The Scottish National Care Service was supposed to 'go live' in 2025-26.  However, serious concerns on governance, staffing and funding led to a rethink, renegotiation and reshaping of the proposal.  It now faces a new target date of 2028-29.  No staff transfers are now proposed, and a new National Care Service Board is to oversee reformed local integration authorities and the co-design of all aspects of structure and services delivery.  So, what is the proposal as it now stands and what will it mean for care providers and consumers?

The conference takes place online.

This conference – the 10th annual care of older people in Scotland conference – focuses on the core challenges facing us now in care delivery for older people.  We want everyone to have the best health and care possible in older age.  However, we are getting older and living longer in larger numbers – so the costs of care are rising remorselessly.  At the same time the economic outlook is weak and public finances are under severe pressure. In this context how do we fund care excellence?  How do we best structure services and scrutiny?  What are the core elements of best practice that we should be trying to achieve in contemporary care of older people?

This conference will take place online.

The Scottish Government is to introduce legislation during this parliament to encourage Community Wealth Building as Scotland's core approach to economic development.  A consultation on the proposed Bill has just concluded.  The aim is to enact new - or amend existing - laws to accelerate this form of economic development in Scotland.  What is Community Wealth Building?  How will it reform who takes decisions locally on what is spent - and on how, where and for what purpose?  The Bill's aim will be to bring economic transformation and to create empowered, resilient local communities.  Therefore, change is coming which will affect current decision makers in the public sector and their other sectoral partners.  Who will lead decision making in the future and how will communities be involved in that process?  How will this affect your organisation?

This conference will take place online.

Providing protection against discrimination is a legal requirement for all organisations.  Age, disability, race, gender, religion, cultural background and sexual orientation are all covered by legislation. Supporting the rights of people with protected characteristics is an obligation in equality law and a characteristic of successful organisations.  However, failure to do so is potentially reputationally damaging for both organisations and individuals.  In the worst cases, it can be career – or even organisation – ending.  While compliance is one thing, actively and successfully promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is another.  What do you need to know?  Where is current good practice heading?  How do organisations get it right?

This conference will take place online.

Scotland's public services provide critical support to every age group, community and area of activity. They are essential to wellbeing, the economy, public safety and quality of life. However a tsunami of challenges to our services already exist, with many more on the horizon. The labour market is constricted, creating acute staffing shortages. COVID has left services struggling to catch up and keep up with demand. War has driven economic instability and UK government fiscal uncertainty suggests serious funding issues for public services. The context seems to be that change is now permanent. So what can those leading and delivering our critical public services do to cope with the challenges of now and prepare for those which are coming? How can they harness smart service design approaches and core elements of delivery to provide services which remain resilient, reliable and relevant? What opportunities exist to work differently and better in trying to do more with less?

The conference will take place online.

Debt in Scotland has become a new epidemic. It has claimed more and more individuals and households as the cost of living has risen dramatically and the value of incomes has declined in parallel.  However, for many, options to tighten budgets in order to meet rising costs were already exercised long ago.  There is nowhere left to go.  What advice, support and assistance can be given to the rising number of people falling into debt that they cannot manage?  Can their debt be reduced and stability restored to their living costs?  Can our statutory debt management, debt relief and debt advice resources meet the volume of demand and the scale of need within that demand?

This conference will take place online.

How we care for our older people is one of the most basic indicators of whether a society and its services are functioning well. However in less than twenty years 25% of Scotland's population will be 65 or older and those over 70 will be living with an average of three chronic conditions. So, are we caring for our older people well now? Are we prepared for the increased demand ahead? What can we learn from current trends and good practice and what needs to happen next in spending and service evolution to prepare for both the challenges we face now and those that are imminent?

This conference will take place online. 

This webinar explores the legal and service delivery implications for all Scottish public authorities of the implementation of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child into Scottish law. It will examine how public sector bodies - and anyone undertaking functions or providing services to children with public money - can meet the challenge of acting compatibly with the incorporated UNCRC requirements, reflecting them in their day to day running, culture and practices.

Online

All of society has been impacted by coronavirus but those most affected are vulnerable older people and particularly those requiring care, either at home or in a care home setting. Providing protection and prevention has been a complex, delicate and extended task, but it is only one side of the equation. What have we learned during the coronavirus response so far about best practice in care? What are the challenges in delivering quality of life - as well as sustaining life - for older people during coronavirus and in the ‘new normal’?

Online

Scotland’s child and adolescent mental health services were the focus of a transformation strategy prior to the emergence of coronavirus and the impact of lengthy lockdown. The aim was to deliver the recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Children and Young People’s Mental Health for a new focus on prevention and early intervention and better joined-up and seamless general support. How has coronavirus affected reaching these objectives, what are the mental health effects of the crisis and where do we go next in trying to support hard to reach children and young people?

Online