202308 - Scotland Advisory Group Minutes - August 2023 (Easy Read)

Who could not come to the meeting?

Joan Turner

1. Welcome and Introductions

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. Lee will talk with Alan Clarkson about starting the waiting room feature for our Advisory Group meetings on Zoom.

2. Linda will organise a separate meeting to discuss having a social return on investment exercise for the 2015 fund in Scotland.

A social return on investment 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.

3. Advisory Group members to email what they think about the Strategic Outcomes document to Linda.

All these actions have been done.

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

Jim asked everyone to raise a hand on Zoom if they would like to make a point or ask a question.

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

Peter said the Labour MSP Paul O’Kane has asked some questions in the Scottish Parliament about this.

These questions have been answered.

The Scottish Government have said that it is still checking that the fund has enough money to do its work before it can re-open.

The statements about engagement opportunities were from a meeting with Peter and the Chair of ILF Scotland’s Board and the Minister.

Peter said the Scottish Government has given just over 53 million pounds to the ILF 2015 Fund.

From 2016 to 2023 around 40 million pounds was not spent on ILF Scotland.

Nic suggested we ask the Scottish Government to say where this money was spent.

Julia asked if the Scottish Government was allowed to spend the 2025 fund on other things.

The Group agreed to ask the Minister this at the meeting on 25 September.

This meeting date has now been changed.

5. Personal Assistant (PA) conditions - Andy Higgins

Andy shared a paper with the Group about PA issues including:

• if PAs can be paid during their breaks

• PA travel

This asked if ILF Scotland could cover the taxi fare or mileage at 45 pence per mile for PAs to use their car when supporting a recipient to travel.

A recipient is a person who gets ILF money.

Mileage costs are how much money is paid for each mile of travel.

Nic said her PA had asked about mileage costs.

• PA wages

Andy would like all PAs to be paid 12 pounds an hour.

Julia said it is difficult for her to hire a PA because of the low wage.

People are more likely to work for supermarkets that pay more.

Christine said it is important to keep PAs so that recipients get support that stays the same.

Wages are the main things that makes it hard for people to keep PAs.

Gordon said he could not get PAs with experience when offering 10 pounds 90 pence an hour.

Christine asked if ILF Scotland could look at an ILF minimum wage that is separate from the Scottish Government care wage.

A minimum wage is the lowest amount of money you should be paid.

Linda and Peter will talk about this, and will explain at the next meeting how contingency funds can be used.

6. PA Programme Board Update - Jack Blaik

Jack said one of the recommendations from the review of adult social care (also called the Feeley review) is that:

• PAs should be more valued

Valued means that people think that they are important and recognise that they do a good job.

• the challenges that disabled people face when they are trying to hire and retain PAs should be recognised

Jack said the Programme Board are still talking about this.

Jack said the Scottish Government have agreed to deliver the 12 pounds an hour wage for PAs.

We do not know when this will happen.

Jack said it is difficult because there are different rates of pay across the 32 Scottish local councils.

A National Care Service would help to make this better.

Jack said there is a slight chance that the rules and registration of PAs could change.

Information about this could be in the independent review that ends in September 2023.

7. 2015 fund evaluation and social return on investment - Finbarr Fitzpatrick

Finbarr’s work will be very important in supporting the ILF Scotland 2015 fund re-opening.

Linda said the Advisory Group must agree to this work happening.

The Advisory Group could support Finbarr by:

• taking part in interviews

• saying what they think of the draft report

Finbarr shared a presentation about the 2019 Northern Ireland report.

He is updating the information in this report.

The Scottish report compares Scottish information with information from Northern Ireland report.

We have not asked for a full report because a lot of the issues will be the same in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Important things like the covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis will be in the Scottish report.

Linda asked if Jim and the Group were happy with this and they said yes.

8. Joint stakeholder and advisory group event update - Harvey Tilley

Harvey said the event has been moved to 28 March 2024.

There was no space in Parliament to have the event in October as planned.

Gordon and Chloe said it is important that PA training is right for each recipient.

10. Policy Update - Linda Scott

Linda will send out the draft suspension policy 38 after her meeting with Jack and Colin.

Suspension is when a recipient’s money is stopped for a while.

The sponsor team are still talking about increasing the maximum award for an ILF recipient.

This must be affordable now and in future years.

11. Charter for Involvement - Emma O’Neill

This will move to the next meeting as Emma is off work.

12. Using the words ‘disabled people’ or ‘people with disabilities’ - Nic Reid

This will move to the next meeting.

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

There was nothing else we needed to talk about.

14. Date of the next meeting - Linda Scott

Lee to look at dates for meeting in person and to include a Christmas lunch.