Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Boards) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025 ("the Order"): equality impact assessment

Executive Summary

The purpose of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Boards) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025 is to extend voting rights to service user, unpaid carer and third sector representative members on Integration Joint Boards. This increased responsibility will encourage representatives to engage with members of their local communities to gather views and perspectives. It should, therefore, inform better planning and commissioning of services as decisions being made by the Board better reflect local priorities. This should result in positive impacts for those who access social care and community health services in their communities including elderly and disabled people, and children and families.

The EQIA examines and assesses the potential impacts of the policy change on people with protected characteristics using existing evidence, and consultation findings. There were no equality issues identified in the EQIA.