The ALLIANCE reiterates support for IJB voting rights extension
- Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
- Type: News Item
- Published: 2nd February 2026
Read our response to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's consultation on extending voting rights.
The ALLIANCE has reiterated its support for extending IJB voting rights to public partners in its response to the Health, Social Care and Sport Commmittee’s consultation on the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Boards) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025.
The ALLIANCE has consistently advocated for voting rights to be extended to all public partners including lived experience, unpaid carer, and third sector representatives. Although it is not the only barrier to full participation by service user and unpaid carer members of IJBs, not having voting rights contributes to them not being fully included as equal and valued members.
Additionally, it is important the third sector should be represented with full voting rights, given its invaluable role in health and social care integration, expertise in community-led health approaches, and the delivery of a third of all social care services in Scotland.
The ALLIANCE facilitates the IJB Lived Experience Representatives Network, a national network of individuals appointed to a role on an IJB to represent the perspectives and experiences of people who access support and services in their local area. We have also published ‘More Than Equal’, a joint report with the Coalition of Carers in Scotland making recommendations for how service user and unpaid carer representatives can be supported to play a meaningful role in decision making.
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