202212 - Scotland Advisory Group Minutes - December 2022

Note of Meeting
Independent Living Fund Scotland
ILF Scotland Advisory Group Meeting

Via Zoom
8 December 2022 1-3pm

Present

• Jim Elder-Woodward
• Andy Higgins
• Chloe McKee
• Gordon McKee
• Kate Walsh
• Nic Reid (left meeting 14:08)

In Attendance

• Julia Smith
• Justina Oguguo

ILF Scotland Staff

• Lee House
• Linda Scott
• Peter Scott
• Catherine Symington
• Harvey Tilley
• Robert White (joined meeting 13:48)

Apologies

• Hugh John Clancey
• Joan Turner
• Christine Mercer
• Emma O'Neill

List of Actions:

1. The Advisory Group have asked that Jim send a further letter to the Minister Kevin Stewart in relation to his decision not to reduce the Available Income contributions.
2. Linda/Lee to send out an email to ask who would like to be part of a working group to discuss and start organizing the Joint Stakeholder Groups meeting in Scotland.

Welcome and Introductions

Jim Elder-Woodward welcomed everyone to the meeting. Everyone agreed to Lee recording the meeting.

1. Minutes from previous meetings

Andy Higgins asked ILF Scotland for an update on the Available Income decision. Linda advised that at the moment the Scottish Government is not in a position to action this. Linda has agreed to add some detail in the next newsletter about ILF Scotland’s position to apply a waiver in exceptional circumstances.

Lee to pass to communications to team to upload to the website. Completed

Actions from previous meeting

1. Peter and Linda to discuss writing to agencies about some of their practices of agreeing to contracts and issuing invoices for backdated increases with no prior notice to Recipients/Award Managers.
2. Lee to add preferred terminology to next agenda i.e. ‘disabled people.’ V ‘people with disabilities’.
3. Lee to add an ongoing agenda item for the joint stakeholder event.
4. Lee to keep Planned Registration & Regulation of PAs on agenda for the next meeting.
5. Robert White to update at next meeting on revised SDS guidance with short presentation.

2. Matters arising

Linda advised the Group that Senior Management have written to all providers before about advising Recipients/Award Managers in advance of any planned increases to hourly rates.

3. Adult Social Care Wage Increase

The next increase is due to be implemented for April 2023.

4. Policy Update

Linda advised that ILF Scotland is discussing the suspension and closure policy with the Sponsor Team. Linda has asked if we can leave accounts in suspension indefinitely so that we have an option to restart the funding. ILF Scotland is taking advice on holding Recipient data for that purpose from the
Information Commissioner’s Office.

5. Joint Stakeholder / Advisory Group Meeting

Linda discussed the successful Stormont event in 2019 and confirmed that ILF Scotland is looking to host a joint event in Edinburgh as requested by both groups. Linda fed back that the Northern Ireland Stakeholder Group were very keen for this to happen. It has been suggested that we might hold this in May or June in 2023. Post-meeting note: Due to competing priorities, it is unlikely that staff will have the capacity to organize in that timescale so looking more likely for September/October.

6. Re-opening of the 2015 Fund

Peter advised the group that the Scottish Government is still committed to reopening the 2015 fund but cannot confirm at this stage due to finances.

7. Charter for Involvement

Linda advised that ILF Scotland has progressed a good number of actions in the Charter. An updated version of the action plan will be presented to ILF Scotland’s Board and posted on the website in April. Emma will set up meetings to discuss this further with the group in quarter one of 2023/24.

8. Any Other Business

None.

9. Future meeting dates and arrangements

Thursday 23 February location TBC