Social security charter seeks to spell out Scottish practice

A charter setting out how people engaging with Scotland’s new social security system can expect to be treated has been published by the Scottish Government.

Outlining what the eight principles set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 will mean in practice, the document will be considered for approval by MSPs.

Created by people with experience of the existing social security system, the charter expands on the principles in the Act, which include that social security is a human right; that respect for dignity of individuals is to be at the heart of the system; and that the Scottish social security system is to contribute to reducing poverty in Scotland.

The core group decided to structure the charter around four key themes:

• A people’s service – is about establishing a new and positive relationship between Social Security Scotland staff and the people they serve. It defines the treatment that people can expect from staff and how the core group believes that staff should be treated in return. Commitments include kindness and empathy, referrals to other services to improve finances and wellbeing, values based recruitment of staff and involving people with diverse lived experiences of social security in staff training.
• Processes that work – is about the design, accessibility and quality of the processes and systems that people will engage with when using the service, including adapting processes and communications to meet needs and preferences, delivery of services in local communities, ongoing co-design with citizens and inclusive communication.
• A learning system – addresses the culture and values of Social Security Scotland, for example that it encourages and values feedback, learns from it and strives to do better in future. Those with lived experience will again be involved in measuring performance and recruiting a diverse workforce.
• A better future – is about the Scottish Government’s policymaking process and the wider exercise of devolved social security powers to improve people’s lives, with commitments to ensure that the social security principles are embedded in policymaking more broadly and seeking to advance a human rights based approach, tackling stigma and using more positive language to describe social security and the people who access it.

Social Security Scotland, established in September 2018, has so far paid two instalments of the carers allowance supplement as well as making payments of the best start pregnancy and baby payment. In 2019 it will deliver four new benefits including the best start grant nursery age and school age payments, funeral expense assistance and young carer grant.

Speaking as the charter was launched, Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville commented: “When people use a public service they should have no concerns about how they will be treated. Whatever the contact is about and whoever they speak to, they should have full confidence that they will be treated with dignity and respect. However every day we read new reports of the brutal and degrading impact of a UK social security system that has been criticised by the UN and by House of Commons Committees.

“This charter explains how Scotland will do things differently, creating a positive and supportive system that is there for all of us should we need it.”

Welcoming the charter, Rob Gowans of Citizens Advice Scotland said it was important that people who needed support were clear about their rights, what to expect and what they could do if that standard was not met.

He added: “We know from people coming to their local Citizens Advice Bureau for advice that this is not always the case currently, so the charter is a positive step towards creating a social security system which treats people with dignity and respect at all times.”

Click here to access the charter document.