The Department recognised that Social Security Scotland is changing how it operates compared to the Department. For example, Social Security Scotland has brought the functional health assessments process in-house, something the Department says would be challenging to successfully do nationally.38 The Department told us that it reviewed its delivery options regularly using the Cabinet Office’s delivery model assessment tool, which helped it work through its delivery options in a structured way. It explained that the assessment has concluded “that the risks were too great for [the Department] to try to do this in-house and to manage this alongside everything else”. However, the Department recognised that there were valuable opportunities to learn, should Social Security Scotland’s in-housing of assessments prove successful.39 33 C&AG’s Report, para 3.7–3.8, Figure 15 34 Q 31; C&AG’s Report, para 3.8 35 Qq 3, 27; C&AG’s Report, para 18; Cabinet Office, The Sourcing Playbook, June 2023, page 15, para 4 36 C&AG’s Report, para 1.11 37 Qq 3, 36 38 Qq 27, 36–37, 43 39 Qq 36–37 Revising health assessments for disability benefits 15 2 Improving trust and transparency Working with stakeholders and publicising the Programme