This is your chance to inform the Scottish parliament how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on social care services at home. We are working with the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee and  Alzheimer's Scotland.

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The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee is calling for views on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on social care services at home. Earlier this year the Committee planned to explore how social care could work differently in the future. This work was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee will now resume that work to examine social care further, exploring how lessons learned can be applied in the future to improve social care systems and delivery in Scotland. The Committee has already received submissions from a range of people involved in social care, and in the context of care homes during the pandemic. To add to that evidence base, the Committee now wants to hear from those who provide or have received social care at home. MSPs are keen to hear about people’s experiences of social care at home during the pandemic, whether people felt safe and supported and what lessons should be learned should there be a second wave or future outbreaks. Call for views We are looking for views from people who provide, or receive, care and support at home. We want to hear from:

• individuals receiving care at home
• family members and unpaid carers
• staff, managers or owners of a care at home services, or personal assistants providing care

We have created a short survey to understand the impact of Covid-19 on care at home services, and what issues the pandemic has highlighted, improved or made worse. Through the survey, there will also be opportunities to engage further with this inquiry. Experiences shared will be added to evidence and insights already gathered and will be used to support the Committee’s formal sessions in October and November 2020. How to submit your views Please submit your views by Monday 7 September 2020. Please use this link to submit your views through Citizen Space: Click link The call for views is also available in an easy read version: view pdf The Scottish Parliament and its committees value diversity and seek to work towards committee witnesses being broadly representative of Scotland’s society. As such we encourage members of underrepresented groups to submit written evidence If you need advice, please contact the clerks on the email address: HealthandSport@parliament.scot Before making a submission, please read our privacy notice view pdf The Committee welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. Committee contact details: Susan Brown Assistant Clerk Health and Sport Committee The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh Direct Tel: +44 (0)131 348 5410 Email: susan.brown@parliament.scot  

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From the Life Changes Trust Please see the Life Changes Trust’s newly published Covid-19 Learning Report. It is based on the learning and insights we have gathered from some of our projects (dementia and young people with care experience) during the COVID-19 lockdown on how they have adapted and what support is needed in times of crisis. Go to -Covid Learning Report