Briefing number: 160 Date: July 2025
Please find below a briefing about the Children’s Bill recently introduced. The bill reforms aspects of the care system for children & young people.
The bill:
• Includes measures to tackle profit from the care of looked after children – intended to cap it rather than end it.
• Gives IJBs (Integrated Joint Boards) a statutory role in Children’s Services Planning likely to undermine local democratic control.
• Some proposals to widen eligibility for after care which have implications for social work services.
Briefing number: 159 Date: Jun 2025
Please find attached a briefing on looking at the implications of the recent UK Government Spending Review for public Spending in Scotland
Briefing number: 158 Date: Jun 2025
The Care Reform (Scotland) Bill
Introduction
On 10 June, the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed. This briefing gives an overview of its provisions.
Briefing 157 – Care Management: Fit for purpose?
Care Management is the process for assessing individuals’ needs for social care services. It is integral to the social care system and how care users experience it. It is carried out by local authority staff known as Care Managers, usually social workers, occupational therapists or nurses.
UNISON’s Social Work Issues Group carried out a survey of social work staff to gather views about this model and whether it is helping or hindering the preventative, person-centred and relationship-based practice called for in the Independent Review of Adult Social Care (the ‘Feeley Review’).
Briefing number: 156 Date: Jun 2025
The Scottish AI Register and AI in Public Services
In the last few years, AI (Artificial Intelligence) has gained significant public attention with the release of tools like ChatGPT. Policymakers are quickly turning to AI as a potential solution to challenges in public sector funding, productivity, and staffing levels.
AI has the potential to improve services and make work more rewarding. But without proper safeguards and worker involvement, it could also lead to unfair treatment, increased surveillance, and threats to jobs, privacy, and the experience of work.
Briefing 150 – NCS Bill Update: National Care Service abandoned
The Government has finally abandoned its plans to create a National Care Service (NCS). This was confirmed to Parliament on 23 January 2025.
Read more.
Briefing 149 – UK Budget 2024: Implications for Scotland
This Briefing outlines the measures in the recent UK budget and examines some of the implications for public finances in Scotland.
Read more – UK Budget 2024: Implications for Scotland.
Briefing 148 – Census 2022: LGBTQ+
Over this year, detailed results have been being released from the 2022 census.
The results show that Scotland is more diverse than ever. This briefing examines what the Census tells us about Scotland’s LGBTQ+ population.
Read more – Census 2022: LGBTQ+.
Briefing 147 – Census 2022 -Race, ethnicity, and migration
Over this year, detailed results from the 2022 census have been released. These show a Scotland that is not only increasing in population but more diverse than ever. This briefing looks at some of the figures relating to race, ethnicity, and migration and what they tell us about the Scotland in which we live
Retired Members Summer Bulletin July 2024
Analysis has shown that pensioners will be just £20 better off this year after
the increase has been all but wiped out in the Budget by the sneaky personal
allowances freeze. Read more…
Stirling UNISON 