Thursday 11 December, 11 am to 3 pm with Christmas Lunch
Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
Jim Elder-Woodward - Chairperson
Chris Mercer
Chloe and Gordon McKee
Stuart McCabe
Justina Oguguo
Joan Turner
Kate Walsh
Peter Scott via Zoom
Lee House
Emma O’Neill via Zoom
Linda Scott
Jill Fotheringham
Karen Burnett via Zoom
Harvey Tilley
Senza Keswa (student placement at ILF Scotland)
Martha Shortreed
Nic Reid
Andy Higgins
Lors Robinson-Moseley
Jim welcomed everyone to the meeting.
It was agreed that Lee would record the minutes.
All attendees introduced themselves and their role within the Group and ILF Scotland.
The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and approved as accurate.
No further matters arose from the previous minutes.
Actions from Previous Meeting:
Share Policy 41 Flexible Funding with Advisory Group (Lee) – Completed
No additional agenda items were raised.
Jill and Joan provided an update on the ongoing research into PA work being carried out by Glasgow University. Lisa, a PhD student leading the project, introduced her work to the PA Programme Board. The Group agreed that the research may be useful as linked to the PA recruitment and retention issue that prompted the ILF Scotland PA campaign and may feed into future improvements to this part of social care. The Group discussed options and agreed that Lisa should be invited to speak at the next Group meeting in March 2026. By then she should be in a position to share her interim research findings. In the meantime, Lee will circulate the flyer Lisa has produced along with confirmation of the course that Lisa is involved in. Individual Group members should feel free to contact Lisa if they would like to participate. ILF Scotland comms staff will circulate the flyer via social media.
Linda confirmed that the Minister was unable to attend today’s meeting in person as originally intended. He offered to join for 30 minutes via Zoom but Jim decided to leave the meeting until the new year when the Group could meet purely to focus on the issues members wanted to discuss with the Minister. Two dates were suggested – 6 January in person and 20 January via zoom. Lee did a poll and 20 January is the preferred date for the majority of Group members who responded. Lee will circulate confirmed details and Zoom login information to all members.
Jim advised the Group to keep introductions brief during the Minister’s session to allow maximum time for discussion. The meeting duration is 30 minutes. Linda will send out an agenda and briefing for members.
Linda confirmed that all review visits are up to date. However, issues raised at the last Group meeting continue to appear:
Peter asked if recipients had experienced any budget cuts from local authorities.
Stuart reported his package was signed off quickly for two years via a visit from an Occupational Therapist rather than a Social Worker.
Justina reported limited contact with her local authority, when her son was being discharged from hospital.
Joan shared that her Local Authority attempted to remove £5,000 from her DP account, which she successfully contested. She also expressed a desire for ILF Scotland to take over Local Authority responsibilities for all social care Direct Payments, Option 1.
Peter reported that the fund re-opening is progressing well. A programme of follow up calls to new recipients was underway and feedback from recipients has been positive, with many sharing stories of the significant impact on their lives.
The fund is meeting its objectives and is expected to reach 1,400 applicants by year-end. Peter noted that ILF Scotland is awaiting confirmation of the 2026 budget.
Linda provided an update on policy developments:
Karen will share progress at the next Advisory Group meeting.
ILF Scotland is required to report on progress on meeting the UNCRC requirements for 2025 to 2026 and intends to do so in April 2026.
Linda confirmed that the Board and the Scottish Government have approved ILF Scotland’s Strategic Plan 2025 to 2028, which is now published on the ILF Scotland website.
The Board also approved the Feedback Strategy and Service Charter. Emma is exploring additional feedback mechanisms for 2026 to 2027 and will involve Advisory Group members in this.
Two new Board appointments will be announced shortly: one from Northern Ireland and one from Scotland. A further member is being considered and if successful, should be able to support Transition Fund work.
The agenda for the next Joint Advisory Group meeting was discussed, with PA recruitment and retention remaining a priority. Linda suggested that feedback mechanisms be covered at that meeting as well and advised that the NI Advisory Group had asked for Award Management to also be discussed. The Group agreed.
Jim highlighted the importance of funding DPOs to support the re-opened fund.
Linda confirmed that Anne-Marie Monaghan will attend the next Scotland Advisory Group meeting in March 2026.
The Group expressed interest in arranging a meeting with the full ILF Scotland Board, which Linda suggested would be April at the earliest.
The next meeting is proposed for mid-March 2026.
Lee will circulate all meeting dates and times before the new year.
The Group agreed to hold two in-person meetings and two online meetings in 2026, one in the summer and one at Christmas.
