Scottish Government says it will meet additional costs incurred by local authorities in increasing support and staff capacity in social care

COSLA guidance to be issued to support commissioners to work collaboratively to protect the resilience of the social care sector and ensure it remains operationally and financially viable

The Scottish Government has said it will meet the additional costs incurred by local authorities in increasing support and staff capacity in social care.

Observing that councils have been asked to increase support for care at home, nursing homes and care homes to reduce delayed discharges and free up hospital beds, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced - 

'We have placed the NHS on an emergency footing and we also need to increase the capacity in our social care sector.

Extensive work is already underway by health and social care partnerships to free up hospital beds and care for older people, and others in need of support, in care homes and in our communities.

We have now informed councils that any additional expenditure to maximise the care available to our communities, aligned to work that is already underway, will be covered by the Scottish Government.'

In addition, the Health and Social Care spokesperson for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Councillor Stuart Currie, confirmed that - 

'COSLA guidance will be issued shortly to support commissioners to work collaboratively to protect the resilience of the social care sector and ensure they remain operationally and financially viable.'

For more information, see Social care at heart of response to coronavirus (COVID-19) from news.gov.scot