Stewart: Voices of lived experience ‘very important’ in setting up care service

The voices of lived experience are “very important” in the process of setting up a new National Care Service, a Scottish Government minister has said.

Social care minister Kevin Stewart was at the first National Care Service Forum in Perth on Monday.

The event will give social care users, families, carers and staff the opportunity to share their thoughts about the proposed service, with more than 500 people expected to attend.

Mr Stewart said he felt people would “grasp” the opportunity to tell the Scottish Government “exactly what they think about what the future should hold”.

He told the PA news agency: “Sometimes the voices of lived experience don’t feel that they’re listened to enough.

“They want to see the eradication of postcode lotteries of care, which we want to do by putting in place national high-quality standards.

“They want to see care delivered locally and flexibly, which will continue, but what they definitely want to see is more accountability.

“They want to see ministerial accountability in all of this, and I’m sure that there will be many more topics covered during the course of today’s discussion.”

The SNP MSP said it is “absolutely imperative that we continue to listen”, and hopes the forum will become an annual event as the National Care Service is formed.

Activist, artist and filmmaker Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi addressed the forum on Monday morning.

Ms Kalantar-Hormozi has spinal muscular atrophy type 2 and relies on 24-hour social care support to live independently.

She told PA she hoped to challenge attitudes towards disability and support.

“Over the past few years I’ve gotten involved in activism because of the social care issues that I’ve had,” she said, “so I’m hoping that today’s a chance to highlight those issues, and actually take action on the future for national care.”

Ms Kalantar-Hormozi added that conversations around setting up a National Care Service should be led by those who have lived experience.

“It’s really important for everyone to work together,” she said.

“But I do have to say, in my personal opinion, I think disabled people should be the ones leading the conversation rather than other non-disabled people, because at the end of the day, it’s about lived experience, and every person knows what works for them.

“I think, for me, this is an opportunity to highlight the need for disabled people to step up and have their voices heard.”

The proposed National Care Service is being created after an independent review of adult social care services in 2021, which recommended reforming social care in Scotland and strengthening national accountability for social care support.

The National Care Service (Scotland) Bill is being considered at Holyrood, with the legislation setting out to consolidate social care services under a national body divided into regional boards similar to the NHS.