People’s rights to have meaningful connection

Connecting with others is a fundamental right and essential to everyone’s health and wellbeing. Every adult and older person living in a care home has the right to connect with family, friends and community. They have the right to have visits and to go out if they wish. Care homes should support this and should not put barriers or restrictions in place. 

Scotland’s Health and Social Care Standards set out what people should expect when using health, care or social work services. In 2022, two new Standards were introduced that cover the right to visit even when there is an outbreak of infectious disease. We have published guidance for care homes on how they must implement the two new Standards. 

Legislation is being developed by Scottish Government that will enshrine visiting rights in law. For now, this is known as Anne’s Law. 

We have produced a poster which informs people about their rights. 

What we expect care homes to do

The Care Inspectorate’s job is to make sure services are delivering good-quality care and support that respects people’s rights, needs and wishes. That includes making sure care homes for adults and older people fully support visiting and connection. 

People living in care homes must be supported to stay connected to loved ones and take part in their community if they wish. We advise care homes on good practice that supports people to stay connected with their loved ones and take part in their community. Where this support is not happening, we can use our powers to ensure that it does. 

If you are interested more generally in what we expect care homes to deliver, our quality framework for care homes for adults and older people guides care home providers on what we look at when we inspect and the quality we expect from them. 

How visiting and going out should routinely work 

We expect people who live in care homes to be able to see their visitors at any time and without restriction. This includes outings from the home. 

Care homes should not operate booking systems or restrict when people can visit or go out. You should not have to give notice, and visits and outings should not have a time limit.  

Good hand hygiene should always be followed, and you should never visit a care home if you are potentially infectious with any illness. 

What if there is an outbreak of infectious disease?

People living in care homes can still have visitors during an outbreak, but certain things might work differently. 

During an outbreak, any temporary changes to visiting arrangements should be made by the care home in consultation with the local health protection team and in line with current guidance. Any restrictions on visits or outings must be proportionate and must be in place for the shortest possible period of time. The care home should make sure that information about any temporary restrictions, along with the expected duration of restrictions, is clearly communicated to all the relevant people. 

Technology and meaningful contact

People in Scotland who experience care are increasingly relying on digital connectivity and technology to support their wellbeing and daily activities, however, we recognise this may not meet needs for everyone.  We have published a practice guide for care services on how technology and digital devices can be used to make a positive impact on health and wellbeing for people experiencing care.    

What to do if you are unhappy

If you feel your care home is not supporting visiting and connection in the right way, or have other concerns about standards of care, you can raise it in the first instance with the care home manager. This is often the quickest way to resolve a problem. 

However, if you remain concerned, you can tell us, and we will ensure concerns are addressed properly and in good time. Visit our complaints page to find out more. 

Where else can I get information, advice and support?