Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan: Ministerial Oversight Group minutes - September 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Kaukab Stewart, Minister for Equalities
• Councillor Maureen Chalmers, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA’s) Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing
• Kristen Anderson, Head of Development Planning, representing the Minister for Public Finance
• Stella Smith, Unit Head – Additional Support for Learning and The Promise, representing the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise
• Niamh O'Connor, Deputy Director - Population Health Strategy and Improvement, representing the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health  
• Matt Elsby, Deputy Director - Better Homes, to present progress made on Accommodation actions
• Gordon Struth, Anti-Racism in Employment Team Leader, to present progress made on Employment and Employability actions

 

Apologies       

• Ms Don-Innes, Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise

• Mr McKee, Minister for Public Finance
• Ms Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women's Health

Items and actions

Welcome

• Ms Stewart welcomed attendees and outlined the meeting’s focus on updates to the Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan
• following the Cabinet reshuffle, Ms Todd will no longer attend; Ms Minto will cover the full health portfolio until March 2026 therefore there is no need for Mr Arthur to attend
• Mr Lochhead is not required to attend due to limited employment-related actions; a senior official will provide updates instead
• there is currently no dedicated Housing Minister. Ms McAllan has been invited to consider attending; senior officials will continue reporting on housing progress in the meantime

Brief update on work related to the “Tinker Experiment(s)”

• in June, the Scottish Government published findings from independent research and community consultation on historical policies affecting Gypsy/Travellers, colloquially known as the “Tinker Experiment(s)”
• the First Minister issued a formal apology in Parliament, acknowledging the harm caused and committing to preventing recurrence
• progress to improve lives of community members has been made since the launch of the first Gypsy/Traveller action plan, particularly in education and accommodation
• continued focus on delivering these actions remains essential
• the apology was well received, with community members eager to continue dialogue and shape future work
• from September to November 2025, officials will engage with campaigners and communities to gather stories and discuss next steps, which will inform short-term actions and future planning as the current action plan concludes
• work is ongoing with COSLA and partners to align future efforts with community priorities
• the Scottish Human Rights Commission will publish its analysis of the “Tinker Experiment(s)” in November 2025, offering further insight for future decisions

Comments from Councillor Chalmers

• Councillor Chalmers thanked Ms Stewart and the First Minister for the sincere and necessary apology
• in August, COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Board condemned past injustices against Gypsy/Travellers and reaffirmed its commitment to the national Action Plan and ongoing engagement
• the Board emphasised the importance of strong partnerships with communities, government, and third sector to prevent future harm
• COSLA committed to continued dialogue through its Local Leaders Network and Lead Officer Group to build trust and improve outcomes for Gypsy/Travellers

Updates on Actions

Scottish Government Equality Actions – Ms Stewart

• published the 2025–2026 Seldom Heard Groups Action Plan with input from stakeholders including Minority ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
• engaged stakeholders to inform the next Benefit Take-Up Strategy, due October 2026
• MECOPP contributed to the fuel poverty report and discussed links to energy efficiency programmes
• promoted Gypsy/Traveller needs across government and facilitated stakeholder connections
• hosted national Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month event with almost 75 attendees; feedback was positive
• planning three community conversations to strengthen engagement; locations identified and coordination underway
• visited Duncholgan Caravan Site and Tinkers’ Heart in Argyll and Bute to learn about local issues and ongoing work
• finalising hate crime and cohesion toolkit with COSLA; will be updated annually with community input
• published Census 2022 report on Gypsy/Travellers showing poor outcomes in health and education. Preparing separate Census report on Roma communities for release later this year
• working to improve ethnicity data collection and harmonisation with Office for National Statistics, Government Statistical Service, and National Records Scotland

COSLA update - Councillor Chalmers

• COSLA leaders agreed in principle to the integration of the Gypsy/Traveller accommodation into the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) from 2026/27, in principle in relation to additional funding being provided to LA’s for additional asks on their budgets. Several councils are preparing local projects and have been involved in reviewing draft AHSP guidance
• COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Board approved a partnership review with SG of minimum site standards guidance (last published in 2015)
• COSLA’s LA Lead Officer Group agreed the set up a short-life working group to develop tools and guidance based on the recommendations of the Negotiated Stopping pilot evaluation. The group meets bi-weekly and will work with MECOPP to ensure community voice in and draft deliverable outcomes
• the Local Leaders Network met in May and received cultural competency training from MECOPP. The mailing list includes 130 councillors
• the Lead Officer Group met twice since the last Ministerial Oversight Group. Updates included progress on the integration of the accommodation fund to AHSP and review of site standards, and reaffirmed local authority commitment to culturally appropriate housing
• August’s meeting covered updates from the Negotiated Stopping group, MECOPP’s roundtable, and the Cross-Party Group. Presentations highlighted collaborative work benefiting children, young people, and families.
• the historical policies report was discussed
• early discussions have taken place for post-April 2026 work. The group stressed the need for sustained short, medium, and long-term action
• the group will meet again in December; 70 members are on the mailing list.
• a community conversation will be held in Dumbarton on 30 September, with two more planned for Edinburgh and Inverness this year. Conversations in Oban and Fife are expected next year. These events remain vital for direct community engagement

Kristen Anderson, Head of Development Planning, representing the Minister for Public Finance (Objectives 6-7)

• two planning guides are being developed: one for Gypsy/Traveller communities (led by North Lanarkshire) and one for planning officers (led by South Lanarkshire). Progress has been limited - authorities have reported resource pressures; light-touch guides are now expected by March 2026. MECOPP received grant support to facilitate community input. Next progress meeting is in October
• a well-attended learning session with MECOPP was held on 27 August 2024 for local authority planners

Education - Stella Smith, Unit Head – Additional Support for Learning and The Promise, representing the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise (objectives 8-12)

• the Gypsy/Traveller Education Steering Group held its final meeting; Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP) will continue working with members to align education with emerging policy
• STEP’s Practitioner Toolkit design is finalised and reviewed; it includes local literacy contacts and links to relevant resources
• local authority staff participated in evaluations and training to support transitions between education settings; 10 Digital Transitions Sacks were distributed
• STEP supported collaboration between community members and educators in two areas to build awareness and trust
• 46 Starter Sacks were distributed in spring; STEP partnered with three library services to support delivery
• two non-mainstream education settings joined the School Pledge programme; culturally relevant literature is being sourced for participating schools
• interim guidance on responding to racism was published in June; whole-school approach guidance is due early 2026, with feedback from STEP gathered over summer

Health - Niamh O'Connor, Deputy Director - Population Health Strategy and Improvement,  representing the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health and the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport (Objectives 13-18)

• Health Boards are making progress in reducing health inequalities for Gypsy/Traveller communities by integrating culturally sensitive approaches.

• Highlands: Completed health needs assessment to improve NHS access and inform training and policies
• Ayrshire & Arran: Community health workers (CHW) reduced mental health stigma; co-produced leaflet now shared nationally
• Greater Glasgow & Clyde: All children at Dennytoun site registered with GPs and receiving care; wider engagement reached almost 1,500 people, improving access to healthcare and support services

• the new plan focuses on three areas: embedding CHW learning, mental health, and the National Care Service
• embedding CHW Learning:

• Health Boards are finalising local priorities for Anti-Racism plans, in consultation with communities
• Public Health Scotland has set up quarterly reporting and is developing strategic needs assessments
• a national group chaired by Scottish Government is improving healthcare access, collaboration, and support for Health Board leads

• mental health:

• MECOPP is now part of key national forums and has delivered training with Self-Harm Network Scotland
• Suicide Prevention Scotland is strengthening CHW-local coordination.
• MECOPP received almost £100,000 to support mental health for children, youth, and families
• cultural awareness training delivered; tailoring of mental health materials is in progress

• National Care Service:

• MECOPP held six co-design sessions with Gypsy/Traveller carers
• final report submitted to inform future National Care Service policy development

Matt Elsby, Deputy Director - Better Homes, to present progress made on Accommodation actions (Objectives 1-4)

• progress continues on three Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund (GTAF) sites: some residents have moved into new homes in Highland and Perth & Kinross; Perth due to complete November 2025, Highland June 2026. Work resumed in Clackmannanshire, due to complete May 2026
• independent evaluation by Diffley Partnership is underway, with fieldwork recently completed in Fife and Clackmannanshire
• work is progressing to integrate Gypsy/Traveller accommodation funding into the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) from 2026/27. Guidance will be shared soon; understand several landlords are preparing projects for submission
• Scottish Government and COSLA are reviewing site standards to align with housing standards, including exploring application of Awaab’s Law. Stakeholder engagement is planned
• scoping work has begun to develop a plan for the site standards review.
• commissioning of Housing Needs and Demand  research delayed, but preparatory work continues
• a successful learning event was held alongside the last group meeting, sharing insights from GTAF demonstration projects and new resources supplementing the Interim Site Design Guide

Gordon Struth, Anti-Racism in Employment Team Leader, to present progress made on Employment and Employability actions (Objectives 23-24)

• Gypsy/Traveller employment issues are being mainstreamed into the Anti-Racist Employment Strategy, backed by Ministers and developed with stakeholders
• a shift from creating senior leadership networks to building capacity at Chief Executive Officer (CEO) level was agreed, with engagement expanding to include Gypsy/Traveller and Roma stakeholders
• a recruitment toolkit under review will include guidance for supporting Gypsy/Traveller applicants
• an anti-racism training framework is being developed to help employers choose effective training, including Gypsy/Traveller content
• a workshop will explore how to support Positive Action, addressing employer concerns and including Gypsy/Traveller-focused examples
• a Resource Hub was soft-launched in June, with a full version due in November. It will include Gypsy/Traveller content and is being promoted via business networks
• employability services under No One Left Behind are available in all local authorities. Work is underway to improve referrals and raise awareness among Gypsy/Traveller communities
• awareness efforts include staff briefings, website updates, and exploring inclusion of employability info in benefit award letters

Any Other Business (AOB)

• Ms Stewart acknowledged that officials are already engaging with stakeholders to discuss plans beyond this Action Plan that fits with mainstreaming work

• Ms Stewart thanked attendees for their updates and continued commitment to delivering the actions contained within the Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan

Actions

• Matthew Elsby to feedback to the Minister on the funding situation in Duncholgan
• officials will circulate the meeting minute prior to publication on the Scottish Government’s website
• the next meeting will be held in December 2025 (date to be confirmed)