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.

The Scottish Government’s National Care Service (Scotland) Bill has been published and is now in its parliamentary stages toward becoming law.  However, the scope of the Bill has seen the original proposals grow to now cover adult, child, justice, substance misuse and some mental health services and also proposes a system which would be accountable to Ministers.  So what do you or your organisation need to understand about what was in the published Bill, the responses to it and its parliamentary progress?  How is Scottish Government thinking on the Bill evolving during its parliamentary stages and to what extent is it responding to concerns?

The conference takes 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. 

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