Founded in Aberdeen in 1940, the Camphill movement pioneered a holistic approach to care – one where individuals with learning disabilities and complex needs are not just supported but given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to community life. Through shared living, therapeutic workshops, social enterprises, and cultural festivals, Camphill offers individuals purpose, dignity, and a genuine sense of home.
For many Camphill communities, international volunteers and long-term co-workers play a vital role in sustaining this model, bringing energy, skills, and a system of shared contribution that enhances community living. This integrated approach has long been recognised for preventing long-term health costs associated with social isolation, inactivity, and institutionalised care. As one Camphill community manager states, “A healthy population is a cheap one”. A piece of research carried out by a Yorkshire-based doctor, Dr Marcus van Dam, who serves Botton and the Esk Valley Camphill Community, highlights links between workshop participation and lower rates of obesity, mental health illnesses, as well as a reduced reliance on psychotropic medications. (Citizen Network)
Today the Camphill model, and broader social care across Scotland, faces unprecedented pressure due to funding cuts and other factors that have come in to play. As The Herald reported, Scotland’s social care sector is “apocalyptic” in outlook, with warnings of total collapse as the demand for services rise, while the budgets allocated fall. (The Herald newspaper 17.08.25). For Camphill communities across Scotland, pressures are being felt daily, undermining a model that has supported public health for generations.
The Covid 19 pandemic marked the beginning of a sustained period of cuts to social care budgets, which have only deepened since and with payments from local authorities reduced, and often delayed, organisations like Camphill are left to plug the gaps. Rising costs of living, higher national insurance contributions, and inflationary increases on food, fuel, and utilities have stretched already tight budgets.
Scotland’s social care sector is facing a staffing emergency. Nearly 48% of registered care services reported vacancies in 2023 (Care Inspectorate, Social Care Vacancies in Scotland 2023), with some local authorities reporting shortages above 50%. More than 63% of providers said posts were difficult to fill due to a lack of qualified applicants (Scottish Social Services Council, Workforce Data Report 2023). Staff turnover now averages 25%, with almost a quarter of social care staff leaving within the first three months of employment (The Herald newspaper 17.08.25).
These statistics highlight the worrying fact that there are just not enough qualified carers to meet the growing demand and Brexit has worsened this crisis dramatically. Volunteers from abroad, once an essential part of Camphill’s workforce, can now only stay in the UK for one year due to visa restrictions. Securing visas is costly, and non-British volunteers face an additional NHS surcharge, creating a further barrier for international volunteers. Camphill communities across Scotland report that the sudden loss of long-term volunteers has forced them to rely on expensive short-term recruitment, undermining the sustainable co-worker model Camphill has championed for decades.
Several of the communities have now shifted to an employment-based model, however, one Camphill community reported that the level of funding that they receive from the local authorities does not cover the cost of paying the Scottish Living Wage, so they have had to subsidise wages from their reserves in order to meet this. Relying on financial reserves to pay staff just isn’t sustainable. Reserves are intended as a safeguard against unforeseeable events, emergencies, or infrastructure development to enhance care, rather than a long-term funding source for staff. If reserves are depleted, communities may be forced to reduce staff and therefore, the services that they can offer.
Meanwhile, the demand for Camphill’s services continues to grow, particularly as the NHS itself relies on them to provide holistic, long-term support that it struggles to sustain. To take one example, Camphill School Aberdeen, has experienced a 250% increase in placement enquiries since 2020 (Camphill School Aberdeen). This increase reflects a broader national crisis and a growing number of young people with learning disabilities and support needs are being placed in hospital units or sent far from home due to a lack of suitable residential care options.
Another hurdle for Camphill and the wider care sector is that regulatory scrutiny is increasing, but without adequate funding to train and retain staff, organisations find themselves caught between compliance demands and budget realities. These structural pressures make community-led, preventative models like Camphill’s, not just valuable, but essential in the care sector. But without adequate funding, the risk is clear – communities will be forced to reduce or close services, individuals and families who rely on these services will lose vital support, and the NHS will be under even greater strain.
A recurring feeling from throughout the Camphill communities is that local authorities know that they will not abandon the people they support, leaving the organisations to absorb the financial cuts. There is a widespread fear that without urgent change, the very essence of the Camphill model is at risk of being lost. There are concerns about losing skilled staff to better-paid NHS roles and worries that day services will be forced to close where innovation and enrichment are sacrificed for the bare minimum of provision.
Across the whole care sector in Scotland, the ongoing disorganisation and inadequate funding are having significant knock-on effects. Care providers are forced to contend with delayed and inconsistent payments, leaving them with day-to-day shortfalls for operations as well as the inability to plan effectively or invest in long-term provision. Chronic underfunding results in posts that cannot be filled, high staff turnover, and an increasing reliance on costly agency workers to cover essential roles. The escalating compliance and regulatory requirements take up valuable time and resources, diverting attention away from direct care. The combined effect is a sector that is completely overstretched, financially fragile, and operating in a constant ‘fire-fighting’ mode. Families experience instability in the services they depend upon, while dedicated staff face burnout from heavy workloads and uncertainty about the future. It is therefore imperative that the Government looks at this care sector emergency as a priority and provides funding that reflects the true cost of care and implements a coherent, sustainable strategy that enables care providers to deliver consistent, high-quality support without being driven to the point of collapse.
It is clear that the challenges facing Camphill are not isolated; they reflect the fragility of Scotland’s care system as a whole, but the communities continue to respond with creativity and compassion and remain resilient, adaptive, and deeply committed to their values.
- Bursary schemes are being explored and created to ensure individuals can continue to attend workshops, even if they cannot self-fund;
- Fundraising campaigns have raised significant sums for capital projects and day services, with strong support from families and local networks, for example, Camphill School Aberdeen’s “Building Futures, Transforming Lives” campaign, has set a target of raising £10 million in ten years to expand its capacity by 60%. The first phase included constructing an 11-bedroom residential home which was completed in April this year and Murtle Market, a sustainable social enterprise offering work experience and skills development for young people. Corbenic Camphill Community in Dunkeld has had a very successful fundraising campaign for capital costs and has raised almost £800,000 from external funders over the past 3 years;
- Individualised fee-setting models using a points-based system have been introduced, whereby fee levels are now reviewed annually as part of the individual review processes to ensure changing support needs are monitored and funded appropriately;
- Work is being undertaken to increase community engagement to help strengthen the Camphill identity and generate support;
- Social enterprises, such as bakeries, shops and cafés, are being developed, not only to generate income but to teach and maintain skills, give purpose, and to further engage with the wider community.
What is needed now is partnership – recognition by the Government that social care deserves the same respect and pay parity as the NHS; investment in the recruitment, training, and retention of care workers; funding models that reflect the real costs of holistic provision accounting for the full scope of their services; and policies that support, not hinder, the contribution of co-workers and international volunteers.
And now more than ever, public support is needed so that our communities can continue to provide not only care, but dignity, purpose, and security. With the right support workshops and services can be kept open, new incentives such as bursary schemes can be implemented, the right level of staffing can be retained, and we can ensure that Camphill can continue to thrive offering inclusive, person-centred support that transforms lives for generations to come.
The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland supports a diversity of projects in the social care sector which enhance and enrich the lives of vulnerable people with learning disabilities and extra support needs. This support is only possible due to the regular donations and legacies we receive. By donating or leaving a gift in your will, you are helping us to help Camphill communities in this difficult time to develop and adapt to the changing needs of the people they support, which will impact the lives of many for years to come.
Please click the links to see some of the inspiring projects we have supported or to find out more about how you can help us support Camphill communities.
www.camphillfoundation.com/projects
www.camphillfoundation.com/donate
This article was compiled following conversations with Camphill communities across Scotland. Thank you for your contributions.
