Free Personal Care in Scotland: Recent Developments

Citation

Bell D, Bowes A & Dawson A (2007) Free Personal Care in Scotland: Recent Developments. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2075-scotland-care-older-people.pdf

Abstract
Executive summary: This study updates research by Bell and Bowes (2006) on financial care models in the UK, focusing on the position in Scotland and in particular on the operation of the 'free personal care policy'. The free personal care policy, implemented in July 2002, is particular to Scotland. It provides that, where a person has been assessed as having personal care needs, then personal care services provided by the local authority to meet those needs will be free of charge. This report presents and discusses perceptions of the context of care in Scotland and the perceived impacts of, problems with and limitations of the free personal care policy. It examines these issues primarily from a local authority perspective. It is based on analysis of statistical data since 2002 and on a series of interviews conducted during August to October 2006 with 11 Scottish local authorities and with the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.

Keywords
analysis; Authority; care; context; data; Development; IMPACT; IMPACTS; Interview; Interviews; ISSUES; LIMITATIONS; model; Models; NEED; needs; Perception; Perceptions; PERSPECTIVE; policies; Policy; Regulation; Research; Scotland; scottish; SERIES; service; services; UK

People

Professor Alison Bowes

Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences

Dr Alison Dawson

Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Social Sciences