Prioritising Partnership: SDSS Mid-Year Stakeholder Event 2026

Prioritising Partnership: SDSS Mid-Year Stakeholder Event 2026 

Join us on Thursday 8 October to explore this year's Mid-Year Stakeholder Event theme of 'Prioritising Partnership'. We know that effective partnership working can be transformative for disabled people and unpaid carers accessing Self-directed Support (SDS). This event will explore what it means in practice to collaborate on the key issues impacting SDS delivery. 

This online event is aimed at people working in, or with an interest in, SDS from across the sector, and attracts people from Disabled People’s Organisations, Independent Support Organisations, Local Authorities, support providers, Scottish Government, and the third sector. The presentations, discussion, workshops and networking opportunities available will build on existing collaborations and hopefully generate new avenues for partnership. 

Join us at 11.30am for a series of presentations and workshops covering the latest developments in Self-Directed Support.

Speakers on the day will include:

• Donald Macleod, Chief Executive of Self Directed Support Scotland, sharing key achievments and insights from the past year

• Matt Crilly, Policy Manager from COSLA, reflecting on the recent Self Directed Support Leadership Summit

• Cheryl Taylor, Self Directed Support Lead, from West Dunbartonshire Council's Health and Social Care Partnership, sharing her insights into partnership working and the power of collective leadership
  

Online attendees can select their preference of which of three workshop options they'd like to attend, including:

• How do we know our SDS support works?

Co-producing an online self-evaluation tool to help Independent Support Organisations improve and demonstrate the impact of their SDS-related support.

• Harnessing data to recruit more Personal Assistants

Creating a unified strategy for gathering, understanding and using PA recruitment data 

• Artificial intelligence: practical solutions for support organisations

Explore the risks and rewards of a rapidly evolving technology with practical guidance to minimise risk with its use and keep human relationships at the heart of our work. Participants will be invited to see how Clara, the AI SDS assistance agent, really works, along with other tools and policy surrounding their implementation.

Tickets are free - to secure your space please book now.