What steps it is taking to ensure the long-term viability of the social care sector, beyond increasing the minimum wage for adult social ca…

The statutory responsibility for delivering, commissioning and providing appropriate social care services at a local level lies with local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships taking account of local population needs. However the Scottish Government understands the growing concerns about the challenges around the availability of social care services, particularly in rural areas, and is committed to developing a sustainable health and social care system that ensures people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place.That is why the 2025-26 budget includes over £15 billion for the Local Government Settlement and almost £2.2 billion for social care and integration – exceeding our commitment to increase funding by 25% by almost £350 million. At £21.7 billion, the overall financial envelope for Health and Social Care also reached record levels.Furthermore in the Programme for Government 2025 to 2026, we have committed to ensuring that social care workers, who are delivering direct care in commissioned services, continue to be paid at least the Real Living Wage.We do however recognise the considerable current financial pressures facing the care home and wider social care sectors. These pressures have been significantly compounded by decisions taken by the UK Government, such as the increase in employers National Insurance contributions (eNICs) and changes to the social care visa system and salary threshold levels.The Scottish Government and COSLA continue to press the UK Government to fund the impacts of these changes on Scottish public services in full; this includes the vital services provided on behalf of local authorities by social care providers in the private and third sectors.The Scottish Government is undertaking a programme of work to understand and respond to these pressures facing the sector. This includes a new social care Financial Viability Response Group, which has met weekly since February 2025 and comprises sector representatives such as Scottish Care, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS), Care Inspectorate and local leaders.As well as this I, alongside the COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson, jointly host a monthly roundtable meeting with sector partners to consider the potential impacts of the eNICs and financial viability pressures on the social care sector.That work is ongoing, but the Scottish Government is committed to working closely with partners to continue to identify the pro-active steps that can be taken to mitigate these impacts, protect services and support the people in receipt of care.