Independent Evaluation of Scotland's Dementia Post-Diagnostic Support

The Scottish Government (SG), on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, wishes to commission an independent evaluation which will contribute to ambitions of the New dementia strategy for Scotland: Everyone's Story and the accompanying first two-year Delivery Plan (2024-2026). One of the key policy aims in Scotland’s new dementia strategy is improving on the uptake and delivery of post diagnostic support (PDS), which has been Scotland’s flagship policy in dementia for over 10 years.

The findings from the evaluation will support decision making regarding the future direction of national PDS policy and/or the modification and widening out of existing PDS service models. It will also enable us to evidence the efficacy and potential for improvements to access, uptake and quality.

The Scottish Government (SG), on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, wishes to commission an independent evaluation which will contribute to ambitions of the New dementia strategy for Scotland One of the key policy aims in Scotland’s new dementia strategy is improving on the uptake and delivery of post diagnostic support (PDS), which has been Scotland’s flagship policy in dementia for over 10 years. Recognising the importance of getting it right for people following diagnosis, the following was set as a Local Delivery Plan (LDP) standard by Scottish Government and health boards: “People newly diagnosed with dementia will be offered a minimum of one year's post-diagnostic support, coordinated by a named link worker.” Our ambition, set out in the new Dementia Strategy, is to ensure everyone who receives a diagnosis of dementia has equitable access to PDS, irrespective of where they live, how old they are, and what stage their dementia has progressed to.

This support should also be person-centred, trauma-informed and responds to people’s needs and preferences. The first 2-year Delivery Plan commits to an independent evaluation of Scotland’s Post Diagnostic Support policy and delivery, including the perspective of people living with dementia and care partners/unpaid carers and those living in care homes.

The evaluation will provide evidence of the value and impact of Post-Diagnostic Support to date, helping inform future PDS policy, service planning and practice. The evaluation aims are to: - Provide a comprehensive assessment of the current provision of PDS in relation to the expected outcomes set out in the Dementia Strategy. - Understand the variation in service delivery models and experiences of PDS, to provide insights into PDS delivery and impact. - Identify areas of learning and improvement to support progress towards the Dementia Strategy PDS outcomes, and inform decision making on policy and service delivery.