In December 2003, the Which? Consumer group submitted an informal super-complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on the UK Care Home Sector, focusing on care home fees, clarity of contracts and state of information channels. The OFT undertook a market study and published a report - Care Homes for Older People in the UK - in May 2005 (OFT 780) available in the publications section of the Office of Fair Trading web site. The OFT research highlighted the need for ready access to clear and relevant information to help people make decisions about the right care for them at a particularly difficult and stressful time in their lives. The OFT discovered that information was often difficult to access and there were information gaps and a lack of clarity and recommended that:
The government should establish a central information source or "One Stop Shop" for people to get information about care for older people. This could, for example, be an internet site supplemented by a telephone helpline or a One Stop Shop with information about care for older people.
The then Scottish Executive accepted the recommendation and agreed to work with existing providers to develop a central information source.
In December 2006 the then Scottish Executive commissioned Sopra Newell and Budge to undertake a feasibility study. The feasibility study confirmed what the OFT report had highlighted - that there was still a maze of information sources on community care services for older people which often addressed only part of the required information. The feasibility study went on to map out the high level requirements for the service and a range of delivery options. The Steering Group concluded that the best option was for the Scottish Government to commission a telephone helpline and website service providing national and local information on community care for older people.
A detailed requirement specification was drawn up in collaboration with stakeholders and endorsed by the Steering Group, and following a thorough evaluation of the procurement options a provider was selected and started work on developing the service in July 2008.