Ian Welsh explains what third sector health bodies expect from Scotland's politicians now and during the next Scottish Parliament session
In the run up to our latest visit to the polling stations of Scotland on 5 May, third sector organisations have been making calls for political parties to make sure health and social care is placed firmly at the front and centre of their considerations.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, market researchers Survation recently found that Scots voters rank health and social care among their top priorities for the next Scottish Government. A recurring theme of third sector manifestos, however, is the need to widen the focus of the debate beyond the NHS to fully explore how we create a healthier, fairer Scotland, and ensure better outcomes for people not simply improved services.
For our part, the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland's 2 Million Expert Voices’ manifesto aims to strike a balance between the need to prevent issues before they arise, creating a socially just Scotland and ensuring the voice of lived experience is well heard. One concerning theme we keep returning to is the growing body of evidence about the damaging impact of social isolation on Scotland’s health.
We need advocates for the rights of people who live with long-term conditions, disabled people and unpaid carers, specifically with a ministerial post attached
Ian Welsh
Our members, including the Food Train, the British Red Cross, Good Morning Service and many more, work closely in communities on innovative, effective models of addressing and preventing loneliness. Indeed, our own National Links Worker programme – a pilot project working in GP practices in seven of the most deprived areas of Scotland – is built on a model which aims to utilise community strengths to tackle loneliness.
As a society, our response must be strong and must continue to raise the issue up the political agenda. Recent years have seen some steps forward, but policy shifts such as self-directed support and greater acknowledgement of the role of community transport must be accompanied by an added duty to prevent people from experiencing the scourge of loneliness.
This type of work within communities has led to a strengthened role for third-sector organisations working in partnership to design and deliver solutions, but further capacity building support is required if we are to maximise the third sector’s ability to keep on finding new solutions. This doesn’t just mean funding, but being serious about delivering preventative services and greater engagement of third sector organisations in strategic decision-making processes.
These are some of the principles which have been key to the success of the Alliance's Self-management Impact Fund. The fund, a partnership between the Alliance and the Scottish Government, has sought to invest in the capacity of communities and the sector to encourage innovative self-management techniques and support. We believe with additional support this can encourage improved access to high-quality information about local sources of support and targeted investment.
The voice of disabled people and people who live with long-term conditions is integral to this type of work and our manifesto calls on public authorities to make their communication more inclusive and to deliver services that are accessible and effective for us all. However, changing the way that public authorities communicate with us is just the tip of the iceberg. We must now look at how decision makers are representative of the wider community they serve. We need advocates for the rights of people who live with long-term conditions, disabled people and unpaid carers, specifically with a ministerial post attached.
This juncture gives us an opportunity to look at the policy landscape with renewed hope and vigour for the future. The next challenge is creating a society fit for disabled people, people who live with long-term conditions and unpaid carers to enjoy their right to live well.
