Abstract
Introduction
The ALLIANCE designed the People at the Centre programme, to design and deliver two parallel programs of national engagement in response to the Independent Review of Adult Care and remobilisation of healthcare services during/post COVID-19 recovery.
We listened to the voices of people and organisations across Scotland on needs, rights, experiences and preferences of people who use services, their families and carers.
We heard:
• People’s experiences of accessing health and social care services, before and during the pandemic
• How the pandemic has impacted on people’s health, care support and wellbeing
• People’s aspiration and priorities for future service delivery in Scotland
Aims Objectives Theory or Methods
Aims:
• To ensure people were supported to participate and their voices heard, the engagement was accessible through multiple routes and this engagement informed wider policy changes and recommendations.
• To enhance the voice of lived experience, embedding human rights into service improvement.
Utilising the ALLIANCE’s membership, partners and key stakeholders, between September- December 2020, the PATC programme engaged with over 1300 individual and 120 organisations from across Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.
People participated digitally via online events, online survey, group and individual submissions as well as taking part in organisational, group and one to one interviews, telephone conversations and postal contributions.
Highlights or Results or Key Findings
People spoke about risk balancing during the pandemic, as service prioritised the response to COVID-19 over non COVID-19 needs, resulting in people losing access to services crucial to their health and wellbeing. People shared feeling disempowered and uncertain, unsure which services were available or how to gain access to the health supports they need.
We repeatedly heard the current system of social care supports are inadequate: with disparities across local authority areas in available support and eligibility criteria, despite existing Scottish legislation.
The ALLIANCE submitted the Health Wellbeing and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scottish Experiences and Priorities for the Future to inform the Mobilisation Recovery Group’s (MRG) work and the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland - Engagement Activity report to inform the Review Advisory Panel which distils over 400 views and learning from individuals and organisations across Scotland- both putting people at the centre of policy and reform.
Conclusions
To effectively remobilise healthcare systems and improve social care support, Scotland must involve its people and communities as active, equal partners; informing and shaping services which meet their needs, supporting them to live well. A human rights based approach can be powerful in catalysing commitment to making meaningful change.
Implications for applicability/transferability sustainability and limitations
People are at the centre, their voices, expertise, and rights drive policy and sit at the heart of design, delivery and improvement of support and services. The ALLIANCE People at the Centre Programme (despite time limitations and pandemic restrictions) principles and learning are applicable and transferrable across all sectors.