Disability Working Group
Satellite Group 4 Meeting Note 19 July 2005
Group 4 - Social inclusion; poverty; independent living; direct payments; care and support services; rehabilitation.
Attendance:
David Thomson, Scottish Executive: Equality Unit (Temporary Chair)
Wyn Merrells, Scottish Disability Equality Forum
Maggie Williams, RNID Scotland
Sally Witcher Independent Consultant
Chris Taylor, Scottish Executive: Supporting People
Jeannie Munroe, Scottish Executive: Vulnerable Adults Unit
Apologies from/unable to attend:
Kay Barton, Scottish Executive: Social Inclusion - Anti-Poverty
Jim Elder-Woodward, Inclusion Scotland
Ann Brown, RNID Scotland
Kate Higgins, Capability Scotland
Kate Wallace, Scottish Association for Mental Health
Robert Weetman, Scottish Human Services Trust
Welcome and Introductions
1. David Thomson welcomed the group to their second meeting which would be focussing on Poverty.
Note of the last meeting
2. The note of the last meeting was agreed.
3. David provided an update on the Action Points from the note of the last meeting. As requested:
- the group had been provided with a paper on Poverty, Benefits and Grants by Sally Witcher;
- Equality Unit have investigated involvement of some other groups/officials. As a result Jeannie Munroe from Community Care's Vulnerable Adult Unit has joined the group. No one to date identified from Local Authorities (LA).
Background Paper
4. Sally Witcher provided a brief overview of her paper from the group on Poverty, Benefits and Grants and provided an opportunity for the group to ask questions and clarify any points.
Discussion
5. The group focussed their discussion on section 6 of Sally's paper, 'What could the Scottish Executive (SE) do?'. Issues considered by the group or for further investigation included:
Reducing income needs
- Changes to local taxation - The group thought this was worth investigating further.
- Introduce individualised budgets - UK Strategy Unit report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People suggests pooling sources of funding support for disabled people into one individualised budget; pilots currently being organised in England. Group thought this would be worth investigating further.
- Remove prescription charges - Not all disabled people have health issues and therefore may not impact on all disabled people. The group wasn't sure of the current situation in Scotland and therefore asked for further information on the Scottish and Welsh situation.
- Schemes for home insulation - There are a number of Executive schemes (Chris to investigate) in place; plus Age Concern have a scheme for people over 60 to get reduced fuel bills (Jeannie to investigate); £200 older people winter fuel allowance, currently a treasury measure, could be extended to disabled people. Not all disabled people would require this support how do you target those who do?
- Free Personal Care - Could be extended to include younger people. Potential cost might be prohibitive. Jeannie to investigate SE position further.
- Housing Support Charges - disparity between housing support charges disabled people pay. Support comes from SE Supporting People Budget, however, assessments, which are based on DWP guidance, are carried out by LA's. Could this guidance, and subsequently LA's, be influenced? Chris to find out more.
- Access to sport and arts - Important for health and well being. Scottish Arts Council (SAC) are going to speak to Core Disability Working Group about their work in this area.
- Diet - Group considered whether specialised diets might have an impact on disabled people's income e.g. needing to purchase specific food products that are more expensive. Has the healthy eating initiative considered impact on disabled people?
Opening up Access
- Increase scope of Disabled Students Allowance - SE review currently underway. Another satellite group is looking at education will highlight this to them and ask them to consider this.
- Fund welfare rights workers and disability information services - Executive currently funds Update plus there are many small groups providing information, how do these or should they work together? Information is vital to the disabled people's inclusion, accessing their rights. Main issues to consider are quality and accessibility. Scottish Accessible Information Forum are going to talk to the Core Group about their work in this area.
- Employment - as there is a satellite group (Group 1) looking specifically at this issue the group agreed to highlight employments impact on benefits. RNID have done a survey focussing on employment which they are due to publish soon, which might be of interest to Group 1. Maggie to provide details once published.
- A Charging Framework for local authorities is due to be finalised soon. Chris to provide an update.
- Extend support and advice to disabled people wanting to access direct payments. Invite Sarah Stewart from Vulnerable Adults Unit (VUA) to come to next meeting to provide an update.
- One Stop Shops for advice /support on health services, benefits, employment, community care etc. - A Sensory Resource Centre, which brings together this concept, is opening in Falkirk in August. Maggie to provide some background on the new centre and how they propose to monitor its success.
Other issues
- Housing Bill - At the next meeting on Independent Living it would be good to get a briefing from the Housing Bill Team.
- Invite Disablement Income Group (DIG) to join the group.
- Could the Rural Development Transport Initiatives be extended to urban areas? Will raise with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to see if this is an area they have considered.
Planning Future Meetings
6. The group agreed that future meetings would be extended to three hours and that the first hour of the meeting would be dedicated to considering the special subject of the previous meeting and drawing together group recommendations e.g. first hour of next meeting will again focus on Poverty.
7. Information for the next meeting:
- Ask Jim Elder-Woodward if he would do a paper on Direct Payments.
- Sally to provide a paper on No. 10 Strategy Unit Report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People.
8. Group chair - The group discussed the chairing arrangements for the group. David agreed to ask Jim if he would consider chairing.
Planning the report back to the Core Group (19 July)
7. Sally Witcher agreed to provide the group report to the Core Group this afternoon.
Any other business
8. Sally informed the group that the Disability Employment Advisory Committee (DEAC, of which she is the Chair, is currently recruiting for committee members and encouraged anyone interested to apply. Further information can be found at
www.deac.org.uk.
Action Points
- Investigate feasibility of changes to local taxation - Equality Unit (EU)
- Briefing paper on UK Strategy Unit Report Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People and individualised budgets - Sally.
- Investigate prescription charging situation in Scotland and further information on Welsh position - EU.
- Investigate schemes for home insulation, central heating etc. - Chris
- Investigate Age Concern reduced fuel bills scheme - Jeannie
- Investigate SE position on extension of Free Personal Care - Jeannie
- Housing Support Charges guidance to LA's - Chris to find out more
- Invite Sarah Stewart, VUA, to attend next meeting - Jeannie
- Information on Sensory Resource Centre in Falkirk - Maggie
- Invite representative from Housing Bill Team to next meeting - EU.
- Invite Disablement Income Group (DIG) to join group - EU.
- Briefing Paper on Direct Payments - Ask Jim Elder-Woodward.
- Ask Jim to Chair group - EU.
- Extend future meetings to three hours and circulate times to group - EU.
- Invite comments from all those who did not attend this meeting in advance for circulation before the next meeting
Equality Unit
July 2005