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Social Security Scotland works closely with individuals and disability organisations to design it’s services. Every stage of the application process has been tested to ensure that Social Security Scotland are taking a human rights-based approach to what they do, as set out in Our Charter. This means treating everyone without discrimination and in line with their values. This includes finding processes that work and are inclusive and fully accessible.

Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a social security system that is inclusive. They do this by carrying out user research and testing with people who have lived experience of the benefit system, people who communicate in different ways and relevant stakeholders across Scotland. This is to embed inclusive communications across the entirety of Social Security Scotland. Social Security Scotland work with these stakeholders to influence how they develop their services and processes.

Social Security Scotland clients understand information and express themselves in different ways. To accommodate this, Social Security Scotland provide different channels clients can use to contact them in a way that suits them. Social Security Scotland can make written communications available in different formats and languages such as Braille and Easy-Read. Social Security Scotland can also arrange for interpreters for clients who request that level of support as well as support for clients who are non-verbal.

Social Security Scotland provide in-person support to clients who need it when accessing their services at a place and time that suits them. Social Security Scotland have specially trained advisors based in every local council area across Scotland who can support clients with appointments at home, in local community venues or by telephone or video call.

Social Security Scotland services were designed in consultation with clients and stakeholders. In shaping the design and Policy underpinning the service, staff consulted with the Disability and Carers Benefits Expert Advisory Group. As benefits launched the Agency Implementation Group and latterly the Operational Reference Group were created to ensure that they continually learn from those who interact and use their services. Social Security Scotland has also engaged with the clients that use the service, initially through Experience panels and then as benefits launched, the Client Experience panels. Their Inclusive Communication Group worked with clients to understand the challenges they face in dealing with Organisations and the barriers to getting the support they need. Through this direct feedback, and understanding of client’s needs, Social Security Scotland have built a client led, flexible service that supports clients in a way that meets their individual needs.

Making reasonable adjustments to meet client’s needs is intrinsic to the design of Social Security Scotland.

Client choice in application routes, appointment type, length and time of appointments are all things agreed in discussion with the client on the pre-call Client Support Advisers have with clients before an appointment.

All staff meeting clients in their home go through an extensive training routeway when joining Social Security Scotland. Training focusses on the technical skills required for their role, and the personal skills needed to support vulnerable clients, such as Trauma Informed Practice, Clients at Risk of Harm, Managing Risk and Mental Health Awareness. This is supplemented with communications training to provide insight and understanding of the impacts a condition can have on a client’s ability to communicate. Given the wide range of conditions that clients can have, staff work closely with Social Security Scotland’s own Health and Social Care Practitioners to gain more specialist knowledge and understanding of medical conditions. Training is supplemented with a consolidation period to ensure learning has been fully understood .

Since the publication of the strategy, the Scottish Government (SG) has sought to raise fraud awareness and build professional networks utilising conferences and forums aimed at building a community of counter fraud professionals. Creation of the Integrity Group within the SG, alongside joint activities such as the improvement action plan with Audit Scotland on improvement of the National Fraud initiative, were key initial activities. In 2021 the first Head of Counter Fraud Profession was appointed with the Counter Fraud Service established in 2022. This coincided with Covid pandemic and demonstrated the value of this new service in providing support and advice on fraud prevention to colleagues delivering grants to support the economy in Scotland.

The Counter Fraud Service has established links with the International Public Sector Fraud Forum - a public sector counter fraud strategy forum – which has strengthened the SG’s approach to fraud prevention and detection through cross-border collaboration on counter fraud best practice. The SG has embedded a fraud risk management framework and a Counter Fraud Toolkit in 2023, providing all colleagues with access to new in-depth guidance and tools for the management of fraud and corruption risk, and support with fraud cases. The Counter Fraud Service, in collaboration with Risk, Control and Assurance Division, is now focussing on ‘counter fraud culture’ and fraud awareness. This being delivered through new training, workshops and guidance aimed at improving the skills and capabilities across government, as well as general education on fraud and corruption to ensure that the SG stays fraud aware.

Further to this, the Integrity Group, made up of leadership in areas of integrity from across government, provides oversight on the counter fraud strategy and how this links to other areas of integrity under the Civil Service Code. Lastly, the establishment of the Counter Fraud Profession in SG, led by the Head of Counter Fraud Profession, acts to join up the counter fraud community across SG organisations, to deliver consistency, opportunities for joint working and a community of best practice in counter fraud.

The Scottish Government plans to review and refresh all aspects of our approach to tackling fraud and corruption across government, including updating the counter fraud strategy Protecting Public Resources in Scotland. This is part of a wider strategic look at the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption in Scotland.

The update to the counter fraud strategy, commencing in 2024-25, is part of a three-year counter fraud plan to enhance the way we prevent and detect fraud and corruption in public resources. The principles of the 2015 strategy remain extant and activities to date have focussed on developing in each strategic area with a focus on collaborative cross sector working. In 2021 there was the appointment of the first Head of Counter Fraud Profession in Scottish Government and the establishment of the Counter Fraud Service within the Directorate for Internal Audit and Assurance in 2022. Working across Government, we have improved how we identify fraud/corruption risk through fraud risk profiling and heat mapping, how we manage these risks with fraud risk and fraud impact assessments across government, and how we respond to fraud through the Fraud Response Plan and cross government Integrity Group. The counter fraud strategy update will reflect these changes and how we intend to move forward in our efforts to improve the maturity of approach against the Scottish Government’s Counter Fraud Maturity Model.

The Scottish Government is aware that there are global supply issues with Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) medicines, including Creon ® , which are licensed for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency for those with cystic fibrosis.

While the supply of medicines and the associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG), set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.

In May, the Scottish Government issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) and National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) which outline actions to be taken by prescribers to ensure patients are moved onto alternative treatments and measures to help conserve stocks of PERT medicines, including Creon ® .

The Scottish Government is aware that supplies of various ADHD medicines continue to be intermittent. At present, market data and information provided by the UK Government indicates that some of these supply issues will continue into Autumn 2024. Scottish Government officials continue to monitor the situation for any further developments and are maintaining a close dialogue with all Health Boards to help manage these medicine supply disruptions and provide support when needed.

The supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, and we continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group, set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.

The UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care, on behalf of all four nations, regularly meets with the manufacturers of ADHD medicines to discuss their supply chains challenges and any issues where they may require assistance, including providing an overview of current and forecasted demand to assist manufacturers with planning to increase production forecasts. T he Scottish Government has not had any separate engagement with the manufacturers of ADHD medicines.

The Scottish Government recognises the impact of these global medicine shortages on people living with cystic fibrosis. The supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, and we continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG), set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.

In May, the Scottish Government issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) and a National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) which outline actions to be taken by prescribers, who are best-placed to determine the impact of this shortage on each individual person, and offer an alternative treatment, where appropriate. We also issued a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) for Creon ® 25000 gastro-resistant capsules which allows community pharmacists to restrict the total quantity of Creon ® supplied to one month’s supply to help conserve stocks of Creon ® .

The recruitment of the 1,000 additional roles to support community mental health resilience, ensuring every GP Practice has access to a mental health and wellbeing service has not yet commenced. The economic conditions for the 2024-25 Scottish Budget remain challenging which means that recruitment for this programme continues to be paused in 2024-25. We have already prioritised significant investment to build mental health capacity in primary care through Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 and the Primary Care Improvement Fund, with funding for posts continuing in 2024-25.

We continue to focus on delivery of our mental health and wellbeing strategy and delivery plan, which includes commitments around mental health in primary care, with a view to reporting on progress by November 2024.