Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan: Ministerial Oversight Group - terms of reference

Role 

The Ministerial Oversight Group (MOG) on Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan will seek to support the development of a new plan and provide a scrutiny function to ensure sound delivery and improvements across all relevant portfolio areas.

It will seek to: 

• support the development of an action plan to improve outcomes for Gypsy/Traveller communities
• provide cross – government support and scrutiny to ensure key actions within the action plan are being met
• listen to and seek to address live concerns from communities
• demonstrate a cross-government approach in supporting Gypsy/Traveller communities

Membership 

The MOG will be co-chaired by the Minister for Equalities and COSLA’s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing who are jointly responsible for the delivery of the action plan. 

The MOG will consist of relevant Ministers who hold responsibility for areas which fall within the scope of the action plan. Proposed Ministers are as below, along with their specific area of focus in relation to the action plan.

• Minister for Equalities (Co-chair) - cross-government work to support communities as set out in the action plan 
• COSLA’s spokesperson for Community Wellbeing (Co-chair) - local delivery ensuring national and local actions/activity complement each other
• Minister for Housing - work to improve housing/accommodation including more and better accommodation through the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund and other actions
• Minister for Public Finance - *planning system in supporting Gypsy/Travellers and the effectiveness of shared Scottish Government/Council delivery 
• Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health - work to support and improve public health for communities, including the Community Health Workers Programme, staff learning and development and access to health services 
• Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport - work to improve mental health and social care for communities
• Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise - focus on education experiences of young people and families and ensuring their children’s rights are respected 

The Minister for Equalities and COSLA’s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing are welcome to nominate other elected representatives to join meetings of the MOG on an ad-hoc basis whenever they deem that appropriate. 

Stakeholders and community members will be invited to join meetings to listen in and to have an opportunity after key agenda points to ask questions. This has worked smoothly in the past by relying on the expertise of the stakeholders who support community members and the Strategic Team for Anti-Racism who ensure there is always respectful engagement.

Ministerial roles and responsibilities

Ministers are asked to undertake the following tasks as part of the MOG: 

• to ensure that the government is working collectively to address challenges and opportunities facing Gypsy/Traveller communities. These issues may or may not fall within the scope of the action plan
• to update the MOG on key updates and challenges concerning their respective portfolio areas that fall within the scope of the action plan
• to listen to and respond to feedback from communities and stakeholders

Secretariat and policy support 

Each minister will be supported by relevant officials within their portfolio areas. 

The Strategic Team for Anti-Racism will provide secretariat functions. 

Minutes of the meetings will be uploaded on the relevant Scottish Government’s website page once cleared by all ministers.

Timings, location, and agenda 

It is expected the MOG will meet quarterly with the first meeting taking place in May 2024. 

Further meetings might be held in August 2024, November 2024 and February 2025.  

Meetings will be held virtually. 

Agendas will be agreed by the co-chairs and sent for circulation along with relevant papers, no later than 1 week prior to meetings. 

A standing agenda will consist of the following key items and will be subject to modifications depending on circumstances such as key concerns facing communities and ministerial requests. 

• welcome and apologies 
• key updates on the action plan 
• key challenges with delivery
• current concerns facing communities 
• AOB 

Initial meetings will seek to discuss the results of the listening exercise and the development of a new plan, thereafter, focus will turn to scrutinising the delivery of the new plan.