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Covering Letter

Primary and Community Care Directorate
Community Care Division

T: 0131-244 3503 F: 0131-244 3502
E: peter.stapleton@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

To: See attached list

10 October 2007

Dear Consultee

Consultation on Respite Care Guidance

I am writing to invite your views on proposed new guidance on respite care.

Background

This draft guidance will update and replace guidance issued in 1996. It has been developed by a Government-led task group, made up of local authorities, voluntary organisations, regulators and the NHS.

The consultation period starts today, 10 October and will run for 14 weeks, with a final deadline for responses of 16 January 2008. Its main purpose is to help local service planners improve respite provision in line with the overall principles of enabling self care and working with carers as partners in care, by:

• improving respite planning;
• shifting the balance towards preventative support; and
• personalising support to improve outcomes both for carers and those with care needs.

Consultation documents

The following documents relating to this consultation can be found on the Scottish Government website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current

• This consultation letter
• Draft guidance on respite care
• Respite Task Group membership list
• List of consultees
• Respondent Information Form
• The Scottish Government Consultation Process

List of consultees

We have tried to cover all relevant interests. If you feel another party would benefit from seeing this consultation then please let Julie Wotherspoon know or pass on the consultation details.

What consultees are invited to do

You are welcome to comment on all aspects of the draft guidance but there are some particular issues on which we would value your input:

• What are the main strengths and weaknesses of the draft guidance?
• What if anything is missing?
• Is the terminology clear? The guidance mainly uses the term 'respite' but 'break' is also used, with both terms referring to situations where a short break is needed - either where there is a carer looking after someone or where a service user has no carer.
• Strategic Planning - Does the draft guidance cover the most important factors in relation to the strategic planning of respite services?
• Information Provision - Does the guidance cover the main aspects of information provision relating to respite? Are there additional examples of good practice which would be valuable to include?
• Eligibility - Are the suggested criteria and risk factors relevant and comprehensive?
• Annexe A - Indicators of good respite - Is the list relevant and comprehensive?
• Annexe B - Good practice - Are the examples relevant and useful? Can you suggest similar examples?
• Annex C - Respite needs of specific groups - Again, are those in the draft relevant and useful? Can you provide similar details for the other groups listed?

Where possible please provide explanation and examples to support comments made.

Responding to this consultation paper

As outlined above written responses are invited by 16 January, or earlier if possible. Please send your response to:

julie.wotherspoon@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

or

Julie Wotherspoon

If you need us to print out and send you a copy of the consultation, or if you have any queries please contact Julie Wotherspoon or me at the above address or on 0131 244 5488 or 244 3503.

Please indicate in your response which questions or paragraphs of the consultation paper you are responding to as this will aid our analysis of the responses received.

This consultation, and all other Scottish Government consultation exercises, can be viewed online on the consultation web pages of the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations . You can telephone Freephone 0800 77 1234 to find out where your nearest public internet access point is.

The Scottish Government now has an email alert system for consultations ( SEconsult: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations ). This system allows individuals and organisations to register and receive a weekly email containing details of all new consultations (including web links). It complements, but in no way replaces Scottish Government distribution lists, and is designed to allow stakeholders to keep up to date with all consultation activity, and therefore be alerted at the earliest opportunity to those of most interest. We would encourage you to register.

Handling your response

We need to know how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be made public. Please complete and return the attached Respondent Information Form as this will ensure that we treat your response appropriately. If you ask for your response not to be published we will regard it as confidential, and will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public ( see the attached Respondent Information Form), these will be made available to the public in the Scottish Government Library and on the Scottish Government consultation web pages by 13 February 2008. We will check all responses where agreement to publish has been given for any potentially defamatory material before logging them in the library or placing them on the website. You can make arrangements to view responses by contacting the Scotish Government Library on 0131 244 4552. Responses can be copied and sent to you, but a charge may be made for this service.

What happens next ?

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered with the respite Task Group before the guidance is finalised

Comments and complaints

If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the address above.

Thank you for your help.

Yours sincerely

Peter Stapleton
Primary and Community Care Directorate Community Care Division

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