services, Samantha King, was pleased to attend the third National Care Service Forum in Glasgow on Monday 7th October.

As we outlined in our response to the recent parliamentary Call for Evidence, it is vital the National Care Service becomes a reality for neurodivergent individuals in Scotland, many of whom are in need of high-quality care. Though we believe the draft Bill falls short of the intentions of the 2022 proposal and the ambition of Prof. Feeley’s Independent Review of Adult Social Care, it is progress – and the Scottish Government must still deliver these reforms to care in law.

The Forum highlighted the continued appetite amongst those interested in delivering better outcomes for those accessing care for consistency, transparency, and accountability. We believe this can only be delivered through increased national oversight of care.

We were encouraged to hear the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd MSP, articulate a positive case – including the often neglected economic and social benefits of consistent, transparent, and accountable social care provision – at a time when the principle of national oversight and the NCS itself has come under fire. Having consulted extensively over a period of three years, we would urge the Minister to push forward with her plans.