Ukraine Resettlement: Stakeholder Reference Group - terms of reference

Introduction

As part of ‘Scotland's support for displaced people from Ukraine: Super Sponsor Scheme review’ published in November 2022, the Scottish Government committed to establishing a new Ministerial-led stakeholder reference group to ensure wide feedback and participation from the fullest range of stakeholders with an active interest. This would include wider third sector and volunteer communities and representatives of the Ukrainian community in Scotland.

Remit/purpose of the group 

The purpose of the Stakeholder Reference Group is to give a strong voice to Ukrainians who have arrived in Scotland through displacement as a result of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.

The group will operate in an advisory capacity, providing policy and decision-makers at national and local level access to expertise in both lived experience and subject matter. To guide and help shape thinking in relation to policy development, operational delivery, and communications, the group will provide feedback about what is working, the challenges being faced and a platform for consultation on matters of importance to displaced people from Ukraine.

The Stakeholder Reference Group is not a forum to discuss individual cases or specific local authority issues. These issues should be raised through the appropriate channels. For example, through local authority resettlement contacts for individual cases, or COSLA officials for cross cutting local authority issues.

 In the event members are unsure who to contact or an issue remains unresolved this may be referred to the Stakeholder Reference Group Secretariat at eihrukraineresettlement@gov.scot for further advice.

A record will be kept of the group’s outputs and recommendations, and regularly presented with the Warm Scottish Welcome Delivery Board for consideration. Any outputs or recommendations that are out with the scope of the Warm Scottish Welcome programme will be considered by the relevant organisation as appropriate. The group will be updated on how issues raised have been dealt with.

Co-Chair and membership

The group will be co-Chaired on a tripartite basis by Ms Kaukab Stewart, Minister for Equalities, Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Refugee Council and Councillor Maureen Chalmers, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing. Each meeting will be chaired on a rotating basis by one co-Chair.

The remaining members will comprise of people with lived experience, subject experts, third sector organisations, local authorities, the Scottish Government, Scottish Government agencies and UK Government and UK Government agencies.

The group shall comprise of between 20-25 members. Of this, two thirds of the group, including at least one co-Chair, can make and agree actions for the meeting to be quorate.

There is flexibility to have fewer members of the group attend or to nominate a substitute with the co-Chairs’ agreement.

The co-Chairs may invite non-members of the group to attend and contribute to meetings as appropriate.

Membership is on a voluntary, non-remunerated basis. Appointment is not a public appointment and is not subject to the public appointments process. Members can leave voluntarily at any time, with new members to be agreed upon by the co-Chairs. Membership will be kept under continuous review

Connection to other groups

The Stakeholder Reference Group will operate alongside, but separate to, already-established governance structures for the Warm Scottish Welcome programme.

The outputs of the group will be regularly presented to the Delivery Board.

The outputs from this group will also be shared with other relevant groups as appropriate, such as other governance groups within the Warm Scottish Welcome programme and the New Scots Strategy governance structure.

Role of government and agencies

Scottish Government officials should attend the meetings in an advisory role if needed, provide secretariat duties and as observers.

Representatives of local government, UK Government and other agencies may attend the meetings in an observer or advisory role and to provide updates where appropriate.

Meetings

The group will meet twice a year, with any additional meetings to be agreed upon, as necessary. The frequency of meetings can be changed following discussions at the meeting and agreement by the co-Chairs.

Members will be expected to read papers for meetings and prepare for each meeting in advance. Meetings will last no longer than one hour and thirty minutes.

Agenda and papers

Secretariat for the group will be provided by the Scottish Government’s Strategic Policy Team, Ukraine Directorate. 

Any group member can, by contacting the Secretariat, suggest agenda items for future meetings. The co-Chairs will decide the final agenda.

The Secretariat will aim to distribute an agenda and accompanying papers at least five working days before a scheduled meeting.

An official note of the meetings and any subsequent action points will be shared with the Delivery Board and published on the Scottish Government website after co-Chairs and members have agreed the contents.

An issues log for the group to capture all actions arising will be maintained by the Secretariat. This will be circulated amongst the members following each meeting.