Social Work Scotland response to Scottish Government Debt Recovery (Mental Health Moratorium) (Scotland) Regulations – draft: consultation
11 March 2025
INTRODUCTION
Social Work Scotland is the professional body for social work leaders, working closely with our partners to shape policy and practice, and improve the quality and experience of social services. This document contains details about the Debt Recovery (Mental Health Moratorium) (Scotland) Regulations (draft) consultation and the response from Social Work Scotland members to the questions posed.
SUMMARY
Social Work Scotland and our members are generally in agreement with the scope and purpose of the draft regulations. We have provided a viewpoint for all 20 questions and provided additional comments where appropriate. The proposals are proportionate and appear to align with options that would be described as least restrictive. We would like to have more clarity around the specific role of the Mental Health Officer (MHO) to understand how this might impact on workloads in an environment which is experiencing increasing reductions in resourcing. We highlight the need to consider the family structure in any actions, particularly engaging with the Scottish Governments commitment to end child poverty and ensure that any actions which impact on housing need to seek the views of the child/children as per UNCRC Incorporation (Scotland) Act 2024.
