Summary
3.A consultation paper on Workforce Regulation and Education was published in November 1998. In March 1999 the Government published a White Paper on its proposals to modernise social work services in Scotland. Detailed proposals for new regulatory arrangements for care services and for the social services workforce were set out in a consultation paper published in December 1999. Following this consultation a policy position paper was published in July 2000 setting out proposals for legislation. Separate consultations were also carried out on the regulation of early education and childcare and private and voluntary healthcare.
4.Consultation papers on the first and second tranches of Draft National Care Standards were published in June 2000 and April 2001 respectively. The first set out proposals on care standards for older people, people with mental health problems and for children and young people; the second covered care at home, residential accommodation for people with learning disabilities, physical and sensory impairment and drug and alcohol problems, and in a separate paper – early education and childcare. A consultation paper on the future of care homes under the new legislative arrangements was published in April 2001.
5.The relevant documents are listed below:
	Modernising Social Work Services: A Consultation Paper on Workforce Regulation and Education, published in November 1998;
	Aiming for Excellence: Modernising Social Work Services in Scotland (Cm 4288), published in March 1999;
	Regulation of Early Education and Childcare, published in June 1999;
	Regulating Care and the Social Services Workforce: A Consultation Paper, published in December 1999;
	Regulating Private and Voluntary Healthcare, published in March 2000;
	Regulation of Early Education and Childcare: The Way Ahead, published in May 2000;
	Draft National Care Standards: First Tranche, published in June 2000;
	The Way Forward For Care, a policy position paper, published in July 2000;
	Regulating the Independent Healthcare Sector, a policy position paper, published in November 2000;
	Draft National Care Standards: Second Tranche, published in April 2001;
	The Future for Care Homes in Scotland: A Consultation Paper, published in April 2001;
	Early education and childcare: Draft National Care Standards consultation paper, published in June 2001.
All these publications are available on the Scottish Executive’s Regulation of Care Project website www.scotland.gov.uk/government/rcp
6.In summary this Act:
	establishes a new independent body to regulate care services in Scotland to be known as the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (“The Commission”);
	establishes a system of care regulation, encompassing the registration and inspection of care services against a set of national care standards and the taking of any enforcement action;
	establishes a new independent body, to be known as the Scottish Social Services Council (“The Council”) to regulate social service workers and to promote and regulate their education and training; and
	makes a number of amendments and minor changes in related areas and legislation.