There are currently no plans to formally register personal assistants according to the head of a national group that represents organisations run by and for disabled people.

Writing for healthandcare.scot last month, Dr Jim Elder-Woodward highlighted a lack of trust amongst those who employ their own personal assistants (PAs) that there will not be ‘mission creep’ in the registration of PAs during the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation.

He said it was “quite worrying” that the consultation only asked what should be regulated, not what should not.

The Chief Executive of Self-Directed Support (SDS) Scotland confirmed today that the Scottish government does not intend to pursue personal assistant registration at this time.

Donald MacLeod told attendees at the SDS Scotland’s annual conference: “The collective acknowledgment that regulation is an approach that risks undermining the relationship, agency and control of the employer has been well received.”  

Mr Macleod, who sits on the stakeholder engagement panel for the independent inquiry, says he continues to feedback findings from the PA Programme Board to the review team:

“I was pleased that the review took a separate focus on PAs recently and that I was able to meet the review with representatives from the board to address key concerns and aspirations for the review’s PA related recommendations. These are to be formalised imminently for consideration, so that the review can make positive recommendations focused on improvement.”

A National SDS Improvement Plan to run until 2027 was due to be published this week by the Scottish government and local government organisation COSLA but timelines have slipped.

Mr Macleod told the conference that the plan will “fill the void” as an essential strategic driver since the SDS Implementation plan expired in 2021.

Responses to an earlier consultation, he says, reveal proactive support for a ‘bottom-up approach’ to the plan, with a focus on access to good quality independent support, people being involved in planning services and embedded SDS learning in social workers’ educational and ongoing training.

He highlighted to the conference the “incredible demonstration of collaboration across the board in the past two years”, as he called for work to continue on honouring the organisation’s commitment to the independent living movement:

“One of the main things that both concerns me, and which I’m continually impressed by, is that people keep coming back for another round of consultation, engagement and co-design.

“When I’ve asked what keeps people motivated, the reply keeps coming back: fear. Fear that regulation will enter people’s own homes or that budget pressures will mean they can no longer be supported in their own homes. That’s something we must bear in mind when we ask people to contribute time and time again.”

 

Read more: Where is lived experience in NCS consultation?; SDS is ‘for people with mental illness too’; Self-Directed Support ‘passport to independence’

 

 

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