Our Achievements

A regular update on the progress we’re making influencing change on behalf of our members

May 2024

  • Our CEO Rachel Cackett and Board Convenor Andrea Wood met with Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, with discussion focusing on sector sustainability, including Fair Work. At the meeting Mr Gray voiced his commitment to social care and support being a core feature of Cabinet discussion.
  • We created a data pack based on responses to a questionnaire on resilience and winter pressures, and the return of workforce data, supplied by members. This was sent to the Cabinet Secretary ahead of our meeting and the findings were shared at our regular members’ update meeting.
  • We supported members to engage with a new Scottish Government online platform for commissioned social care organisations to assess their Digital Maturity, which opened in early May. This means that the same methodology is now in use across health boards, local authorities and independent social care. The platform is now open for new registrations.

April

  • 22 providers, covering a total of just over 15,000 workers (about a third of the not-for profit workforce) participated in our report with the HR Not-for-Profit Sector Forum and the University of Strathclyde on Social Care Benchmarking. The annual study provides key sector comparison information on topics such as staff turnover, absence, recruitment and pay. The Executive Summary of the report, outlining key findings, will be published in the summer.
  • We directly influenced the Scottish Social Services Council’s decision to delay the planned reduction in timescales workers have to achieve their mandatory SVQ qualifications. The proposal to reduce this to three years has been put on hold until 2025, with workers continuing to have five years to gain the required qualification.

March

  • Our CEO attended the first Expert Legislative Advisory Group meeting – a group CCPS led calls to be established – to influence extensive amendments required on National Care Service legislation, following successful work with members of the parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on their Stage 1 report on the NCS Bill.
  • Our CEO spoke at a conference organised by Self-Directed Support Scotland, discussing the need for consistency across Scotland in SDS implementation, management, and delivery; and calling for proper investment to deliver on the principles of SDS.

February

  • We worked closely with the cross-party Health, Social Care and Sport Committee MSPs as they developed their final stage 1 report on the National Care Service. The report contains many of CCPS’ key calls for change, including the establishment of an Expert Legislative Advisory group.
  • We hosted a joint event with Scotland Excel and CCPS members to work through issues with SXL frameworks and develop solutions and actions. We are now working with SXL on the agreed actions to take forward.