Ministerial meetings with Social Care Services in Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

• What meetings has Tom Arthur MSP and Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing attended since his appointment to that role with employers who provide social care service in Scotland?
• What meetings has Tom Arthur MSP and Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing attended since his appointment to that role with employer representatives who provide social care service in Scotland?
• What meetings has Tom Arthur MSP and Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing attended since his appointment to that role with trade unions who provide representation to the social care workforce in Scotland?
• Please list these meetings and detail who was in attendance and provide minutes of them.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested below. The answer to your question is, since appointment to the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing role in June 2025:

• Tom Arthur MSP attended 2 introductory meetings with employers who provide social care service in Scotland. He has attended a visit to Care Support Scotland on 25 June and a meeting with Theresa Shearer, CEO of Enable on 22 July.
• Tom Arthur MSP attended 3 introductory meetings with employer representatives who provide social care service in Scotland. He attended a meeting with Dr Donald MacAskill, CEO of Scottish Care on 16 July, a meeting with Rachel Cackett, CEO of Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) on 22 July, and a joint meeting with the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS), Scottish Care, Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA), Self-Directed Support Scotland (SDSS), the Intensive Care Society (ICS) and Social Work Scotland (SWS) on 4 August.
• Tom Arthur MSP attended 1 introductory meeting where a member of the Scottish Trade Union Council was present on 4 August. This was a group meeting with other organisations who are not in scope of your request.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under sections Section 30(b)(i) & (ii) (free & frank provision of advice or exchange of views) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

Exemptions under section 30(b)(i) & (ii) (free & frank provision of advice or exchange of views) applies to the minutes of the meeting you have requested because disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit the free and frank provision of advice and the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation. This exemption recognises the need for Ministers and officials to have a private space within which to discuss issues and options with external stakeholders before the Scottish Government reaches a settled public view. Disclosing the content of free and frank discussions on Freedom of Information Requests will substantially inhibit such discussions in the future, particularly because these discussions relate to a sensitive or controversial issue.

We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing Ministers and officials a private space within which to explore and refine the Government’s position on information released under Freedom of Information, until the Government as a whole can adopt a decision that is sound and likely to be effective. This private thinking space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered, so that good decisions can be taken. Premature disclosure is likely to undermine the full and frank discussion of issues between Ministers and officials, which in turn will undermine the quality of the decision-making process, which would not be in the public interest.

About FOI

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