Amongst the ‘other stuff’ in Nicola Sturgeon’s keynote speech to the SNP conference, e.g. a second referendum bill, there were some interesting and important announcements on social policy.
These included changes to childcare policy, and to the care system for looked-after children, and a wider review of the whole care system in Scotland.
“I am announcing today that we will launch an independent, root and branch review of the care system.It will look at the underpinning legislation, practices, culture and ethos. And it will be driven by those who have experience of care”, This proposal was of particular interest (Rescare’s Chair, Anita, alerted us to the speech’s agenda) because of the underlying principles which lay behind it. As commentators have noted, the key concept behind the speech was ‘Inclusion’.
An analysis of the speech can be found here on the Holyrood magazine website and the full text of it is here (on the SNP website).