EQIA: Policy 41 - Use of ILF Scotland Funding

In completing this EQIA you should be ensuring the needs of diverse groups of people are thought about when developing and implementing a new policy, procedure or service or a change to existing ones. Please consider the protected groups in line with the Equality Act 2010 and other diverse groups who may be impacted.

Name of Activity: Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for Policy 41 - Use of ILF Scotland Funding
Name of person completing EQIA: Jill Fotheringham
Date EQIA completed: 30/07/26

What type of activity are you planning?

Change to Policy: Yes
Change to Procedure: No
Change to Service: No
Change to Office Plan / Budget: No
Project: No
Event: No

1. Describe the main aim or purpose of what it is you are planning to do?

Revisions to Policy 41 to refresh the policy language and provide additional guidance for Coming Home Recipients. The revised policy allows ILF Scotland, on a case-by-case basis, to fund support, services or items that would normally be the responsibility of the HSCP or another statutory body where this is necessary to support independent living outcomes and prevent inappropriate placements, delayed discharge from hospital or support breakdown.

2. Who is likely to be affected by this policy, service or charge?

Coming Home Recipients, unpaid carers, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and ILF Scotland staff.

3. Do you have enough information to know what the potential impact might be on diverse groups and what that might look like?

The protected characteristics to consider are: Age, Disability, Sex, Race, Religion or Belief, Gender Reassignment, Sexual Orientation, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity. It will also be helpful to consider these groups more widely in relation to their socio-economic status that includes such factors as educational attainment, occupation, income, wealth and social deprivation.

Please mark as Yes or No. If yes use the Comments column to describe what the potential impact is. What are your sources of evidence?

(Try to think about both positive and negative impacts. There are lots of sources of data to help answer this question. Diversity Networks, the Diversity Report or Diversity & Inclusion team may offer some useful information. Previously completed EQIAs may also offer answers to questions you may have).

Age: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Disability: Yes
Comments: The policy change may have a positive impact on disabled people by providing greater flexibility in how ILF Scotland funding can be used to support independent living outcomes. The changes may assist people to move from inappropriate out of area placements, avoid delayed discharge from hospital and reduce the risk of community support breaking down. The policy supports choice, control and participation in community life.

Gender Reassignment: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Marriage and Civil Partnership: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Pregnancy and Maternity: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Race: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Sex: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Sexual Orientation: No
Comments: No differential impact identified.

Is there evidence of any impact on other groups not covered by the protected characteristics? If yes use the Comments column to describe what the potential impact is, what you could do to remove / reduce any negative impact and what you could do to benefit from any positive impact.

(For example, carer status, single parent, economic exclusion. It is important not to limit your thinking to just the protected characteristics listed above. The question is broadening the EQIA out to be more inclusive. The impact might be a negative one (e.g. making that decision could decrease the opportunity for some people to participate) or it could be a positive one (e.g. by making that decision, more people are able to take part in the activity).)

The policy may have a positive impact on unpaid carers and families by supporting arrangements that help maintain independent living and avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital or other care settings.

4. Have you consulted with the relevant internal or external groups? Or have you gathered evidence to help you understand the potential impact on different groups? What sources have you used to gather information?

If there are any gaps in information that make it difficult or impossible to form an opinion on how your policy, service or change might affect different groups of people, please take the time to gather information to help you make an informed answer (for example, review statistics, survey results, complaints analysis, consultation documents, customer feedback, existing briefings submissions or business reports, comparative policies from external sources and other Government Departments etc).

Policy revisions were informed by engagement through engagement events for disabled people and their families and for professionals, Scottish Government and other statutory partners involved in Health and Social Care, the ILF Scotland Advisory Group, the ILF Re‑Opening Co‑Production Group, which includes representatives from Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and other third sector partners.

The Coming Home policy amendments have been developed with input from:

• Scottish Government
• Health and Social Care Partnerships
• disabled people and families
• ILF Scotland staff and Advisory Groups
• Members of the Coming Home Action Plan Short Life Working Group

Two engagement events with the public were held on 25 May 2026 and 26 May 2026.

Information about these events was widely shared across our social media platforms, on our website, with Disability People’s Organisations.

Details contained in the Coming Home Action Plan 2026 - gov.scot

5. Having analysed the relevant sources of information, what does the evidence tell you? Is there any evidence that the proposed changes will have an adverse equality impact on any of these groups of people?

Age: No
Disability: No
Gender Reassignment: No
Marriage and Civil Partnership: No
Pregnancy and Maternity: No
Race: No
Religion or Belief: No
Sexual Orientation: No
Care Experienced: No

6. Please provide details of who the proposals affect, the adverse impacts and explain how you will minimise or remove the adverse impact.

No adverse impacts noted.

7. Is there any evidence that the proposed changes will have a positive impact on any of these different groups of people and / or promote equality of opportunity? Please provide details of which group / groups benefits from the positive impacts. and how this will be promoted / evaluated.

Age: No
Disability: Yes
Gender Reassignment: No
Marriage and Civil Partnership: No
Pregnancy and Maternity: No
Race: No
Religion or Belief: No
Sexual Orientation: No
Care Experienced: Yes

The revised policy may advance equality of opportunity for disabled people by providing greater flexibility to address barriers to independent living. The changes may help people access support that enables them to live in their communities, maintain relationships, participate in community life and exercise greater choice and control over how they live.

The policy may have a positive impact on care experienced people who have limited family or informal support networks. The increased flexibility within the policy may help reduce barriers to independent living and support community-based living arrangements.

The policy supports ILF Scotland's commitment to a human rights approach and the right to independent living as set out in Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The changes may help disabled people live independently and be included in their communities by providing additional flexibility to address barriers that would otherwise prevent this.

The policy changes are expected to have a positive impact on disabled people and support independent living outcomes. No negative equality impacts have been identified. The revisions provide greater flexibility for Coming Home Recipients while remaining consistent with ILF Scotland's commitment to independent living, choice, control and human rights.

8. Provide a final summary of the commitments / actions you will take as a result of completing this EQIA. Who will you consult with on your action plan and how will you do this to ensure the relevant stakeholders understand the equality impact?

The policy revisions for Coming Home promote equality of opportunity by:

• supporting disabled people to live independently
• reducing institutionalisation
• increasing choice, control and flexibility
• aligning with Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

No negative equality impacts have been identified. The policy changes provide greater flexibility for Coming Home Recipients and support disabled people to achieve independent living outcomes. The revisions strengthen choice, control and participation in community life, while supporting ILF Scotland's commitment to a human rights-based approach and the right to independent living.

9. Have you a plan in place to review your actions? Please provide a summary. Will plan require sign off and from where?

Policy revisions and the practical impact on will be monitored and reviewed the ILF Coming Home team delivery. We will continue to consult with Re‑Opening Co‑Production Group, Scottish Government and statutory partners. We will seek feedback from Coming Home recipients.

This plan is signed off by: Linda Scot
Title: Director of Policy, Improvement & Engagement
Date: 3 August 2026