Meeting Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton

With social care facing significant challenges and opportunities in Scotland, Community Integrated Care met with Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, to discuss the sector’s future and the changes needed to ensure people can access high-quality support.

The meeting took place on Wednesday 12th August at Alex’s constituency office in Corstorphine, Edinburgh, and was attended by Sara Murphy, Managing Director for our charity in Scotland, and Ben Lehan-Powick, our Head of Policy & Public Affairs.

As one of Scotland’s largest social care charities, the discussion focused on the importance of sustainable funding that reflects the full cost of delivering support, and the wider challenges facing the sector, including delayed discharge, strengthening the social care workforce, supporting unpaid carers, and improving mental health support. We highlighted the need to ensure people with learning disabilities and autistic people remain visible within national conversations about social care reform and investment, sharing insight from our services across Scotland on the difference that high-quality, person-centred support can make to people’s lives.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss how Alex Cole-Hamilton and his parliamentary team can continue to champion social care issues in the new Scottish Parliament, ensuring the voices of people who draw on support, alongside the social care workforce, are reflected in future policy and funding decisions.

Reflecting on the meeting, Sara Murphy, Managing Director, said: “It was a valuable opportunity to speak directly with Alex Cole-Hamilton about the realities of delivering social care in Scotland today, and how we can make sure people with learning disabilities and autistic people stay part of the national conversation on social care reform. I’m grateful to Alex for his time, and hopeful that this is the start of an ongoing conversation as the new Scottish Parliament shapes future policy and funding decisions on social care.”

Community Integrated Care continues to build relationships across the political spectrum in Scotland, engaging directly with parties and policymakers to ensure frontline insight helps shape social care, learning disability and autism priorities in the new Parliament.