A new book examined how child protection systems differed across the four countries of the United Kingdom.
Source: Anne Stafford, Nigel Parton, Sharon Vincent, and Connie Smith, Child Protection Systems in the United Kingdom: A comparative analysis, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined social inequalities in health as people aged, using longitudinal data from the west of Scotland. There was a general belief that social inequalities in health appeared to narrow at older ages: but taking account of selective mortality and employing more proximal measures of socio-economic status removed this convergence, suggesting that inequalities in health continued into old age.
Source: Michaela Benzeval, Michael Green, and Alastair Leyland, 'Do social inequalities in health widen or converge with age? Longitudinal evidence from three cohorts in the West of Scotland', BMC Public Health, Volume 11
Date: 2011-Dec
An audit report in Scotland said that the overall performance of the National Health Service in Scotland had been good in 2010-11: but there were 'significant financial pressures' building.
Source: Overview of the NHS in Scotland?s Performance 2010/11, Audit Scotland
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | BBC report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Dec
The mental health watchdog in Scotland said that the Scottish Prison Service needed to review its health centre facilities to consider the needs of prisoners with mental health problems.
Source: Mental Health of Prisoners: Themed visit report into prison mental health services in Scotland, Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined whether the Scottish children's hearings tribunal system could promote greater responsiveness to the needs of parents with learning disabilities, and support fuller direct participation in decisions about the welfare of their child.
Source: Janice McGhee and Susan Hunter, 'The Scottish children's hearings tribunals system: a better forum for parents with learning disabilities?', Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law, Volume 33 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A report by a committee of MSPs said that a review of national care standards for older people was 'overdue'. The review should address changes such as the move towards a greater integration of health and social care, the rise in the number of older people with dementia, and the issue of widespread prescription of psycho-active medications to care home residents.
Source: Report on Inquiry into the Regulation of Care for Older People, 3rd Report 2011, SP Paper 40, Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release
Date: 2011-Nov
A report called for urgent reform of the care system for older people in Scotland. Service providers needed to consult and engage with Scotland's people in order to design cost-effective personalized services. Costly overlaps in service needed to be 'engineered out'. There was a need to improve measures of well-being in older age, so that the quality and impact of social and health care provision could be monitored better.
Source: Alan Sinclair, A Life Worth Living, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Links: Report | Summary | SCVO press release
Date: 2011-Nov
The Scottish Government published a Bill designed to set a minimum price for a unit of alcohol as a condition for the approval of licensed premises..
Source: Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Government, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | Scottish Government press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
A briefing paper examined health inequalities in Scotland. There was evidence that health inequalities across the Scottish population were increasing, despite efforts to tackle the problem.
Source: Pauline Craig, Focus on Inequalities: A Framework for Action, Briefing Paper 30, Glasgow Centre for Population Health
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
The mental health services watchdog in Scotland said that compulsory community mental health treatment had benefited most service users.
Source: Lives Less Restricted: A report into the use of compulsory community treatment in Scotland, Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Oct
An independent commission published its first report on the Scottish Government's progress in delivering the national drugs strategy.
Source: First Year Report & Recommendations to Minister, Scottish Drugs Strategy Delivery Commission
Links: Report | Commission press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A briefing paper examined the educational attainment of looked-after children in Scotland. It set out the legislative context for looked-after children, summarized policy developments since devolution, and pulled together common themes from the various policy reviews and guidance issued over that period.
Source: Camilla Kidner, Educational Attainment of Looked After Children, Briefing 11/79, Scottish Parliament
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Oct
The Scottish Government began consultation on a revised strategy for mental health, covering the period 2011-2015.
Source: Mental Health Strategy for Scotland: 2011-15 – A Consultation, Scottish Government
Links: Consultation document | Scottish Government press release
Date: 2011-Sep
A study found that just 150 new personal budget arrangements had been set up in self-directed support pilot sites in Scotland over a 2-year period, despite 'significant investment' by the Scottish Government. Although self-directed support did work well for those with learning disabilities, significant time and investment would be required for it to take off across the country and for all groups.
Source: Julie Ridley, Helen Spandler Ann Rosengard, Simon Little, Michelle Cornes, Jill Manthorpe, Susan Hunter, Tony Kinder, and Bill Gray, Evaluation of Self-Directed Support Test Sites in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Sep
An article examined the place of child- and family-oriented social work in post-devolution Scotland. A policy 'effect' was being produced that appeared to lock social work out of early intervention and prevention.
Source: Janice McGhee and Lorraine Waterhouse, 'Locked out of prevention? The identity of child and family-oriented social work in Scottish post-devolution policy', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 41 Number 6
Links: Abstract
>Date: 2011-Sep
A project in Scotland found that initiatives focusing on improving the health and well-being of school-aged children and young people (aged 3-18) and their families, particularly at key transition stages, could be implemented within schools without injections of additional funding.
Source: Health and Well-being in Schools Project: Final Report, Scottish Government
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
A report said that social care training in Scotland needed to be reformed in order to accommodate new ways of working, in particular the personalization of services. Fewer than half the personal assistants employed to deliver self-directed support had received training.
Source: Have We Got What It Takes? The sector skills assessment for the social service workforce in Scotland, 2010/11, Scottish Social Services Council
Links: Report | SSSC press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Jun
An audit report in Scotland said that there was 'limited evidence' to date of widespread sustained improvements resulting from community health partnerships. It called for a fundamental review of partnership arrangements to ensure that they focused on meeting individuals' needs.
Source: Review of Community Health Partnerships, Audit Scotland
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | Age Scotland press release | BBC report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report examined the pathways and decision-making processes through the care and court systems in Scotland for 100 looked-after children, from the point they were first identified as at risk to the point of adoption or permanence.
Source: Gillian Henderson, Lucy Hanson, and Indiya Whitehead, Care and Permanence Planning for Looked After Children in Scotland, Scottish Children s Reporter Administration
Links: Report | SCRA press release | Scottish Government response
Date: 2011-Jun
An article examined a project in Scotland that evaluated the health impacts of new-build social housing.
Source: Marcia Gibson, Hilary Thomson, Ade Kearns, and Mark Petticrew, 'Understanding the psychosocial impacts of housing type: qualitative evidence from a housing and regeneration intervention', Housing Studies, Volume 26 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-May
A report said that the social and economic cost of mental health problems in Scotland had reached £10.7 billion per year – an increase of nearly one-quarter on figures from 2004-05.
Source: Michael Parsonage, What's It Worth Now? The social and economic costs of mental health problems in Scotland, Scottish Association for Mental Health
Links: Report | SAMH press release
Date: 2011-Apr
The care services regulator in Scotland published an overview of its findings covering the period 2002-2010. Care standards in Scotland were continuing to improve, with more services receiving top grades than ever before.
Source: Improving the Quality of Care in Scotland: An overview of Care Commission findings 2002 to 2010, Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care
Links: Report
Notes: From 1 April 2011 a new care regulator, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, took over the duties of the SCRC.
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the future of family doctor services in Scotland. It called for longer training, better communication between different health services, and the empowering of patients to take a more active role in managing their health. Better incentives were needed to attract family doctor trainees to work in deprived or remote and rural practices.
Source: The Future of General Practice in Scotland: A Vision – A 5-10 year plan for 2011 onwards, Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Mar
An independent review made a series of recommendations for improving children's early years in Scotland. It called for a new generation of children and family centres to be established, through collaborative ventures drawing in resources from private, public, and not-for-profit organizations.
Source: Susan Deacon, Joining the Dots: A better start for Scotland's children, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Review press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the available evidence on social work's contribution to supporting recovery for those with problem drug and/or alcohol use, highlighting the implications for practice in Scotland.
Source: Sarah Galvani and Donald Forrester, with others, Social Work Services and Recovery from Substance Misuse: A Review of the Evidence, Scottish Government
Date: 2011-Mar
The Scottish Government outlined a proposal to integrate health and social care for adults. The plan was designed to give quicker access to care and staff, and reduce delayed discharges. Local councils and health boards would be expected to work more closely together under a 'lead commissioning' model.
Source: Press release 2 February 2011, Scottish Government
Links: Scottish Government press release | SNP press release | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2011-Feb
The Scottish Parliament approved a Bill designed to improve patients' experience of the National Health Service. It included a 12-week treatment time guarantee, and a charter of patient rights and responsibilities.
Source: Patient Rights (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Government, TSO | Scottish Parliament Debate 24 February 2011, Official Report, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | Official Report | Scottish Government press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined services for disabled children in Scotland. It set out recommendations designed to deliver practical improvements to the well-being of disabled children, and to that of their siblings, parents, and carers.
Source: Report of the National Review of Services for Disabled Children, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Scottish Government press release | Community Care report
Date: 2011-Feb
A survey found that unpaid carers in Scotland had twice the prevalence of long-term illness and disability as the rest of the population.
Source: Sick, Tired and Caring: The impact of unpaid caring on health and long term conditions, Carers Scotland
Links: Report | Carers Scotland press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined the factors that influenced community mental health and well-being, based on a study of a low-income community in east Glasgow (Scotland). It considered how to develop partnerships to address the issues involved.
Source: Neil Quinn and Hannah Biggs, 'Creating partnerships to improve community mental health and well-being in an area of high deprivation: lessons from a study with highrise flat residents in east Glasgow', Journal of Public Mental Health, Volume 9 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A briefing paper examined the legislative means by which the Scottish Government was seeking to introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol.
Source: Philip Ward, A Minimum Price for Alcohol?, Standard Note SN/HA/5021, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Date: 2011-Jan
A report examined the outcomes of a pilot in Scotland designed to encourage secondary pupils to stay within school grounds at lunchtime, eat a healthy lunch, and participate in a lunchtime activity. School meal uptake rates across the eight schools remained consistently higher during the pilot year than during the previous academic year and also higher than uptake rates in other year groups.
Source: Andy MacGregor, Susan McConville, Judith Mabelis, and Louise Marryat, Evaluating the Impact of the 'Big Eat In', Glasgow Centre for Population Health
Links: Report | Findings | BBC report
Date: 2011-Jan
