Where Next? The Conflicts of Centralisation, Personalisation, and Human Rights in the Reform of Social Care

Abstract

Many countries face challenges as they seek to sustain a social care sector that provides quality support and is financially viable. Two key areas of contention are how best to structure social care and who is best placed to deliver it. We draw on data from Scotland as a case study to unpack these arguments. Scotland is well placed to examine these debates as it seeks to reform social care through the establishment of a National Care Service and a human rights–based approach. Through data collected with disabled people’s organisations, the third sector, social workers, and other public sector workers, we explore the tensions this has created. The data show that while the proposals are welcomed, questions remain as to what these will mean in practice and how this will differ from previous changes in social care legislation. We locate these arguments within broader international evidence to examine the implications.

Keywords

• social care reform
• personalisation
• disability policy