Independent Living Fund Scotland: Board Meeting
Video Conference
Tuesday 31 January 2023 ~ 11:00am – 12:30pm
Susan Douglas-Scott, CBE - Chair, Board Director
Alan Dickson - Board Director
Liz Humphreys - Vice Chair, Board Director
Mark Adderley - Board Director
Anne-Marie Monaghan - Board Director
Betty McAtear - Board Director
Étienne d’Aboville - Board Director
Paul Hayllor - Director of Digital and Information Services
Robert White - Director of Self Directed Support
Linda Scott - Director of Policy, Improvement and Engagement
Peter Scott - Chief Executive Officer
Harvey Tilley - Chief Operating Officer
Jim Maguire - Finance Director
Aileen McNiven - Head of Business Services (Secretariat)
Susan Douglas-Scott (Susan) welcomed everyone ahead of opening formal business for the 29th ILF Scotland Board Meeting.
Susan referred the meeting to the email sent on 12 January explaining the rationale for the shortened agenda.
No Declarations of Interest received.
The Board approved the Board Minute of 18 October 2023.
No matters arising not covered on agenda.
Jim Maguire (Jim) spoke to the recently scrutinised Management Accounts and Finance Commentary (Audit & Risk Committee (ARC)) advising on the key points covering the award funds and administration management accounts to the Q3 end position (December 2022).
The Board were advised of the substantial surplus for the ‘2015 Fund – Scotland’ of approximately £3m.
ILF Scotland had hoped to utilise £2m of surplus funds to reduce the Available Income charge for recipients to zero for a 6-month period (01 October 2022-31 March 2023), as requested by the Scotland Advisory Group and in recognition of the disproportionate impact of the cost-of-living crisis on disabled people. Following a letter to the Minister from the Group’s Chair, Jim Elder-Woodward, the Minister has confirmed that the requested waiver is not authorised.
Jim advised that £2m of ILF surplus has been requested to be returned to the Scottish Government for other use. Therefore, ILF Scotland is unable, at this point, to reduce the Available Income charge.
The Board discussed their responsibility to support and champion ILF Scotland recipients and to use our resources to maximum effect in their interests. The Board therefore seeks, in the strongest terms, to express disappointment and dissatisfaction that funds allocated to ILF Scotland recipients will not be used for the purpose it was given, despite the evidenced affordability.
The Board agreed to collectively write a letter to Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care sharing their collective frustration at the decision not to reduce the Available Income.
The Board thanked the ILF Scotland team and the Scottish Government Sponsor Team for their extensive and pro-active endeavour to reduce the Available Income charge for ILF Scotland recipients.
The Board noted the Finance Commentary to December 2022.
ACTION 1: Peter Scott (Peter) and Harvey Tilley (Harvey) will prepare a letter to be sent to Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care for collective signing by the full ILF Scotland Board.
Jim spoke to the paper outlining the budgetary requirements for 2023-24.
In advance of the Grant in Aid (GiA) letter Jim has received confirmation from the Scottish Government Sponsor Team that the GiA 2023-24 (Scotland) is expected to be set at £44.55m for the 2015 Fund awards, and the Transition Fund set at £4.3m (plus £700k – Admin). Jim also reported a 2015 Fund Admin budget of approximately £4.1m.
The Board welcomed the news commending Jim and the team for their work to secure the requested funding which also supports the Scottish Living Wage increase (01 April 2023).
Jim has requested the Scottish Government Sponsor Team include the Digital Transformation funding approval of £925k and the previously approved capital spend of £150k in the GiA letter for 2023-24.
Following full and detailed scrutiny during the recent Audit & Risk Committee (ARC) Alan Dickson (Alan) gave assurance to the Board with a ‘recommendation for approval’ of the Budget for ILF Scotland 2023-24. The Board approved the Draft Budget for 2023-24 subject to receiving the GiA letter in due course.
Harvey introduced the Q3 Corporate Report.
The following key points were highlighted during the presentation of the paper:
ACTION 2: Corporate Report to be amended to Grp 1: £1000 and Grp 2: £600 – typo.
Harvey and Peter Scott (Peter) spoke of the possibility of some awards being suspended temporarily or stopped if LAs do not rebalance packages. The teams are working hard to ensure this does not happen. The consequential impact is disabled people currently in receipt of ILF awards may lose their ability to live independently.
The Board noted the risk to recipients if awards are suspended temporarily or stopped should packages not be rebalanced by LAs in line with ILF Scotland Policy.
Peter reported that he had drafted a letter for the Northern Ireland Sponsor Team to circulate to Trusts to attempt to address the rebalancing issues there. The option of sending a further letter to the 32 LAs in Scotland for a second time will be considered.
Harvey spoke to the paper updating on the Digital Transformation project. He then confirmed the £925k had been approved and the project was progressing well. The Transformation Lead, Alex Bunch started at the beginning of January with the first Project Board meeting early in February 2023.
Peter thanked Paul Hayllor (Paul) along with Jim in their extensive work in supporting the securement of the capital funds to support the project.
ACTION 3: One amendment to the Digital Transformation Executive Summary was noted: Harvey to change ‘Senior Risk Owner’ to ‘Senior Responsible Owner’.
The Board welcomed and noted the Digital Transformation Executive Summary.
Mark Adderley (Mark) spoke to the paper.
Mark explained the proposal has been scrutinised following several submissions to the Remuneration Committee.
Following this detailed scrutiny and a brief discussion Mark confirmed the Remuneration Committee is recommending the ‘Shortened Hours Working Week’ to the Board for approval. The Board approved the Shortened Hours Working Week with an implementation date of 01 April 2023 following submission to the Scottish Government Sponsor Team and Finance Pay Policy for final sign off.
Due to SMT absences the following papers were circulated in advance and noted by email due to the shortened Board meeting referred to on Pg. 1.
Jim asked the Board to note the inclusion of the planned Available Income reductions in fiscal periods: 2024-25 and 2026-27. This effectively reduces Available Income to £0.00 in line with the Scottish Government commitment in their manifesto to reduce charging to £0.00 by 2026. The Sponsor Team have agreed this is a sensible approach to include this in the forecast.
During the last Board Development Day in 2022, Mark and Susan were asked to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care to enquire about the possibility of extending the Chairs 8-year ILF Scotland Board term due to the possible extenuating circumstances and expectation of the ‘2015 Fund’ re-opening within the next 12 months.
Susan referred to the disappointing response received from the Cabinet Secretary regarding Board Chair term extension and the re-opening of the ILF Scotland 2015 Fund.
ACTION 4: Aileen to circulate the letter to the Board for information.
The letter’s key message stated that the Scottish Government are currently unable to re-open and sustain a re-opened 2015 Fund due to the significant financial pressures they face. There are therefore no exceptional circumstances that would require the Chair’s current appointment to be extended beyond October 2023.
The Board accepted the decision not to extend the Chair’s term of appointment, unanimously recognising her outstanding leadership over the last 8 years.
The Chair spoke of the Board’s responsibility in recognising and supporting disabled people’s human, civil and disability rights, and how ILF Scotland could make a significant contribution in this area through the 2015 Fund reopening. All Board Directors expressed their individual frustration and anger at the failure to reopen the Fund.
The Board expressed great concern for disabled people that ILF Scotland was not to re-open at this point in time. Collectively the Board agreed to include this concern, and their frustration, in the planned letter to the Cabinet Secretary.
The Board also requested that Peter write to the ILF Scotland Sponsor Team to seek clarity about the strategic direction of ILF Scotland.
ACTION 5: Peter to write to the Scottish Government Sponsor Team seeking clarity about the strategic direction of ILF Scotland.
ACTION 6: In addition to writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Health about Available Income (Action 1) Peter to include the Boards concerns about the Government decision not to reopen the 2015 Fund at this time – this to be approved and signed by all Board Directors.
Next Remuneration Committee: 11am, Friday, 31st March 2023 (AQ4- Atlantic Quay, Ground Floor, Conference Rm 1)
Next Board Development Day: 1:00pm, Friday, 31st March 2023 (AQ4- Atlantic Quay, Ground Floor, Conference Rm 1)
Next Audit & Risk Committee: 10:30am, Monday, 17 April 2023 (virtual)
Next Full Board Meeting: 11am, Tuesday, 25 April 2023 (virtual)
Action 1: Peter Scott (Peter) to prepare a letter to be sent to Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care for collective signing by the full ILF Scotland Board.
Action by: Peter
Timescale: February 2023
Action: Completed
Action 2: Q3 Corporate Report to be amended to: Grp 1: £1000, Grp 2: £600
Action by: Harvey
Timescale: Immediate
Action: Completed
Action 3: One amendment to the executive summary was noted: change ‘Senior Risk Owner’ to ‘Senior Responsible Owner’.
Action by: Aileen
Timescale: Immediate
Action: Completed
Action 4: Aileen to circulate the letter to the Board for information.
Action by: Aileen
Timescale: Immediate
Action: Completed
Action 5: Peter to write to the Scottish Government Sponsor Team seeking clarity about the strategic direction of ILF Scotland.
Action by: Peter
Timescale: February 2023
Action: Completed.
Action 6: In addition to writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Health about Available Income (Action 1) Peter to include the Boards concerns about the Government decision not to reopen the 2015 Fund at this time – this to be approved and signed by all Board Directors.
Action by: Peter
Timescale: February 2023
Action: Completed.
