202312 - Scotland Advisory Group Minutes - December 2023 (Easy Read)

Read the document

Published: July 4, 2024

Independent Living Fund Scotland

Scottish Recipient Advisory Group Meeting Minutes

21 December 2023

Grey faces of people with a question mark in the middle. Represents who was in attendance

Who was at this meeting?

Jim Elder-Woodward
Chloe McKee
Gordon Mckee
Christine Mercer
Justina Oguguo
Martha Shortreed

In Attendance
Finbarr Fitzpatrick
Anne-Marie Monghan

ILF Scotland Staff
Peter Scott
Lee House
Linda Scott
Harvey Tilley - joined at 2.40pm and left at 2.52pm
Emma O'Neill

Grey faces of people with a question mark in the middle. A red line goes through the whole image. Represents who wasn't in attendance

Who could not come to the meeting?

Joan Turner
Catherine Symington

Actions

Envelope with email written on it on a screen of a laptop

1. Invite Maree Todd to the next Advisory Group Meeting

A pile of money and a person's hand pressing the buttons on a calculator.

2. Contingency funds to be added to the next agenda.

A contingency fund is money that is put aside to cover unexpected costs.

1. Welcome and Introductions

A woman in a nurses outfit shakes hands with a man.

Jim Elder-Woodward welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Everyone agreed to Lee recording the meeting.

2. Minutes from previous meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

Lee will give them to the communications team so they can put them on the website.

Actions from previous meeting

1. Linda and Peter will discuss and provide some clarity on the circumstances when contingency funds can be used.

2. Lee to share the presentation from Finbarr Fitzpatrick to the group.

3. Matters arising – what do we need to talk about?

A lady in a black suit and striped top smiles and waves.

Anne-Marie Monaghan introduced herself to the Advisory group and talked about her new role as chair of the board.

A lady looks confused. Behind her is a green book with a signpost on it and the word guidance.

A meeting has been set up in early 2024 with the ILF Scotland assessors to discuss guidance about contingency funds.

Jim asked Peter if there is any UK Government money that has been allocated for ILF Scotland that has not been spent.

Peter said that ILF Scotland takes the money that it needs to spend from the Scottish Government.

It might not always take the full amount that is available for each year.

A man in a suit and blue tie sitting at a desk signing a document.

Peter said that the Scottish Government have promised to stop care charges.

Gordon felt it would be worth writing to the Scottish Government about this.

Peter has asked we invite Maree Todd to the next meeting in 2024 to answer these questions.

4. Re-opening 2015 update - Jim Elder-Woodward

Young lady in green holds up a clipboard. She gives a thumbs up. A big green check tick mark is on the clipboard.

Peter said the Advisory Group’s letters and meetings with Government ministers were very important in the decision to reopen the ILF.

The fund will reopen in April 2024 with 9 million pounds.

Work has started on

bringing new staff into the ILF team
systems - how we work
policies – the rules and agreements of the organisation

A group of people are meeting, smiling and waving. One lady is in a wheelchair. There are grey speech bubbles above their heads.

Consultation events have started.

Some Advisory Group members went to the first co-production event at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

All the minutes from the event are on the website with information about January and February events.

5. 2015 fund evaluation and social return on investment

Three people in white t-shirts with their thumbs up

A social return on investment (SROI) looks at the benefits of a project that are not just about money.

For example it could support people’s wellbeing, or help to reduce inequality.

Finbarr Fitzpatrick gave a presentation on the 2015 Fund evaluation.

The most important points were that ILF Scotland supports people
with independent living outcomes including:

spending time with other people

hobbies

education

healthy relationships

For every £1 spent on ILF £13 was made in social value – important outcomes that are not about money.

6. Joint stakeholder event update - Harvey Tilley

Harvey said the Scottish Parliament has been booked for the 28 March from 5.30pm to 7.30pm for the re-opening celebration event.

We have booked rooms at the Village Hotel in Edinburgh:

for people staying over before the event

for the Joint Stakeholder group meeting with dinner afterwards

A table of people. In front is a list with the numbers 1 to 5 and squiggles after each number.

Harvey said we should discuss the agenda with Jim and get a final version.

7. Any other business – what else do we need to talk about?

A man in a suit jacket holds a clipboard and red pen. His list shows the first two items are marked with a red cross.

Justina asked if anyone had a Personal Assistant (PA) that was a member of the union.

No-one did.

Peter advised that the Scottish Government is interested in the PA network.
The network is hoping to get bigger.

People sitting at a small round table chatting

Anne-Marie said a lot of work has been done on the Scottish PA network.

They are trying to start a place where PAs can get together.

They hope a discount card system will be set up to support PAs.

8. Date of the next meeting

Lee will send out the dates for 2024.