Information only (All rights reserved)

These Health and Social Care Standards set out what everyone should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. They seek to provide better outcomes for everyone; to ensure that individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and that the basic human rights we are all entitled to are upheld.

The headline outcomes are:

1: I experience high quality care and support that is right for me.

2: I am fully involved in all decisions about my care and support.

3: I have confidence in the people who support and care for me.

Section 42 of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 states that each council must establish an Adult Protection Committee (APC). This revised guidance supports Adult Protection Committees to meet their statutory duties. It covers all aspects of APCs, including establishment, membership, responsibilities, and quality assurance.

Joint inspection reports provide independent scrutiny and assurance of how partnerships ensure that adults at risk of harm are kept safe, protected, and supported. This is an interim report (from 2022) and can be read in conjunction with the full report (from 2023).

Joint inspection reports provide independent scrutiny and assurance of how partnerships ensure that adults at risk of harm are kept safe, protected, and supported. This overview report summarises the inspection findings of 25 Adult Support and Protection partnerships. It shares 'success factors' - good practice that means many adults at risk of harm are safer and have enhanced wellbeing.

This report sets out the role of care homes in delivering high quality social care, and in supporting the wellbeing of Scotland’s citizens. It considers care homes in Scotland's changing economy, discussing workforce and technological issues. It particularly considers how choice, control and human rights can be the standard throughout Scotland's care homes.

An Adult Support and Protection Learning Review is a means for public bodies and office holders with responsibilities relating to the protection of adults at risk of harm to learn lessons from considering the circumstances where an adult at risk has died, or has been significantly harmed. This guidance is for Adult Protection Committees to use when considering, or undertaking, Learning Reviews.

This guidance is a primer for all local authority staff on human trafficking and exploitation. Topics covered range from spotting the signs for frontline staff, to strategic planning suggestions and considerations for partnership working. External links are included for further reading and more in-depth information. This guidance does not replace existing guidance or structures at a local authority level, and does not remove the need to keep local policies and processes under review.

This report explores the embedding of human rights within the social care sectors. In particular, it considers the concept of 'the right to health'. Based on this, the report argues for the rights to 'social care' and 'long-term care' as a human right. Practical applications of these human rights, for instance in self-directed support, decision-making, and workforce issues are discussed.

Appropriate Adults provide communication support to vulnerable victims, witnesses, suspects and accused persons, aged 16 and over, during police investigations. This is statutory guidance for local authorities about their statutory duties relating to the provision of Appropriate Adult services under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016.

This revised Code of Practice provides information and detail to support practical application of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007. It aims to reflect the developments in policy, practice and legislation both in the overall context of adult support and protection and in day-to-day activity.