Rights depend on local practice
Committee convener Clare Haughey said people were too often missing out on the choice and control the law intended. The committee called for national oversight, clearer accountability and improvements to local processes. It also recognised examples where self-directed support had transformed people’s lives. [1][2]
The NGO evidence behind the concerns
In written evidence, Self Directed Support Scotland chief executive Donald Macleod described underfunded independent support organisations, with disabled people’s organisations particularly affected. The submission warned that shortages of suitable services could push people into managing direct payments or employing personal assistants without adequate help, even when that was not their preferred arrangement.
Support for people who employ assistants
The organisation requested investment in Centres for Inclusive Living and disabled people’s organisations to help people direct their support. It also sought dedicated work with personal-assistant employers. Those proposals connected the inquiry’s administrative findings with practical questions: who helps people arrange assistance, understand responsibilities and sustain their chosen support? [3]