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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Service User and Family Engagement Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} actively engages with people we support and their families in a meaningful, inclusive, and effective way. Engagement fosters a partnership approach, enabling individuals and their families to contribute to the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of care services. This policy outlines how {{org_field_name}} ensures transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness to the needs and preferences of people we support and their families.

This policy is in line with the Health and Social Care Standards: My support, my life, the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011, the SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers, and the Care Inspectorate quality framework for support services, including care at home and supported living. It confirms that people receiving support have the right to be fully involved in decisions about their care and support, that their wishes, choices, outcomes, communication needs and human rights must be central to engagement, and that families, carers, legal representatives and independent advocates will be involved where this is appropriate and agreed by the person, or where required by law.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all staff, including care workers, supervisors, and managers within {{org_field_name}}, as well as the people we support, their families, legal representatives, and advocacy services. It ensures that engagement is embedded in all aspects of care planning, service delivery, and quality improvement.

Family members, friends, carers and representatives will be involved only with the person’s consent, unless there is a legal basis for involvement, a welfare power of attorney, guardianship or other recognised legal authority is in place, or there is a safeguarding, adult support and protection, health, welfare or public interest reason to share relevant information. The person’s own views, rights and choices remain central at all times.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with the following legislation, standards and guidance:

• Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 – Establishes the regulatory framework for care services in Scotland and the role of Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, known as the Care Inspectorate.
• Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 – Requires care services to make proper provision for the health, welfare and safety of people using services, and to prepare a personal plan setting out how each person’s health, welfare and safety needs will be met.
• Health and Social Care Standards: My support, my life – Sets out what people should experience when using health, social care and social work services in Scotland, including dignity, compassion, inclusion, responsive care and support, and wellbeing.
• Care Inspectorate Quality Framework for Support Services, including Care at Home and Supported Living – Requires services to evidence that assessment and personal planning reflect people’s outcomes and wishes, and that carers, friends and family members are encouraged to be involved where appropriate.
• Scottish Social Services Council Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers 2024 – Sets out the standards of conduct, practice and employer responsibility expected in Scottish social services, including working respectfully with individuals and carers, supporting feedback and complaints, maintaining accurate records, and promoting rights and choices.
• Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 – Provides the legal framework for supporting and making decisions with or on behalf of adults who lack capacity. Where a person may lack capacity, engagement must follow the Act’s principles, including benefit, least restriction, taking account of the person’s wishes and consulting relevant others.
• Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 – Provides measures to identify, support and protect adults who may be at risk of harm. Engagement must never prevent or delay action where harm, neglect, abuse or exploitation is suspected.
• Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 – Recognises the role and rights of unpaid carers and supports their involvement, including adult carer support planning, where relevant and appropriate.
• Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 – Supports people to have choice and control over how their care and support is arranged and delivered.
• Equality Act 2010 – Requires the service to prevent discrimination, advance equality, make reasonable adjustments and ensure engagement is accessible and inclusive.
• Human Rights Act 1998 – Requires respect for people’s rights, including dignity, privacy, family life, autonomy, freedom of expression and protection from inhuman or degrading treatment.
• UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 – Requires personal information to be processed lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely, and shared only where there is a lawful basis.
• Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 – Requires care services to ensure appropriate staffing for safe, high-quality care and the best care outcomes for people using services. Engagement feedback must be considered where it identifies concerns about staffing levels, continuity, competence or deployment.
• Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 – Provides rights and safeguards for people with mental disorder, including participation, advocacy and respect for the person’s views, where relevant.

4. Principles of Engagement

Engagement with people we support and their families is based on the following principles:

• Person-Centred Approach – Ensuring that care is tailored to the needs, choices, and aspirations of each individual.
• Transparency and Open Communication – Keeping people informed about their care and involving them in decisions.
• Active Participation – Encouraging meaningful involvement in service development, delivery, and evaluation.
• Inclusivity – Ensuring diverse voices, including those with communication needs, are heard and respected.
• Continuous Improvement – Using feedback to enhance care services and adapt to evolving needs.
• Consent and confidentiality – Family members, carers, friends and representatives will be involved in a way that respects the person’s consent, privacy, confidentiality and data protection rights.
• Human rights and capacity – People will be supported to make their own decisions wherever possible. Where a person has reduced or fluctuating capacity, staff will still seek the person’s views and involve legally authorised representatives, independent advocates or relevant others in line with the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
• Outcome-focused engagement – Engagement will focus on what matters to the person, what they want to achieve, what support works well, and what needs to change to improve their wellbeing, independence and quality of life.
• Risk enablement – People have the right to make informed choices and take everyday risks. Staff will work with the person, and where appropriate their family, carer or representative, to understand risks and agree proportionate ways to reduce harm without unnecessarily restricting choice, independence or control.
• Feedback without fear – People and families will be supported to raise comments, concerns, complaints and compliments without fear of disadvantage, reduced service quality or victimisation.

5. Methods of Engagement

5.1 Personal Planning, Reviews and Decision-Making

Each person supported by {{org_field_name}} will have a personal plan that is developed with them and, where appropriate, with their family, carer, legal representative, independent advocate or other people important to them. The personal plan will set out how the person’s assessed health, welfare and safety needs will be met, as well as their wishes, choices, strengths, outcomes, communication needs, cultural needs and preferences.

A personal plan will be prepared within 28 days of the person starting to use the service and will be reviewed with the person at least once every six months, or sooner where the person’s needs, wishes, risks, outcomes, health, support arrangements or personal circumstances change.

The care planning process will include:

• a clear assessment of the person’s needs, strengths, preferences, outcomes and risks;
• discussion about what matters to the person and what a good outcome looks like for them;
• agreement about who the person wants involved in planning and reviews;
• identification of any communication support, accessible format, interpreter, advocacy or legal representation required;
• consideration of capacity, consent and any welfare power of attorney, guardianship, intervention order or other legal authority;
• agreement about when and in what circumstances family members, carers, representatives or professionals should be contacted;
• discussion of risk enablement, including how the person can maintain independence and choice while risks are understood and reduced where possible;
• recording of decisions, actions, responsibilities and timescales;
• ensuring the person has access to a copy of their personal plan in a format they can understand.

Staff must ensure that changes to the personal plan are discussed and agreed with the person wherever possible. Where the person is unable to make a specific decision, staff must follow the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, seek the person’s views as far as possible, consult relevant legal representatives and act in the person’s best interests and least restrictive way.

5.2 Consent, Confidentiality and Information Sharing with Families

{{org_field_name}} recognises the important role that families, unpaid carers and representatives may play in supporting the person. However, information about the person will only be shared where:

• the person has given consent;
• the person has asked for the family member, carer or representative to be involved;
• there is a welfare power of attorney, guardianship, intervention order or other legal authority relevant to the decision;
• information sharing is necessary to protect the person or another person from harm;
• there is another lawful basis for sharing information.

The person’s wishes about family involvement will be recorded in their personal plan, including who may be contacted, what information may be shared, preferred methods of contact, and any circumstances where the person does not wish information to be shared.

Where family members or carers raise concerns, staff will listen respectfully and record the concern. Where the concern relates to the person’s care, support, welfare or safety, staff will consider what action is required while continuing to respect the person’s rights, confidentiality and choices.

5.3 Regular Communication with Families

Maintaining open lines of communication with families ensures ongoing engagement.

Methods include:

• Scheduled updates – Care staff or key workers provide regular updates via phone, email, or face-to-face meetings.
• Immediate notifications – Where the person has consented, where a legal representative has relevant authority, or where there is a lawful basis to do so, families, carers or representatives will be informed promptly about significant changes in the person’s condition, care arrangements, risks, incidents or welfare. Where there is an emergency, safeguarding concern or adult support and protection concern, staff will follow the relevant policy and statutory reporting procedures.
• Family meetings – Organised periodically to discuss care, answer questions, and gather feedback.
• Accessible communication – Ensuring that information is available in appropriate formats (e.g., large print, easy read, translations).

5.4 Feedback and Consultation Mechanisms

{{org_field_name}} will seek feedback in a range of accessible and meaningful ways, including:

• feedback during care visits, reviews, spot checks and quality assurance calls;
• regular care review meetings;
• annual satisfaction surveys for people supported, families and carers;
• accessible surveys in easy-read, large print, translated or alternative formats where required;
• digital feedback options where appropriate;
• telephone or face-to-face feedback for people who prefer not to use written forms;
• focus groups, forums or consultation meetings where appropriate;
• direct feedback from advocates, legal representatives, carers and professionals, where relevant;
• complaints, concerns and compliments;
• analysis of themes from incidents, missed or late visits, changes in care worker, communication issues, and care plan reviews.

Feedback will be recorded, analysed and used to improve the service. Where changes are made as a result of feedback, {{org_field_name}} will share “you said, we did” information with people supported, families, carers and staff in an accessible way.

5.5 Compliments, Complaints, Concerns and External Escalation

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that people supported, families, carers, representatives and advocates can raise compliments, comments, concerns or complaints easily and without fear of any negative consequences.

Information about how to complain will be provided in a format the person can understand and will include how to complain:

• verbally;
• in writing;
• by email;
• online, where available;
• through a family member, carer, representative or advocate;
• anonymously, where possible;
• directly to the Care Inspectorate.

All complaints and concerns will be acknowledged, recorded, investigated fairly and responded to in line with the Complaints and Feedback Policy. Where a concern indicates possible abuse, neglect, exploitation, harm, poor practice, unsafe staffing, missed care, medication error, financial irregularity or breach of rights, the relevant safeguarding, adult support and protection, notification, whistleblowing or duty of candour procedures will also be followed.

People will be offered support to access independent advocacy where this would help them raise a concern, understand a process, take part in a review or express their wishes.

Learning from complaints, concerns and compliments will be reviewed by management and used to improve care planning, staff practice, communication, training and service delivery.

5.6 Family and Carer Involvement in Service Development

{{org_field_name}} values the input of people supported, families, unpaid carers, representatives and advocates in shaping policies and improving service quality, where involvement is appropriate, lawful and consistent with the person’s wishes and rights.

Opportunities for involvement include:

• Representation on advisory groups to contribute insights on improving care services.
• Participation in policy review discussions to ensure policies reflect the real needs of people receiving care.
• Involvement in recruitment panels for new care staff to ensure that the views of people we support are considered.

Involvement in service development will not replace individual consent or confidentiality requirements. Where feedback from families or carers relates to an individual person’s care, staff will ensure that the person’s own views are sought and respected as far as possible.

5.7 Involvement of Unpaid Carers

{{org_field_name}} recognises the important role of unpaid carers and will support their involvement where this is wanted by the person or otherwise appropriate. Staff will listen to carers’ views about the person’s needs, routines, preferences, communication, risks and outcomes, while recognising that the person receiving care remains central to decision-making.

Where an unpaid carer appears to need support, staff will provide information about local carer support services and, where appropriate, signpost the carer to the local authority or Health and Social Care Partnership for information about an Adult Carer Support Plan under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.

Any carer involvement, agreed contact arrangements, limits on information sharing, and relevant support needs will be recorded in the person’s personal plan.

5.8 Advocacy and Supported Decision-Making

People will be supported to access independent advocacy where they need or want help to understand information, express their views, take part in reviews, make choices, raise concerns or challenge decisions.

Staff must consider advocacy particularly where a person:

• has dementia, learning disability, acquired brain injury, mental health needs or communication difficulties;
• has no family or representative involved;
• has family views that appear to conflict with their own wishes;
• is subject to legal measures under mental health or incapacity legislation;
• is at risk of harm or undue influence;
• is involved in a complex review, restriction, complaint or safeguarding process.

Staff will not assume that a person is unable to participate because they communicate differently or need more time. Engagement must be adapted to the person’s preferred method, pace and format.

6. Supporting Meaningful Engagement

6.1 Training for Staff

Staff receive training on effective engagement strategies, including:

• Communication skills and active listening techniques.
• Understanding person-centred care approaches.
• Recognising and respecting cultural, linguistic, and disability-related communication needs.
• Using assistive communication tools for individuals with speech or language difficulties.

Staff training and supervision will also include:

• Health and Social Care Standards and human rights-based care;
• SSSC Codes of Practice 2024;
• person-led, outcome-focused personal planning;
• consent, confidentiality and information sharing;
• Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 principles and supported decision-making;
• adult support and protection responsibilities;
• recognising carer contribution and carer stress;
• complaints, concerns, whistleblowing and duty of candour;
• risk enablement and positive risk-taking;
• trauma-informed communication;
• equality, diversity, inclusion and reasonable adjustments;
• recording engagement accurately and respectfully.

6.2 Accessibility, Inclusion and Communication Support

Engagement methods must be inclusive, accessible and tailored to the person. Staff will ask each person how they prefer to communicate and will record this in the personal plan.

Accessible engagement may include:

• easy-read information;
• large print;
• translated information;
• interpretation services;
• British Sign Language support;
• braille or audio information;
• pictorial information, photographs or objects of reference;
• communication passports;
• assistive technology;
• additional time for discussion;
• involvement of an advocate or trusted representative.

Staff must not rely solely on written surveys or standard meetings where these are not meaningful to the person. Where a person has dementia, learning disability, sensory impairment, mental health needs, acquired brain injury or fluctuating capacity, staff will adapt engagement to support the person to participate as fully as possible.

6.3 When Views Differ

There may be occasions when the views of the person, family members, carers, representatives or professionals differ. In these situations, staff will:

• listen respectfully to all views;
• identify and record the person’s own wishes and feelings;
• check whether any person has legal authority to make or contribute to the decision;
• consider whether the person has capacity to make the specific decision at the relevant time;
• seek advocacy or specialist advice where required;
• consider risks, benefits and the least restrictive option;
• escalate complex or unresolved disagreements to the manager;
• record the decision-making process and rationale.

The person receiving care and support will remain central to decision-making. Family or carer views will not automatically override the person’s own wishes.

6.4 Engagement Where Capacity May Be Reduced or Fluctuating

Staff must presume that a person has capacity unless there is evidence to the contrary. Where there are concerns about a person’s capacity to make a specific decision, staff will support the person to understand, retain, use and communicate information as far as possible.

Where a person lacks capacity for a specific decision, staff will follow the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 principles. Any action or decision must benefit the person, take account of the person’s present and past wishes, consult relevant others, restrict the person’s freedom as little as possible, and encourage the person to use existing skills and develop new skills where possible.

Staff will record how the person was supported to participate, who was consulted, what decision was made, and why the decision was considered necessary and proportionate.

7. Monitoring, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement

Engagement will be monitored to ensure that it is meaningful, accessible and leads to improvement. {{org_field_name}} will use the Care Inspectorate quality framework for support services, including care at home and supported living, to support self-evaluation and improvement.

Monitoring will include:

• quarterly review of engagement activities and participation levels;
• audit of personal plans to confirm that people’s wishes, outcomes, communication needs, consent and agreed family/carer involvement are recorded;
• review of complaints, concerns, compliments and feedback themes;
• review of missed visits, late visits, changes of care worker and continuity concerns where these affect engagement or outcomes;
• review of whether people and families receive feedback on actions taken;
• review of whether advocacy and communication support are offered where needed;
• review of whether feedback identifies staffing, training, leadership or quality concerns;
• action plans with named leads, timescales and follow-up checks;
• sharing learning with staff through supervision, team meetings and training;
• sharing appropriate “you said, we did” updates with people supported, families and carers.

Where feedback identifies risks to people’s health, welfare, safety, rights or outcomes, the manager will take prompt action and follow the relevant incident, safeguarding, notification, duty of candour or adult support and protection procedure.

8. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

• Complaints and Feedback Policy
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy
• Person-Centred Care Planning Policy
• Communication and Accessibility Policy
• Adult Support and Protection Policy
• Safeguarding Policy
• Consent and Capacity Policy
• Confidentiality and Data Protection Policy
• Duty of Candour Policy
• Advocacy Policy
• Personal Plans and Reviews Policy
• Risk Assessment and Risk Enablement Policy
• Medication Policy
• Staff Supervision and Training Policy
• Safe Staffing Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Records Management Policy
• Incident Reporting and Notifications Policy

9. Records and Evidence of Engagement

Staff must keep clear, accurate and up-to-date records of engagement with people supported, families, carers, representatives, advocates and professionals. Records must be respectful, factual and relevant.

Engagement records should include:

• the date and method of engagement;
• who was involved;
• the person’s views, wishes and outcomes;
• any family, carer, representative or advocate views;
• consent to share information, where relevant;
• any disagreement or difference in views;
• actions agreed, responsible persons and timescales;
• changes made to the personal plan;
• any safeguarding, complaint, risk or follow-up action required.

Records will be stored securely and processed in line with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the organisation’s Records Management Policy.

10. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner where there are changes in legislation, Care Inspectorate guidance, SSSC Codes of Practice, Health and Social Care Standards, adult protection guidance, data protection requirements, organisational learning, complaints themes, inspection findings or significant changes to service delivery. Any amendments will be communicated to staff, people supported and relevant stakeholders in an accessible format.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}}{{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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