There are some dodgy so-called research and ‘thinktanks’ out there feeding the media, especially BBC Scotland with unreliable findings to undermine the Scottish Government, the SNP or the wider case for independence.

You know who they are, tied to Cons or Labour or the oil, gas, alcohol and tobacco manufacturers – the Adam Smith Institute, the Centre for Policy Studies and of course the unions such as the BMA or the RCN, the Fabian Society, the NEF, the IFS, These Islands and Reform Scotland

But, there are some you can trust, agenda-free, fair, evidence-based – the Nuffield Trust, the JRF and Open Democracy.

From the Nuffield Trust on 16 February 2023:

All four UK countries are struggling with workforce pressures and it’s clear that none have successfully tackled the issue. But it is striking that the Migration Advisory Committee has singled out England for its inaction, warning that “the conditions now faced by the social care sector are unsustainable”. In contrast, the committee has commended Scottish and Welsh governments for their “clear action” to address pay and professional status of staff working in social care.

Workforce regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have driven a number of improvements in the terms and conditions for social care staff, with Scotland and Wales taking steps to address poor pay by increasing minimum hourly wages for people working in the sector.

Having a mandatory register for care workers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has improved data and knowledge of the sector – an important resource at the height the pandemic that was used to help identify staff in Wales in need of infection control training. There is also early evidence that registration may improve standards and contribute to giving staff a sense of professional belonging.

https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/addressing-social-care-workforce-challenges-what-can-england-learn-from-wales-scotland-and-northern-ireland