Voluntary Health Scotland is supporting the campaign for a National Outcome to fully value and invest in those experiencing care and all those providing it.
To build a fairer and more resilient country – a Scotland that cares – we must set a National Outcome for Scotland to fully value and invest in all forms of care and all those who provide it, and then work together to achieve it. This campaign has created a blueprint for a new National Outcome on Care, but it requires the political will to make this generation-defining promise to those who experience and provide care across Scotland.
The proposed National Outcome is:
We fully value and invest in those experiencing care and all those providing it
The blueprint also identifies a set of seven National Indicators to measure progress:
- The quality of life of carers, care workers and those experiencing care
- The quality of care for all
- The financial wellbeing of carers, care workers and those experiencing care
- The voice and influence of carers, care workers and those experiencing care
- Access to education and training
- The adequacy of funding for care
- The job quality of social care and childcare workers
The Scottish Government will very soon start consulting on its draft new National Outcomes, which only happens every five years. This will inform a draft set of National Outcomes which will be placed before the Scottish Parliament in 2023. We must seize this opportunity to lock-in a new National Outcome on Care. This will insert care at the heart of Scotland’s policy and spending decisions and will set us on a path towards transformative change.
At Voluntary Health Scotland we want Scotland to fully value and invest in care because carers deserve fair health.
You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved here: https://oxfamapps.org/scotland/2022/05/24/a-scotland-that-cares/
Our Policy & Engagement Lead, Kimberley, attended a partner briefing event on the campaign. Some key messages from partners stuck with her:
- Gender equality is at the heart of this, with 85% of the social care workforce being women and 61% of unpaid carers.
- Stevie’s incredibly moving story about the challenges she faces being a carer.
- One in five adults in Scotland now support a relative, close friend or neighbour because of chronic illness.
- The number of people providing over 50 hours of care per week across the UK has risen by 30%.
- 87% of the public think the government should provide additional support for unpaid carers.
- Care needs to be at the heart of the government’s COVID-19 recovery agenda.
- This campaign will work to influence other key policy areas such as the National Care Service and a Minimum Income Guarantee in tandem with the National Outcomes.
For more information please contact Kimberley or go directly to the campaign page.
