Date: 30 January 2020

In Attendance:

• Nicole Fraser – SCoSS Administrative Officer;
• Fiona Lodge – SCoSS Deputy Secretary (minutes);
• Terry Shevlin – SCoSS Lead Secretary.

In Attendance for agenda item 6

• Dr Jackie Gulland – University of Edinburgh Lecturer in Social Work;
• Heather Fisken – Inclusion Scotland Head of Policy and Research Team;
• Marilyn Howard – University of Bristol Honorary Research Associate;
• Andrew Latto – Department for Work and Pensions Deputy Director of Devolution, Pensioner Benefits and Carer’s Allowance;
• Susan McKenna – Glasgow Disability Alliance Welfare Rights Officer;
• Ed Pybus – Scottish Campaign on Rights to Social Security Member;
• Sandra Stewart – Glasgow Disability Alliance Development Manager;
• James Wilson – Scottish Government Disability Benefits Team Leader.

The Chair noted that Inclusion Scotland had provided a written submission on the draft Disability Assistance for Children and Young People regulations, and that a colleague from Inclusion Scotland would be participating in the discussion at item 6. Judith Paterson made the same declaration in respect of the Child Poverty Action Group Scotland.

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved for publication subject to a minor amendment.

The Secretariat highlighted actions that had progressed since the record was circulated. Members noted the paper.

Members noted the work plan paper and discussed their workload for the coming month, which looked set to be exceptionally heavy.

Members reflected on the process of drafting SCoSS’s report on the draft Scottish Child Payment regulations 2020 and their oral evidence session with the Scottish Parliament’s Social Security Committee.

• Action – Members to circulate any suggestions for improvement to the SCoSS scrutiny process, based on their experiences of drafting the Scottish Child Payment report.

(DACYP) draft regulations: stakeholder discussion Members agreed the format of the discussion with stakeholders on the draft regulations, and potential points for discussion.

Members then welcomed participants to the meeting and discussed the draft regulations. James Wilson joined for the latter part of the discussion to answer questions that had arisen and to provide information on further DACYP draft regulations.

The Chair stated that the main points raised in the discussion would be noted and produced as an annex to SCoSS’s report on the draft regulations.

• Action – James Wilson and Andrew Latto agreed to provide a factual note on any areas of divergence between Disability Living Allowance and Disability Assistance for Children and Young People (DACYP), to inform the Board’s scrutiny of the draft DACYP regulations.

Action – Marilyn Howard agreed to provide further information on the issue of take up, to inform the Board’s scrutiny of the draft DACYP regulations.

Date: 31 January 2020

Present:

• Dr Sally Witcher (Chair);
• Sharon McIntyre (Member) (present from agenda item 12);
• Judith Paterson (Member);
• Dr Mark Simpson (Member).

Apologies:

None.

In Attendance:

• Nicole Fraser – SCoSS Administrative Officer;
• Fiona Lodge – SCoSS Deputy Secretary (minutes);
• Terry Shevlin – SCoSS Lead Secretary.

The Board discussed its approach to reporting on the draft DACYP regulations, noting the short timescales for doing so.

• Action – Judith Paterson to produce an initial report on the draft

DACYP regulations by 17 February. A further report, including Members’ comments to be with the Chair by 21 February, and then a further version including feedback from the Chair to be circulated to Members by 24 February.  The report is to be completed by 6 March.

• Action – Secretariat to arrange a Skype discussion between Members on 18 February to discuss the further draft DACYP regulations that were expected to be referred to SCoSS, and to discuss SCoSS’s draft report.
• Action – Secretariat to organise a stakeholder discussion for the February board meeting on how SCoSS could involve people with lived experience in its work. The DACYP draft regulations would be used as an example and, time permitting, stakeholders would be asked to provide any lived experience views on these.
• Action – Secretariat to obtain additional information from stakeholders regarding respite care/ home visits for disabled children.

Members discussed a draft business plan prepared by Sharon McIntyre and the Secretariat, and proposed various amendments. Members agreed that the report should cover the period April 2020 to March 2021, and stressed that it should make appropriate linkages to SCoSS’s risk register and stakeholder engagement strategy.

• Action – Sally Witcher to supply feedback on the business plan to Sharon McIntyre and the Secretariat. Secretariat to produce a revised plan for consideration at a future board meeting.

Members provided feedback on the draft risk register prepared by Sharon McIntyre and the Secretariat, including the format in which future updates would be provided to the Board.

• Action – Sharon McIntyre and the Secretariat to update the draft risk register in line with members’ feedback, and to provide an update for consideration at a future board meeting.

The Board discussed a strategy paper on the most effective ways for SCoSS to engage with stakeholders. Members discussed in more detail the organisations that could support SCoSS to access people with lived experience in its work. Members also discussed which members would be best placed to develop relationships with individual stakeholders. The Board agreed an approach to determining whether members should attend conferences or events on behalf of SCoSS.

• Action – Secretariat to update the draft stakeholder strategy in line with members’ feedback.

Members received an update from the Secretariat on SCoSS’s timelines for reporting on further Scottish Child Payment draft provisions, following a request from the Cabinet Secretary for SCoSS to do so. Members stressed the importance of the Scottish Government providing the provisions in question as soon as possible, in order to allow SCoSS to produce its report by the required deadline. Members also discussed their approach to reporting on the provisions, including designating a lead drafter and establishing timelines.

• Action – Secretariat to ask Scottish Government officials to provide the further Scottish Child Payment provisions at the earliest possible date.
• Action – Mark Simpson to produce a draft report on the further provisions of the Scottish Child Payment draft regulations. The report will be signed off by email correspondence.

The Board discussed its approach to considering and reporting on forthcoming Scottish Government draft regulations on Uprating. Members identified various questions to ask Scottish Government officials to inform their scrutiny. Sally Witcher agreed to lead on the report, which is to be submitted to the Scottish Government on 14 February 2020.

• Action – Secretariat to forward Members questions uprating to Scottish Government officials.
• Action – Sally Witcher to produce a first draft of SCoSS’s report on uprating, and members to agree the final report by email correspondence.

The Board discussed a paper by the Secretariat on SCoSS’s independent website. Members made various suggestions as to how it could be developed, including the necessity of engaging with users. Members raised concern that the process for obtaining support and guidance on creating a website had been very protracted.

• Action – Secretariat to provide Members’ suggestions on developing SCoSS’s independent website to Scottish Government officials.

Date of the next meeting – informal meeting on 18 February to discuss draft DACYP Report, and formal Board meeting on 26 and 27 February 2020.