Thursday 14 March 2024 – 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Peter Scott, ILF Scotland (Co-Chair)
Cameron Smith, SCLD for Andy Miller
Donna Murray, Social Work Scotland
Gaby Nolan, Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living
Andy Higgins, ILF Scotland Advisory Group
Jill Lapsa, COSLA for John Urquhart
Jenny Miller, PAMIS
Laura Kerr, Social Work Scotland
Lyn Pornaro, Disability Equality Scotland
Marianne Scobie, Glasgow Disability Alliance for Tressa Burke
Donald Macleod, SDS Scotland
Pauline Nolan, Inclusion Scotland
Steven Hanlon, Scottish Government
Lauren Glen, Scottish Government
Jack Blaik, Scottish Government
Harvey Tilley, ILF Scotland
Robert White, ILF Scotland
Linda Scott, ILF Scotland
Erika Mather, ILF Scotland
Stephen Wilson, DES
Iain MacAllister, Scottish Government (Co-Chair)
Margaret Petherbridge, Falkirk Council / ILF Liaison
Catherine McGoldrick, Health and Social Care Scotland
Tressa Burke, Glasgow Disability Alliance
John Urquhart, COSLA
Oonagh Brown, Scottish Human Rights Commission
Jim Elder-Woodward, ILF Scotland Advisory Group
Calum Macaulay, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living
Andy Miller, SCLD
Robert Peterson, Scottish Government
Sam Smith, CCPS
Fiona Collie, Carers Scotland
Everyone was welcomed to the ninth meeting of the Co-Production Working Group.
Thanks and appreciation extended for everyone’s contribution to the process.
Apologies received from Iain MacAllister, Margaret Petherbridge, Catherine McGoldrick, Calum Macaulay, Jim Elder-Woodward, Oonagh Brown and Andy Miller. Marianne to join for Tressa.
Robert Peterson, Sam Smith, Fiona Collie and Jenny Miller will join later during the meeting.
Welcome extended to Jill Laspa who attends on behalf of John Urqhart from COSLA. – short introduction was made.
None raised.
Group content to approve.
Action 1: Plan and dates for the continued Co-Production Working Group process to be shared with group members as soon as possible.
This action was yet to be completed. Suggestion was made to reconvene in early June 2024 – to revisit at the end of the meeting.
Action 2: Allocation method to be finalised and confirmed.
Paper 18 was circulated in advance with the proposed method of allocations to LA areas.
Action 3: Wording about Maximum Award in Paper 16 to be amended to reflect affordability issues in more transparent and open way.
Action 4: Monitoring and Real Cost of Care topics to be added to the Year One Post-Opening Priorities list.
Action 5: Wording in the recommendation to be amended to reflect focus on partnership work between stakeholders (ILF Scotland, Assessors and LAs / SWs).
All above amendments in the recommendations were made shortly after last meeting and shared with the group ahead of submitting the paper to the Minister. Agreed that those amendments were accepted.
The group members expressed very positive feedback about co-production process.
An update on Recommendations to the Minister was provided. Since the last meeting of the group, the advice was submitted to the Minister with the group’s recommendations; the Minister is happy to go forward but it was stressed that we are awaiting feedback from COSLA board meeting and that the decision is subject to that feedback.
Reassurance was given that the Minster was also happy with the request of the group to continue the work to evolve the fund over the first year and that the Year One work priorities list was accepted. A formal response to the recommendations will be made public in the near future and the exact date of the re-opening will be confirmed.
The Minister is pleased with this group’s approach, which focused on pragmatism and readiness for compromise, and she wishes to pass thanks for the time and energy dedicated towards the process.
Thanks was extended to the ILF Scotland team and gratitude for their excellent work and being supportive, providing information in a clear and honest way, and their efforts to prepare easy reads was appreciated. Thanks also extended to DES for easy reads in a quick turnaround time and to SG team for their openness in the process.
Plans were shared to review this co-production process with a view to learning from it and to be considered as a model for future projects and developments. It was indicated that the group may be used as a case study as a good example of co-production. It was acknowledged that it was an effective process to get the outcomes required despite the group being formed rapidly and recommendations being put together at speed. Several group members noted that it had been an enjoyable experience and a pleasure to work together, although it had been time consuming and hard work, with the amount of information required to be processed. Group members may receive request for quotes and feedback in due course from ILF Scotland.
A brief outline of Paper 19 content was provided indicating that two individual reports from last events were sent out. The full report will follow and will include statistics on the whole engagement process.
It was indicated that the Glasgow event had the highest numbers of attendees. The outcome from discussions at this event varied little from that of previous events so no changes were required to the documentation.
There will be a summary document issued to all who attended.
Plans and a schedule in relation to communication on the re-opening of the ILF were outlined. Currently ILF Scotland is working with SG team to co-operate comms. Policy work is being carried in the background, however, this mostly requires updates to the existing suite of policies and no new policy is required.
The Communications Plans need to be consulted on with SW ILF Leads at the planned meeting and the comms will follow shortly after.
A series of communications is planned to include highlighting the recommendations and confirmed ministerial approval, details about the application route and launch of the re-opened fund. It was emphasised that caution is needed to manage expectations as some disappointment is expected, especially around lack of route for direct application. Comms will highlight that work to be continued in the next year.
ILF Scotland shared that they have already had some enquiries and are working on collecting the insight into what can be expected and how to phrase the responses to be mindful of sensitivities.
Furthermore, guidance is to be shared with LAs. There is a need to monitor and analyse number of applications (successful and unsuccessful) as well as level of unmet need etc. These data will be recorded, and a draft evaluation framework will be shared for the group’s feedback.
It was requested to also include info on how to support communication with people who believe that they are entitled and may be interested in applying but current system supports only application via LAs. Separate communication will follow with focus on the brief for SWs – including key lines, summary and an accessible version for service users.
It would be welcome to make sure that messaging is positive but being open and transparent re gaps and unresolved issues.
Various forms of communication to be expected to professionals and general public.
All group members were invited to the upcoming Parliamentary Event on 28 March, which is a follow up to Stormont event in 2019. The official invites to follow shortly. It was emphasised that this is not the launch event of the re-opened fund but of course re-opening will be acknowledged. The Northern Ireland Stakeholder Group and the Scotland Advisory Group are the organisers of this event, which ILF Scotland staff are co-ordinating on their behalf. The Groups consist of people who are current recipients, award mangers or other representatives of the disabled person. The event offers an opportunity to showcase the power of independent living.
It was proposed that the group reconvene for the next meeting in early June. ILF Scotland expect some insight will be already available regarding numbers and application process, however, the group may be contacted earlier if urgent issues arise.
The format of future meetings was confirmed, and papers are expected to be shared in advance; also agreed that Easy Read versions to continue be prepared and circulated. Future meetings to be held every two months.
