ALLIANCE Policy Round-Up

Dear members, 

Welcome to our quarterly update from the ALLIANCE policy team. My name is Rob Gowans and I’m the ALLIANCE’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager. Future updates will also be brought to you by my policy colleagues Lucy, Allan and Lowri.  

Social Care 

We have been focussing on changes that should be made in the short term to improves people’s experiences of social care, whilst continuing to make the case for transformative change in the longer term.  

The Policy team met with the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing to discuss our priorities for social care reform and the Mental Health Law Review. The Minister asked officials to follow up on several of the points we made in particular regarding the mental health and capacity law reform programme. 

During the last three months, we participated in the Scottish Government Proposed Extension of the Freedom of Informational (Scotland) Act in the care sector consultation advisory group. A public consultation on these proposals is due in the next few months. The Scottish Government will be seeking views on whether to extend current rules so that people are able to make Freedom of Information requests of care homes and care at home providers. The Policy team will be preparing a response to the consultation, and will be seeking members’ views to shape the response.  

We also spoke at the National SDS Collaboration about the ALLIANCE and CCPS’ open joint letter to the First Minister, and continued our pro-active membership of the Scottish Government Review of Definitions of Care and National Health and Social Care Standards Steering Group. Scottish Government colleagues noted their thanks for the assistance provided by the ALLIANCE with member engagement and consultation. 

Over the next few months, we will be producing a report or briefing summarising priorities for social care reform beyond the National Care Service based on the ALLIANCE’s engagement throughout the NCS development process. I’ll also be speaking on a panel at an upcoming TSI conference about the National Care Service/Care Reform Act. 

Human Rights 

Recently, we met with the Scottish Government international human rights monitoring team to discuss their follow-up to concerns raised by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights about the state of these rights in Scotland and the UK (Concluding Observations). This follows our evidence session and letter to the Scottish Parliament Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We . Subsequently wrote a joint letter with the Human Rights Consortium Scotland and others to the Minister for Equalities, setting out our request and recommendations for post-ICESCR Concluding Observations action by Scottish Government. further action on this by the Scottish Government. 

We had a helpful discussion with Scottish Government officials – at their request – about the Human Rights Bill Discussion Paper. At the meeting we raised ongoing concerns of the ALLIANCE and our members and recommended Scottish Government transparency about scope for incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRPD) into law to the maximum extent possible. We clearly expressed our interest in continuing to engage on Bill development, capability building, and tracker tool.   

During the quarter, we represented members across various human rights working groups to inform the creation of a ‘Core Concepts’ document.  This document is now being used to help improve public sector capability building projects by Improvement Service and NHS Education for Scotland contain references to SNAP 2 and how to do out a human rights review.  

In the months ahead, as well as continuing our participation in the human rights stakeholder groups, we’ll be continuing active participation in the SNAP Leadership Panel, which oversees the delivery of Scotland’s second National Action Plan on Human Rights (SNAP 2). Our Director of Policy, Research and Impact Policy and Lucy will be the new ALLIANCE rep on the Panel. 

Fair Finance 

Our work on Fair Finance covers third sector funding, social security, and public spending generally. We met with the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, as part of a round table discussion on the UK Government’s disability payment reforms and next steps, emphasising opposition to the original proposals to significantly restrict eligibility and concerns about the devolved impacts of the changes. 

We met with the UK Government’s Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, as part of a group discussion on the review of Personal Independence Payment, emphasising the importance of Scottish input to the process and consideration for the devolved impacts of any changes. 

The ALLIANCE submitted responses to several Scottish Parliament Committees Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2026-27 calls for views. As a result of this, we were invited to provide in person evidence to both the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee and the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. Our contributions focussed on the importance of a human rights budgeting approach being embedded across all areas of government, and ensuring that there was appropriate and adequate investment in social security. Social Justice and Social Security Committee. Our contributions focussed on the importance of a human rights budgeting approach being embedded across all areas of government and ensuring that there was appropriate and adequate investment in social security. 

On the horizon, we’ll be publishing updated findings from third sector member survey on finances – please take part in this if you haven’t already done so. We’re also considering follow up activity further to ALLIANCE and CCPS’ joint letter to the First Minister on third sector funding and are awaiting confirmation of the date to meet with the First Minister to discuss concerns raised in our open letter.  

This month we are hosting a fringe event on Third Sector Funding at the SNP Conference and will also be preparing a budget briefing for MSPs to highlight ALLIANCE priorities ahead of the Scottish Government’s Budget being debated. 

Scottish Parliamentary Election 

We finalised a version of the ALLIANCE’s manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election informed by members and shared it with the major political parties. Thank you to all ALLIANCE members, including organisational and individual members, for making substantial contributions to the development of the manifesto. 

We have had very positive feedback from members so far. Although the manifesto has not yet been published, please get in touch with policy@alliance-scotland.org.uk if you would like to discuss the content.  

As the election draws closer, we’ll be engaging with political parties to use the ALLIANCE’s manifesto asks to inform their manifesto development processes. The manifesto will also be publicly launched closer to the election. 

Health and healthcare 

Informed by extensive engagement with members, we submitted a response to the Scottish Government’s Long Term Conditions Framework consultation. We’re planning further activity to inform the development of the Framework, as well as engaging with members as it is developed.  

The ALLIANCE responded to the Public Health Scotland consultation on its new 10-year strategy. We highlighted that PHS is a long-standing partner and member of ours, and the numerous opportunities for continued collaboration to develop and deliver the strategy and achieve our shared ambitions. 

We also submitted a response to the Scottish Parliament Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s Call for Views on the Draft Climate Change Plan Scrutiny to highlight the impact and potential contribution of third sector health and social care organisations. 

The ALLIANCE with Edinburgh Community Health Forum, SDCD including CHEX, and VHS, published a joint open statement on prevention. We welcomed the renewed prevention policy intent from Scottish Government and COSLA but stressed that it is now crucial that these ambitions are translated into specific, fully resourced, and measurable actions at the national and local levels. We’re planning further dissemination and awareness-raising of the joint statement soon. 

We’re always keen to hear from our members about the policy issues you’re facing and working on. If you want to find out more from us, or have something to share, please get in touch with us at policy@alliance-scotland.org.uk. 

Many thanks, 

Rob 

In sharing this detailed roundup, we want to ensure our members stay informed about our work to shape policy and practice across Scotland. If you would like any further information or to have your voice heard on any of the issues discussed, please contact our membership team at membership@alliance-scotland.org.uk.