Self Directed Support Scotland

What Self Directed Support Scotland does

Self Directed Support Scotland (SDSS) is a national membership organisation and Disabled People's Organisation, registered as a Scottish charity (SC039587) and company limited by guarantee (SC371469), headquartered in Edinburgh. It links national policy with local experience to improve the implementation of Self-directed Support (SDS) under the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013. SDSS serves 93 member organisations spanning Disabled People's Organisations, Independent SDS Support Organisations, Carers' Centres, advocacy services, peer support groups and other third-sector bodies, and indirectly serves disabled people who use SDS, Personal Assistant (PA) employers, Personal Assistants themselves, and social work professionals across Scotland.

SDSS's product surface includes online self-serve tools (Find Help search, Training Locator, PA Employer DocLaunch), free e-learning modules on the Learning Hub, the SDS Handbook and PA handbooks, original research (three cycles of the PA Workforce Survey, Connected Conversations, the 2026 Direct Payments report), the annual SDS National Voice conference, the SDS Forum online community, and a piloted AI-assisted web chat for 24/7 information and signposting. Its technology stack is built on third-party SaaS: Salesforce for contact and data management, Campaign Monitor for email, Hootsuite for social, Eventbrite for events, Xero/Co-operative Bank for finance, and Form Titan for site search — no proprietary platform, no public API, and no in-house AI model.

The business model is grant-and-membership: core funding comes from the Scottish Government, supplemented by tiered membership fees (£23-£175 per member per year based on member organisation income), SQA-recognised training delivery (Community Brokerage Award), event income, and project-specific grants. A 6-person staff team executes operations across policy influence, research, training, member services, and digital product. SDSS is a founder member and convener of the Personal Assistant Programme Board (established 2021), co-develops SDS Standards with Social Work Scotland, and partners with the Scottish Government and COSLA through the National SDS Collaboration to deliver the SDS Improvement Plan.

Name

Self Directed Support Scotland

Legal name

Self Directed Support Scotland

Website

https://sdsscotland.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Self Directed Support Scotland is a national Scottish membership organisation and Disabled People's Organisation that links government policy with local experience to improve Self-directed Support implementation, serving 93 member organisations, disabled people, PA employers, and Personal Assistants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Social care policy
• Self-directed support
• Personal assistant training
• Disabled peoples organisations

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from member organisations based on income level tiers, ranging from £23 to £175 per year
2. Government funding: Core funding from the Scottish Government to support the organization's mission of improving SDS implementation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Self Directed Support Scotland is a membership organisation and Disabled People's Organisation that links national policy and local experience to improve the implementation of Self-directed Support (SDS) in Scotland. It provides tiered membership services to 93 member organisations, runs Scotland's only national SDS conference (SDS National Voice), convenes the Personal Assistant Programme Board, delivers practical online tools (Find Help, Training Locator, PA Employer DocLaunch Tool, Learning Hub e-learning, AI-assisted enquiry chat), and conducts research such as the annual PA Workforce Survey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SDSS Membership Annual membership providing access to SDSS's collective policy voice, training, resources and networking for Scottish third-sector organisations supporting Self-directed Support. Tiered annual fees range from £23 to £175 based on organisational income.
• Find Help Search Tool Online self-service search tool that helps people find independent Self-directed Support organisations in their area across Scotland.
• Training Locator Online directory of local training providers for PA Employers and their Personal Assistants, listing only organisations that meet verified training standards.
• PA Employer DocLaunch Tool Self-service online tool that enables PA Employers to generate commonly used employment documents including role descriptions, draft contracts, learning plans and teaching plans.
• Learning Hub E-Learning Modules Free e-learning modules hosted on the Learning Hub platform covering topics such as Understanding the Value of a Personal Assistant and Healthy Working Relationships, designed for Personal Assistants and their employers.
• AI-Assisted Web Chat and Telephone Enquiry Service AI-powered text-based enquiry service that processes user questions about Self-directed Support and generates signposting responses based on SDSS-approved knowledge sources, with human oversight.
• PA Recruitment Toolkit Toolkit supporting PA Employers and supporting organisations with recruiting Personal Assistants, developed under the Personal Assistant Programme Board.
• Community Brokerage Award (SQA-Accredited Training) SQA-recognised training programme delivered by SDSS as an approved SQA Centre, with student results verified and recorded through SQA systems; graduates supported by the Approved Brokers Community of Practice.
• SDS National Voice Annual Conference Scotland's only national conference dedicated to Self-directed Support, held annually and bringing together leaders, practitioners, decision-makers and people with lived experience.
• PA Workforce Survey Annual research survey of Personal Assistants in Scotland capturing data on pay, recruitment, wellbeing and job satisfaction, with a publicly published report (third edition in 2025).
• Personal Assistant National Training Framework National framework published by SDSS providing a blueprint for improving access to training for PA Employers and Personal Assistants.
• Personal Assistant Programme Board Multi-stakeholder programme board convened by SDSS bringing together PAs, employers, the Scottish Government and stakeholders to drive systemic improvements for the Personal Assistant workforce in Scotland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93 member organisations across Scotland
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Personal Assistant Programme BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SDSS is a founder member of the PA Programme Board, set up in 2021, which brings together PAs, employers, Scottish Government and stakeholders to improve recognition and support for Personal Assistants in Scotland. SDSS convenes meetings, chairs subgroups, leads on key actions, and produces quarterly newsletter.
• Disability Rights UKminorOthersProud member organisation - Disability Rights UK is a charity working to disable people achieve rights and inclusion in society through campaigning, information and advocacy.
• Human Rights Consortium ScotlandminorOthersProud member organisation - HRCS brings together disabled people, their representative organisations, and allies to promote and protect the human rights of disabled people in Scotland.
• Inclusion ScotlandminorOthersProud member organisation - A strategic partner consortium of Disabled People's Organisations working to achieve equality for disabled people in Scotland.
• European Network on Independent Living (ENIL)minorOthersProud member organisation - ENIL is a European network of disabled people representing those living independently in the community.
• My Job ScotlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to host a dedicated national page for Personal Assistant vacancies, developed as part of the PA Programme Board work. First national space for employers to advertise PA roles and for PAs to find local roles.
• Learning HubcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform hosting free e-learning modules for PAs and their employers, including Understanding the Value of a Personal Assistant and Healthy Working Relationships modules developed by SDSS.
• Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA)minorOthersSDSS is a recognised SQA Centre delivering the Community Brokerage Award, with student results verified and recorded through SQA systems.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationCustom Salesforce database used to manage and contain personal data, including subscription preferences and data retention management.
• Campaign MonitorcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party provider used to deliver monthly e-newsletters and member bulletins, gathering statistics around email opening and clicks.
• HootsuitecoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party provider used to manage social media interactions on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Navigator Employment LawminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHR services provider for SDSS to resolve HR issues arising from employment or the employment process.
• IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Birmingham research centre that conducted wellbeing research on Personal Assistants in Scotland as part of the PA Programme Board work.
• Approved Brokers Community of Practice (ABC of P)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity of practice for successful Community Brokerage Award students, with SDSS sharing course results and engagement data to support their professional development.
• National SDS CollaborationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting realisation of the SDS Improvement Plan in partnership with Scottish Government and COSLA, aligning grassroots insights from 'Connected Conversations' project with policy development.
• Social Work ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in developing and publishing the Self-Directed Support Framework of Standards, promoting consistent high-quality practice across Scotland.
• COSLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through National SDS Collaboration supporting SDS Improvement Plan alongside Scottish Government.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Direct peers

• Enable Scotland: A leading Scottish charity for people with learning disabilities, providing support, campaigning, and member services. Enable operates across overlapping Scottish geographies and constituencies with SDSS, including SDS-related work.
• Independent Living Fund Scotland: ILF Scotland administers discretionary payments to disabled people to support independent living. Like SDSS, it is a national Scottish body embedded in the SDS ecosystem, serving overlapping disabled-people constituencies with direct-payment-related support.
• Disability Rights UK: A UK-wide charity campaigning for rights and inclusion of disabled people. SDSS is a member of Disability Rights UK, and the two share an advocacy and rights-based mission for disabled people, including around social care and independent living.
• Inclusion Scotland: A strategic consortium of Disabled People's Organisations working for equality for disabled people in Scotland. Inclusion Scotland is a member of SDSS and operates as a sibling DPO in policy and advocacy across overlapping Scottish constituencies.
• Scottish Care: The membership body for independent social care providers in Scotland. Scottish Care convenes providers in social care delivery, paralleling SDSS's convening role for Disabled People's Organisations and Independent Support Organisations across the SDS landscape.
• People First (Scotland): A Scottish DPO led by and for people with learning difficulties. It is a member of SDSS and operates in the same grassroots-to-policy advocacy space for disabled people in Scotland.
• ARC Scotland: Association for Real Change Scotland, supporting people with learning disabilities and other support needs. ARC Scotland works across Scottish social care and disability policy spaces with significant overlap to SDSS's membership and policy work.
• Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities: A UK charity focused on people with learning disabilities, their families, and the services that support them. It is comparable to SDSS in its focus on independent living, workforce, and policy influence for disabled people, though operating across the UK rather than only Scotland.

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): Scotland's national membership body for the third sector. SCVO sits one layer above SDSS in terms of sector scope, but is comparable as a Scottish nonprofit membership organisation offering convening, training, and policy support to member charities.
• Sense: A large UK-wide disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities, including deafblindness. Sense operates a much broader portfolio than SDSS but serves overlapping disabled-people constituencies and engages in UK-level social care policy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SDSScot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Self Directed Support Scotland