ILF Scotland

Strategic Plan - 2016-20

Type of document: Other reports
ILF Strategic Plan 2016-2020 cover image

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Published: July 1, 2020

Independent Living Fund Scotland

Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020

Contents

Statement from the Board and Executive Team...........................................................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................................4
Vision...........................................................................................................................................................................................4
Mission........................................................................................................................................................................................4
Our Principles...........................................................................................................................................................................5
Case Studies..............................................................................................................................................................................5
Organisational Strategy 2016 –2020...............................................................................................................................8
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................................11
Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................................................................11

Statement from the Board and CEO of ILF Scotland

“ILF Scotland was established by the Scottish Government to safeguard the support given to 2,800* disabled people across Scotland. Following the closure of the UK wide scheme on the 30th June 2015, ILF Scotland was created to continue providing the vital everyday support and assistance disabled people need in order to remain living at home, participating in work, education and training, and playing active roles contributing to community and family life across the country. Following an agreement between the Northern Ireland and Scottish administrations, ILF Scotland also administers the fund for disabled people living in Northern Ireland.

ILF Scotland has now been operational for over a year. We have successfully managed the transition from ILF UK to the new Scottish organisation; ensuring disabled people in Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to receive the critical financial payments that enable them to live meaningful lives. As we move into the second phase of our development, we will work to open a new ILF scheme to new people in Scotland.

We fully understand the significant and transformational impact that our fund has on the lives of disabled people. We are pleased that the significant anxiety that the prospect of its closure created for so many disabled people has been abated in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We are excited at the prospect of opening a new ILF scheme to new applicants in Scotland, continuing the remarkable legacy that stems from the life changing impact of our fund on the lives of disabled people, their families, friends and communities.

In this, our first full Strategic Plan, we recognise the context and challenges ahead for the provision of health and social care services, but also the new opportunities emerging as a result of, for example, the Scotland Act (2016) and the integration of health and social care. As we set out our priorities for the next three years, we will ensure that we get the best possible outcomes for disabled people from the public funds we administer. To achieve this, we must communicate and collaborate effectively with all stakeholders to avoid duplication of provision and maximise the additionality of an ILF Scotland award. Our aim will be to enable independent living for as many disabled people living in Scotland and Northern Ireland as we are capable of.

We are very grateful to all of those disabled people, and other partners, who have supported us with the production of this strategy.”

Susan Douglas Scott,
Chair

Peter Scott
CEO

Introduction

ILF Scotland exists to support independent living for disabled people in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Independent living means “disabled people have the same freedom, choice, dignity and control as other people at home, at work, and in the community. It does not mean living by yourself or looking after yourself on your own. It means the person has rights to practical assistance and support to participate in society and live an ordinary life.” (Independent Living in Scotland project, 2008)

ILF Scotland aims to enable disabled people to live independent lives and to exercise choice and control. We do this through the provision of financial awards, which are used to support independent living focused outcomes by each individual recipient of the fund.

Our actions are based on a human rights approach to independent living and social care. In particular, we seek to ensure our actions support the realisation of Article 19 to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – “living independently and being included in the community”.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-19-living-independently-and-being-included-in-the-community.html

Vision

Our vision is for independent living to be a reality for all disabled people living in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In working towards this vision, we aim to be: -

Accessible
for all those who need us however they engage with us.

Credible
providing a service that truly makes a difference to living independently, which is accurate, reliable, consistent and friendly.

High Quality
by being exemplar in what we do.

Knowledgeable
about what disabled people tell us makes the greatest difference to achieving their independent living outcomes.

Mission

The mission of ILF Scotland is to enable disabled people to achieve their independent living outcomes by the dignified assessment of needs and the distribution of discretionary awards.

We will achieve this through:

Listening to disabled people.

Respectful and professional assessment and identification of outcomes.

Responding creatively to individual circumstances.

Making award payments accurately, reliably and consistently.

Measuring the outcomes achieved on a regular basis.

Our approach is fundamental to achieving our mission. Our model is centred on the needs of the person with our professional recommendations based on inclusion, trust and dignity. Our processes ensure we do this fairly, consistently and humanely.

Our Principles

Enabling disabled people to achieve independent living is at the heart of ILF Scotland’s aims and ethos. Therefore, we will adhere to the following principles, which will guide our decision making and our practice at all times:

  • The needs of disabled people will be at the heart of our decision making processes.
  • We will treat everyone with dignity, trust and respect.
  • Our assessment process will be simple, sensitive and as non-intrusive as possible.
  • The Fund should enhance statutory provision and provide additionality to achieve independent living outcomes.
  • ILF Scotland awards should not normally be greater than the contribution made by a Local Authority.
  • We will always seek evidence that our awards promote choice and control and are achieving independent living outcomes.
  • We will ensure that any award is proportionate to the costs to deliver it.

“My son cannot speak and people mostly speak to him through me.

The Assessor took the time to speak directly to my son and see past his disability. This can take time, however the Assessor took the time to do this with him”.

Martin

Martin is 45 and began receiving ILF support in 2003, following a stroke. When he was discharged from hospital he received support from both his local authority and the Independent Living Fund to continue living independently. The award from ILF Scotland has now enabled Martin to participate actively in his community.

“The Scottish Independent Living Fund has enabled me to access every service and amenity that is available to any able bodied person, this includes things like further education, doing paid work or even going to an art gallery. Without the support that The Scottish Independent Living Fund gives me I personally wouldn’t achieve anything.”

Martin, 2016

Francesca

Francesca is 55 and has been a recipient of ILF for 10 years. In addition to funding she receives from the Local Authority, Francesca uses her ILF award to attend local evening classes, with support from two agency workers. This has enabled her to actively interact with those in her community, helping her to overcome social isolation and make many new friends. Francesca has also improved her mobility and co-ordination, guaranteeing positive overall physical and mental health, through an exercise class.

“Francesca’s award over the last 10 years has changed her life and the skills she has developed and achieved would not have been possible without the funding she has received.”

Francesca’s mum Sarah, 2016

Organisational Strategy 2016-2020

“If adequately funded and resourced, ILF Scotland can be an effective, sustainable and enabling model of support towards Independent Living for people in Scotland. We have seen it and people tell it so. Supporting disabled people’s human right

to live more independent lives and participate in society as equal citizens, including economically and socially, can only create a wealthier and more inclusive society for the benefit of all”.

Florence Garabedian, CEO, Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (April 2016)

The Strategic Priorities for ILF Scotland are set within the National Performance Framework (NPF) of the Scottish Government and directly contribute to the three specific National Outcomes of ‘Living longer, healthier lives’, ‘Tackling the significant inequalities in Scottish society’ and ‘Ensuring our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs’.

www.gov.scot/About/Performance/scotPerforms

They are also aligned and fit with the Northern Ireland Executive Draft Programme for Government Framework 2016-21 (DPfGF) and contribute to I42 – ‘Improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families’.

Draft Programme for Government Framework 2016-21

The Strategic Priorities for ILF Scotland 2016 – 2020 are to:

  1. Maximise the effectiveness of the Existing Fund.
  2. A new ILF scheme.
  3. Share our knowledge to develop best practice across Scotland.

Sitting behind this strategy is our business plan (2016 – 2020), which will be the main tool we use in achieving our priorities. It will set out the required activities, timescales and performance management framework. The core aim of the business plan will be to maximise the effective value of the fund and this will require us to provide a high quality service and collaborate with key partners at all times.

The key outcomes to be achieved are:

1.  The Existing Fund has been maximised for effective value
  • Operational policies have been reviewed & developed to reflect the needs of Scottish and Northern Irish award recipients and stakeholder needs.
  • Systems and practices have delivered comparable or best in class performance.
  • Recipient satisfaction surveys demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of the fund.
  • Effective collaboration has ensured no duplication of resources.
  • Staff see ILF Scotland as an employer of choice and work collectively to continuously improve levels of service to recipients and each other.
2.   A New ILF scheme is successfully introduced and established in Scotland
  • Ministers have provided a clear steer on the focus for the new ILF scheme, based on the recommendations of the co-production working group, following national engagement with disabled people.
  • Internal systems, staff and policies are able to deliver the new ILF scheme and be scalable for future needs.
  • Nationally, disabled people, their carers and all stakeholders are aware of the existence of the new ILF scheme and how to access it.
  • Individuals have actively participated and remained part of their community and achieved their independent living outcomes.
  • The reach and impact of ILF Scotland is increased across Scotland.
3.  The knowledge gained through our work across all of Scotland and Northern Ireland has been shared to develop best practice
  • We have demonstrated to Scottish Government and statutory services the contribution and effectiveness that the Independent Living Fund has made to achieving National Outcomes.
  • Our knowledge of enabling independent living outcomes is shared.
  • Effective networks and communication channels are developed to engage with and inform all stakeholders of emerging themes and issues.
  • Effective and robust partnerships have been made using our knowledge at a strategic level to enhance local agency inclusion and participation strategies.
  • ILF Scotland is seen as a professional and credible source of advice and information on enabling independent living and is recognised as a partner of choice.
  • We have developed and introduced cutting edge technology solutions to support better service delivery to our recipients and provided a new model of IT infrastructure for other agencies to follow.

In pursuing these core priorities, we believe that we can provide financial and non-financial resources to both recipients and wider stakeholders to enable

greater independent living for more disabled people across Scotland and Northern Ireland. By developing our practices and sharing our knowledge, we believe we can extend our reach and deliver a greater impact for disabled people and support providers across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Conclusion

In this, our first full strategic plan, we must ensure that we protect our current recipients and diligently open up a new ILF scheme at the right time. By doing this collaboratively and by respecting the rights and dignities of all parties, we aim to establish our credibility and reputation for making independent living a reality for disabled people in Scotland.

We cannot do this on our own and look forward to working together with all stakeholders to make this strategy a living document which is relevant and meaningful to the disabled people of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Already we have learned so much about the support needs of disabled people in Scotland and Northern Ireland and, with the raft of reforms and opportunities developing over the life of this strategy, we are well placed to inform and help lead policy development.

By working together and listening to the voices of all of our stakeholders, we can build an inclusive future where disabled people have choice and control over how they want to lead their lives independently.

Acknowledgements

In developing this strategy we have benefited from the thoughts and insights of the following organisations and greatly acknowledge their contribution. Additionally we met with individual recipients and we value their experiences and contributions.

COSLASelf-Directed Support Scotland
Social Work ScotlandGlasgow Centre for Inclusive Living
Inclusion ScotlandStrathclyde
Lothian Centre for Inclusive LivingDisability Research Centre

ILF Scotland
Ground Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Way
Livingston EH54 6GA

T: 0300 200 2022
E: enquiries@ILF.scot
W: ilf.scot

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