Private Care Sector Workforce Initiative
Shifting the balance of Care and Support - Change Fund Partnerships
It is now well established that Scotland has an ageing population, with a consequent increase in the need for more older people to be offered care and support services. This ageing demographic means that the current models of providing care and support are becoming unsustainable. The Reshaping Care for Older People ‘Change Fund' is a significant Scottish Government initiative that is aiming to improve care and support services for older people by enabling them to live independently at home or in a homely setting for as long as possible and as long as they choose. This will require an improvement in collaborative working across the local authorities, NHS, independent and third sectors. It will also mean more emphasis on anticipatory care and self-management approaches.
Delivery of this programme will take real collaboration, commitment, stamina, enterprise and innovation. Success has as much to do with shifting our attitudes and expectations as it has about shifting resources, care institutions, providers and workforce. Achieving these aims will require all of us to work together, to resolve our differences and transcend traditional boundaries; to recognise our shared aspirations and responsibilities; to share our skills, talents and resources; and to familiarise ourselves with an exciting new dynamic where we are all both contributors and beneficiaries alike – giving meaning to this mutual care approach.
The Change Fund will enable health and social care partners to implement local plans for making better use of their combined resources for older people's services. The Change Fund will provide bridging finance over the next three years to facilitate these shifts in the balance of care from institutional to primary and community settings and the intention is to use these funds to build models of collaborative practice which should influence decisions taken with respect to the future provision of services across health and social care.
The local Change Plan for each local authority area are available by clicking here
Change Plans should be prepared and agreed by local authorities, NHS Boards, independent and third sector representatives to ensure that everyone within the independent sector has an opportunity to make comments and suggestions in relation to the future of service provision.
For further information on your local Change Fund area contact
