Self-Directed Support project update

Editor's Notes

• #2: Just to introduce myself, I am the project Manager of the SDS Project Team we are a team of 5. Not forgetting the teams overall guide and mentor Jane Kellock from SWS, keeping us right from the Social Work dimension of this project. We are sponsored by Scottish Government and hosted by Social Work Scotland which seems to be a good fit, given the values and principles that underpin of Self directed support Act are just simply good traditional social work relational practice. Lots of workers stated when the SDS legislation went live in 2014 that this was a welcome return to this way of working with people.
• #3: So implementing SDS has been and still is very much a journey, focusing not just on delivering person-centred supports but should be person-led where the person chooses to do so. This journey around delivering personalisation within social care context was recognised to be a long and complex one. One which required significant transformational change. This was acknowledged in the 1o year national strategy 2010 to 2020. However, Where are we do date.. ? It is widely acknowledged that SDS has not been implemented as intended by policy and/or legislation. This has been demonstrated by research, feedback from people, and from the Strategic Inspections carried out in relation to SDS in 6 councils. So therefore, we now have a plethora of relevant research, evaluation, audit and inspection knowledge available. Social Work Scotland is using all of this to inform its work and this project going forward. We also know from the hot off the press research carried out by the Alliance and SDSS Scotland the biggest piece of soncultaiton undertaken to date aroung SDS with supported people has revealed what is and is not working for people ot less that they are not habving their human rights met and only ¾ of people getting access to their chosen SDS option. 
• #4: Scottish Government produced a Change Map based on the views of supported people, national partner organisations, and local SDS leads. The Change Map outlines what is considered to be critical key elements for the further implementation of SDS.
• #5: Team have been in post since November 2020, funded through to March 2021. Starting to have conversations with Scottish Government regarding work beyond this point however nothing concrete at this time. So what have we done? Taking on-board evidence from CI Inspections around SDS, The intentions laid out in the Change Map We have engaged with national stakeholders, people and LAs We initially set up a Steering Group. This steering group is chaired by Johanna McDonald CO Argyle and Bute We also have set up work streams to take forward the project brief of developing a National Framework for SDS. Two work streams one focusing on reducing the inconsistencies around both assessment and the other resource release with the intention of both work streams improving worker autonomy We also undertook questionnaires on an ongoing basis with all stakeholders developing the standards. Although the main focus was on assessment, resource release and worker autonomy we took a whole systems approach to developing this framework. We quickly acknowledged that these elements were just the spokes and wheels of the bike but not the whole functioning bike. This process has led to the work streams developing a set of SDS standards for LAs These standards are one part of a wider framework framework Sitting behind the standards will be Action Statements. These action statements will be built around what we know is ‘good SDS’ is through captured effective evidence based practice and some of them will need to be developed with national experts, people and LAs. We are also looking to develop action statements that demonstrate poor SDS. A central repository will also provide helpful tools and resources to help LAs achieve the standards. Now we know that there are many tools and resources but uptake has been low. Either because their not widely known about or they are difficult to find.
• #6: The standards are written specifically for LAs not people. We felt that the standards for people are covered by the Health and Social Care standards and also the Childrens’ charter where these standards already focus adult and childrens’ rights and what people should expect from services.
• #7: Here there are 11 standards that have been developed all focused around these areas of relevance. However, these standards are not saying anything that is not already outlined in the legislation and also the National Practitioner Guidance so why standards. We as team are learning they way in which SDS has been the issue. Simply rolling out legislation and guidance and expecting LAs to roll it out has proven to be a challenge. Some areas have managed very well achieving significant transformational change to achieve SDS and others have simply viewed SDS as an add on to their traditional systems where they have found this to be very challenging and financially unsustainable. The team are being trained in Active Implementation Science would say that just simply rolling out guidance training on its own is not effective. A whole systems approach and properly resourced local implementation teams are what is required to help make this a reality.
• #10: We took a proposal to COSLA to undertake further consultation on the standards and this was passed on the 16th October a their H&SC board (with input from the C+F board) Looking to begin the consultation on the standards 9th of November We are asking LAS how easy of difficult it will be to implement the standards. What will it take in terms of workforce, resources, national support?? We feel that this would be central evidence that we can feed into the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, given that it has been muted already that SDS should be the way all social care is delivered across Scotland. So we are just looking for one response from each LA and not individuals responses. 9th November start. We are also looking for individuals if they have good constructive ideas for taking SDS forward to feel into the call for comment. This will be a week after the LA consultation. Going live on th SWS Website 16th November. Both will close on the 8th January. We will be looking to report our final analysis and Framework to COSLA early February. Setting up 9 works streams to develop the standards with an open invitation to LA professionals to join in the process including SDS Lead Officers, Commissioners, Finance Professionals, Social Workers. Setting up work streams to develop the details behind the standards. Exploring what do LAs need to do to achieve the standards. We are also looking to develop a portal to being into one place all of the tools and resources that are already out there to support the further implementation of SDS.
• #11: So what next indeed..? Social Care is likely to change What that looks like needs to have SDS at its core The framework will hopefully be helpful to LAs providing them with inspiration and helpful resources to further implement SDS. Today we as a team are looking for support from you as COs in taking this forward. Look out for the consultation landing in your inbox next week and support the completion of this consultation from your LA. We hope to have all 32 LAs contributing to the consultation. Thank you for listening and happy to take any questions.