SDSS Launches National Survey on Changes to Direct Payments 

Self Directed Support Scotland (SDSS) has launched a new national survey to gather the experiences of staff working in Independent Support Organisations (ISOs), wider charities, and community organisations on how changes to Direct Payment (Option 1) packages are being implemented across Scotland. 

The research aims to fill a significant evidence gap. While recent reports have focused on lived experience and social work perspectives, there is currently no national dataset capturing the insight of ISO staff and frontline workers. We hope this research will help build a clearer national picture of how Direct Payment changes are affecting individuals, organisations, and staff supporting people day to day. 

We would like to also invite organisations that do not directly provide SDS support but work closely with disabled people, unpaid carers, or other relevant communities. These organisations may be well placed to help identify situations in which people do not access social care at all—an issue emerging in early findings and an area SDSS hopes to understand more fully. 

Completing the Survey 

Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/WNnKs546qa 
Optional follow-up form: https://forms.office.com/e/GwMWn6cD7C 
Closing date: Sunday 15 March 2026 

The anonymous staff survey takes approximately 10–20 minutes to complete and is open until Sunday 15 March 2026. We encourage multiple responses from each organisation to ensure representation across roles and local areas.  

After completing the survey, participants are invited to complete an optional follow–up form, which allows organisations to share relevant reports or monitoring data, express interest in interviews or focus groups, or support the recruitment of people with lived experience. The follow-up form, which only takes a few minutes to fill in, collects contact details separately and cannot be linked to survey responses. 

What will happen with collated data? 

The research is intended to support national policy discussions ahead of the Scottish elections and contribute to wider recommendations around strengthening SDS delivery, ensuring people can access flexible and adequate support, and understanding how changes are being applied in practice.  

The findings from the survey will also inform discussions at the SDS National Voice Conference 2026, on the 18th of March, where early results will be shared with sector stakeholders., where early results will be shared with sector stakeholders., where early results will be shared with sector stakeholders. 

Support the Research 

We are encouraging all relevant organisations—across frontline support, management, internal services, charities, and community groups—to circulate the survey widely among their teams. 

https://forms.office.com/e/WNnKs546qa
https://forms.office.com/e/GwMWn6cD7C