Co-designing the Healthier Working Lives programme

The co-design ethos of Healthier Working Lives chimes with the Scottish government's progressive approach of co-designing a new National Care Service (NCS) that has recently invited applications for a ‘Lived Experience Experts’ panel to help ensure the best chance of meeting the needs of all those who will use the new organisation in future years.

The Scottish Government wants to have a NCS that best fits the needs of everyone in Scotland and to do that, they need to hear from people directly. This is what co-design means – working alongside the people who use and deliver health and social care services, and the organisations which represent them, to ensure a future organisation that works for all.

The government has announced that they are looking for people to help with this process, to understand the changes needed and ensuring that these changes are practical and can be implemented. Applications are now open to take part in Lived Experience Experts Panel.

Ministers say they hope individuals will apply to be part of the panel whose members will be invited to take part in surveys, be interviewed, put forward ideas and help the Scottish Government team to assess the mix of requests and evidence they expect to receive from the continuing consultation.

The Scottish Government says that the first tasks of members of the new lived experience groups will be to consider how information-sharing can improve health and social care support. Alongside this, members will advise on the aims of "realising rights and recognising responsibilities", examining how services can best meet the needs of local communities and putting forward ideas on "valuing the workforce."

Lived experience means what is happening to people and what they are going through. The Lived Experience Experts Panel will be made up of people who have real experience of needing, using or giving social care support in Scotland.

Scotland's minister for social care, Kevin Stewart says if Scotland is to build an NCS that best fits the needs of everybody, it's important to hear from the voices of experience directly.

Stewart echoed the First Minister’s statement that these reforms are the 'biggest since the creation of the National Health Service almost 75 years ago'.

He said, 'I encourage anyone with direct experience of social care to take part', adding that with Lived Experience Experts and Stakeholder Panels, the NCS will deliver 'a service that puts people at its very heart.'

Further details of the lived experience expert panel and stakeholder register – and how to apply – can be found on the Scottish government website and healthandcare.scot.