Health and social care - equipment and adaptations guidance: island communities impact assessment

Island Communities Impact Assessment Template

Please ensure this template is completed in conjunction with the Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) Guidance on the Scot Gov Website

Name of Policy, Strategy or Service: Provision of Equipment and Adaptations (2023)

Step one – develop a clear understanding of your objectives

What are the objectives of the policy, strategy or service?

• The main guidance (Equipment and adaptations: guidance on provision) was published in January 2023 and aims to give professionals, service users and carers a better understanding of local health and social care services responsibilities.
• The overall aim of this guidance is to deliver a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment and adaptations. Good provision of appropriate equipment and adaptations is key to support as many people as possible to live well in their own home.
• The guidance also includes advice on the timely provision of equipment to support hospital discharge and recommends that pathways for safe discharge must bridge the hospital to home gap through effective holistic joint multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working.

What are the intended impacts/ outcomes and how do these potentially differ across the islands?

• Local arrangements or practices may differ across the islands, but as the guidance is aimed at a national level, there is unlikely to be any particular impacts for island communities specifically.

• Everyone should have the same access to equipment and adaptations wherever they live. One of our main aims with the guidance is to ensure that this is equitable across the country.

Step two – gather your data and identify your stakeholders

What data is available about the current situation in the islands?

• The team has held large scale engagement events, including consultation sessions and surveys.
• These events included stakeholders from across the Island communities, including Shetland Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), Western Isles NHS Board and Western Isles HSCP, Highland NHS Board, Argyle and Bute HSCP, Angus HSCP, Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board.
• Shetland NHS Board responded to the online consultation and shared challenges unique to Islands.

Who are your key Stakeholders?

• Health and social care staff.

How does any existing data differ between islands?

• The data does not differ between Islands.

Are there any existing design features or mitigations in place?

• There is not any existing design features or mitigations in place

Step three – consultation

Has information already been gathered through previous engagements?

• Yes, 240 stakeholders participated in engagement events from across Scotland. 54 people responded to the online survey and 186 individuals attended the consultation sessions.
• Through the online consultation and engagement events, stakeholders noted island communities face challenges that are unique to the islands. Workforce challenges, the rate of fuel poverty, costs of adaptations and volume of stock available in the short-term were the main causes of concern from all stakeholders.

How will you carry out your consultation and in what timescales? Public meetings/Local Authorities/key Stakeholders?

• We specifically asked individuals to comment on each of the guidance’s key areas of focus to ensure that islands communities were able to accommodate any key actions around the fundamental aspects of the guidance.

What questions will you ask when considering how to address island realities?

• Through the online consultation, individuals were asked to set out any information they wished to share on the impact of the equipment and adaptations guidance on island communities. The question was – “Please set out any information you wish to share on the impact of the equipment and adaptations guidance on island communities.”

Separate consultation events for Island communities/Local Authorities?

• Island communities also attended the engagement events mentioned above and were invited to share their views and concerns.
• There were no separate consultation events as island communities attended the wider engagement events.

Step four - assessment

Is a full Island Communities Impact Assessment required?

You should now determine whether, in your opinion, your policy, strategy or service is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). To form your opinion, the following questions should be considered:

Are there mitigations in place for the impacts identified and noted above from stakeholders and community consultations? (If further ICIA action is not required, complete the section below and publish).

Does the evidence show different circumstances or different expectations or needs, or different experiences or outcomes (such as levels of satisfaction, or different rates of participation)? Are these different effects likely? Are these effects significantly different?

Could the effect amount to a disadvantage for an island community compared to the mainland or between island groups?

• The guidance is a national document for the whole country to access, and we do not believe that the impact on island communities would be significantly different to other parts of the country.
• The guidance sets out a series of key actions to help deliver the aims to help deliver a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment and adaptations. The mode of delivery can be adapted to fit with local needs and assets.
• The key actions in the document have been developed through stakeholder engagement and in alignment with wider policies and guidance. Implementation will be determined and driven locally depending on needs and circumstances.

If your answer is ‘no’ to the above questions, please complete the box below.

If the answer is ‘yes’, an ICIA must be prepared, and you should proceed to Step 5.

A full Islands Community Impact Assessment is NOT required

In preparing the ICIA, I have formed an opinion that our policy, strategy or service is NOT likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). The reason for this is detailed below.

Reason for not completing a full Islands Communities Impact Assessment:

The guidance is a national document, and we do not believe that the impact on Island communities would be significantly different to other parts of the country. It does not exclude or place different key actions on island communities.

Screening ICIA completed by (name)

Kirstin Patterson-Millar

Position

Senior Policy Manager, Social Care Immediate Response & Improvement Division

Signature and date

KPM 10/06/2025

ICIA authorised by (we recommend DD level)

Derek Grieve

Position

Deputy Director

Signature and date

Derek Grieve 10/06/2025