Independent Living Fund Working Group: report and recommendations

Summary of Recommendations

A broad and discretionary ILF scheme that supports independent living outcomes

• Recommendation 1 - The new ILF scheme should be broad and discretionary, within the confines of clear eligibility criteria, is aimed at supporting independent living, is outcomes based, and is person-led.

Interaction with services provided by statutory agencies and other non-statutory organisations

• Recommendation 2 - The new ILF scheme should be additional and complementary to services provided by statutory agencies and other non-statutory organisations.

• Recommendation 3 - Dependent on the needs of the individual, a partnership approach, involving relevant statutory agencies might be part of the overall provision of ILF support. However, it is important to deliver the best possible outcome for the individual, and provision of support in itself should not be dependent on the input of a statutory authority.

• Recommendation 4 - The new ILF scheme should have the flexibility to be reviewed in the context of future changes impacting on the wider Scottish policy landscape.

Eligibility Criteria

• Recommendation 5 - Use of the new fund should be outcomes focused and based on individual needs, as defined by the individual, with information, additional support and advocacy provided as required.

• Recommendation 6 - The list of areas that could be supported by the fund should not be overly prescriptive, and the fund should be discretionary and flexible enough to tailor to individual needs and outcomes, within the confines of agreed eligibility criteria.

• Recommendation 7 - There should be age based eligibility criteria for the new scheme. The actual age criteria that are applied should be relevant to the selection of the priority areas for phased implementation (outlined within paragraphs 39 to 42).

• Recommendation 8 - Access to the new ILF scheme should depend on there being evidence of disability or impairment. Receipt of the care component (at any rate) of Disability Living Allowance ( DLA) or Personal Independence Payment ( PIP) (or a future replacement Scottish benefit) may be considered as a means to verify evidence of disability. However this is not the only method of doing so, and other ways of doing this should be considered.

• Recommendation 9 - Local authority support should not be a condition of eligibility for the new ILF scheme.

Minimum and Maximum Awards

• Recommendation 10 - The new ILF scheme should not have a minimum level of award.

• Recommendation 11 - The new ILF scheme should have a maximum level of award.

Reapplications

• Recommendation 12 - There should be the possibility of reapplications to the new ILF scheme. However new applications that meet the criteria for award should be prioritised.

Time limits

• Recommendation 13 - Awards under the new ILF scheme should be time limited, with a defined end date that is linked to defined outcomes.

Phased implementation of the new ILF scheme

• Recommendation 14 - The new ILF scheme should be implemented in a 'phased' way.

• Recommendation 15 - Evaluation should be built into the approach from the start.

• Recommendation 16 - The initial phase for implementation should be reviewed after a defined period. Future phasing for the new ILF scheme should depend on the learning from the initial phase.

• Recommendation 17 - Implementation and future policy development for ILF should be done in co-production with disabled people and carers, and in partnership with relevant organisations and agencies.

Phased implementation priorities

• Recommendation 18 - The 4 priority areas for phased implementation of the new ILF scheme should be:
  • Area 1 - To support discharge from residential, nursing or long stay hospital care back into the local community or local area
  • Area 2 - To support the transitions from child to adult supports
  • Area 3 - To support an individual to move out of the family home into an independent living setting
  • Area 4 - To support a disabled adult who becomes a new parent, or to support with parenting
• Recommendation 19 - From the list of priority areas, Areas 2 and 3 should be the focus of the initial phases of implementation of the new ILF scheme. The very first phase of implementation should focus on Area 2 - supporting the transitions from child to adult supports.

• Recommendation 20 - Further work should be done to gather evidence regarding the potential implementation of Area 3 - supporting an individual to move out of their family home into an independent living setting - with a view to identifying whether this area should be the subject of the next implementation phase.

Communication of the outputs from the ILF Working Group

• Recommendation 21 - The Working Group's report should be made publically available in a range of accessible formats and communicated to those who have contributed to the Group's work, including the attendees who participated in the ILF Scotland run engagement events.