Service Providers Network

Shared Care Scotland facilitates various networks to help support the planning, commissioning and development of short break and respite services.  The Service Providers Network is aimed at people with day-to-day management responsibility for short break services, normally at a local level.  The purpose of this network is explained below.

---

• To meet others involved with managing short break services to exchange knowledge, views and experiences; 
• To learn from each other’s experience and find out what works in different service areas;
• To explore the opportunities and challenges facing service providers and consider different options for reshaping services to respond to changing needs, priorities and expectations;
• To share views on the need for national and/or regional support networks to help you and the services you represent stay in touch with developments.If you would like to attend please complete and return the attached form. 

---

Recent Events

In September 2012 Shared Care Scotland hosted three regional events in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness. People from 50 organisations attended to meet their peers from other organisations and focus on the likely impacts of the self-directed support bill. The bill is likely to go through the Scottish Parliament late this year and will have a significant impact on the sector from late summer / early autumn 2013.

At each event the Care Inspectorate presented on their perspective of how their role impacts on the success of self-directed support. Representatives from local authorities spoke of their plans locally and there was a introduction to, and demonstartion of Miituu, a piece of software that helps capture the stories behind all our work. In Glasgow, Charlie Barker of the Social Care Ideas Factory spoke of the change of direction taking place within the authority there.

Discussions

Discussions centred on the threats and opportunities created by the implementation of self-directed. Within that we looked at the role of independent advocacy; the risk of cost driving down standards after years of the care insopectorate driving them up; the threat to the quality of care presented by unregulated personal assistants; who wins when block grants are lost; how the role of the Care Inspectorate will affect the market place; whether Trip Advisor style feedback is a help or hindrance. These and other discussions took place because people had the space away from their desks to step back and think about the broader picture. Many thanks to all those who came.

Downloads

Wendy Dale - Edinburgh City Council - Powerpoint

Heather Dall - Care Inspectorate - Powerpoint