Health and Social Care Standards
Scotland’s new Standards for health, social
care and social work, formerly known as the National Care
Standards, have been announced by Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary
for Health and Sport. The new Standards have been developed through
extensive public consultation and have been produced together by a
broad range of people from the public, private, voluntary and third
sectors, through partnership and collaboration, and with input from
people who experience care, providers and other professionals.
The new Standards are based on human rights
and wellbeing, amongst the most progressive anywhere in the world
and have at their heart the needs, choices and rights of the
individual experiencing care. They will help everyone focus on what
really matters – the experience of the person who uses care and
will also help to support partnership working and improvement in
care services.
The Standards will now be rolled out across
health and social care will inform inspection from April 2018, but
the approaches for this will be developed in partnership with
people who provide and experience care. There will be no “big bang”
approach.
A focus on the individual
The Standards comprehensively set out what
care should actually look and feel like for people every time they
use health and social care services. They are not tied to
particular care setting and establish people’s care experiences,
rather than compliance with technical inputs, as the key measure
quality. Where national guidance on inputs and clinical
interventions are needed, these can be developed to ensure that
people experience the care that the standards describe.
The new Standards will help to inform how the
Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland will inspect
health and care from next year, and support improvement too. The
new Standards also provide scope for innovation in practice across
all health and care provision, rather than just regulated
settings.
Thank you for all your help
The Development Group’s two-year programme of
work has now concluded, with a new Implementation Project Group
overseeing the rollout phase and the introduction of the new
Standards.
We would like to thank you and your networks
for your involvement and participation and for your significant
contribution to the establishment of the new Standards.
More information
