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

Background

Policy Purpose, Aims and Context

Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) are governance bodies which oversee the local planning, commissioning and delivery of services relating to social care and community health. Their membership currently includes unpaid carer, service user and third sector representatives (collectively referred to as “lived experience” members) who are responsible for reflecting the breadth and diversity of views and situations of the groups that they represent. These members represent the lived reality of accessing and providing health and social care services in their communities and provide valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities the IJB should consider in its planning.

Lived experience members of IJBs do not currently have voting rights. The Independent Review of Adult Social Care (IRASC) told us it was “vital to amplify the voice of lived experience at every level”, and recommended extending voting rights to all public partners on IJBs in Scotland, to address the two-tiered system under the current arrangement that undermines these members’ ability to be fully involved in decision making. Extending voting rights to these IJB members should improve the parity of decisions taken by IJBs as a whole.

This Order amends the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Boards) (Scotland) Order 2014 so that lived experience members have voting rights. This proposal is grounded in extensive co-design efforts that incorporated the voices of lived experience and Integration Authority leaders, further backed up by work carried out by the Scottish Government since the publication of the IRASC recommendations in 2021.

The policy change requires an order to amend the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Boards) (Scotland) Order 2014. The policy contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority to deliver high quality and sustainable public services, and the National Outcome Communities through enhancing the involvement of people with lived experience in local decision-making.

Development Process

This policy was developed through work on the National Care Service, which was informed by the recommendations and priorities identified in the Independent Review of Adult Social Care. The Review told us it was “vital to amplify the voice of lived experience at every level”.^[1] The proposal to extend voting rights to lived experience members on IJBs is grounded in extensive co-design efforts that specifically engaged both lived experience representative and wider voices of lived experience from communities, as well as IJB Chairs, Vice Chairs and Chief Officers.

Who the policy affects

Integration Joint Boards comprise of voting and non-voting members. The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Boards) Scotland Order 2014 requires Local Authorities and Health Boards as the delegating authorities to put forward a minimum of three voting member nominees each, drawn from Councillors (LA) and Non-Executive Directors (HB)^[2], as well as minimum non-voting membership consisting of:

• The chief social work officer of the local authority;
• The proper officer of the integration joint board appointed under section 95 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973;
• A registered medical practitioner whose name is included in the list of primary medical services performers prepared by the Health Board in accordance with Regulations made under section 17P of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978;
• A registered nurse who is employed by the Health Board or by a person or body with which the Health Board has entered into a general medical services contract;
• A registered medical practitioner employed by the Health Board and not providing primary medical services;

Once an Integration Joint Board is established it must appoint at least one member in respect of each of the following groups:

• Staff of the constituent authorities engaged in the provision of services provided under integration functions;
• Third sector bodies carrying out activities related to health or social care in the area of the local authority;
• Service users residing in the area of the local authority; and
• Persons providing unpaid care in the area of the local authority.^[3]

The policy change will provide unpaid carer, service user and third sector representatives with voting rights. This increased responsibility encourages these 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.