Uphold the Human Rights Act and European Convention on Human Rights

• Oppose any attempt to repeal or reduce the scope of the Human Rights Act.
• Maintain UK membership of the European Convention on and Court of Human Rights.

The UK has played a leading role in developing, advancing and embedding human rights domestically and internationally. There is much to be proud of in that history, from putting respect for human rights at the centre of European political life after the horrors of World War II, to the landmark passage of the UK’s own Human Rights Act (HRA) in 1998.

Despite this laudable record, in recent years the UK has been on a worrying trajectory in relation to human rights. Proposals to replace the Human Rights Act with a more limited Bill of Rights were deeply concerning. The ALLIANCE welcomed the abandonment of this Bill and continue to strongly oppose any revival of these plans or any attempts to otherwise repeal or reduce the scope of the Human Rights Act.

Similarly, recent rhetoric in relation to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), incorrectly describing it as a “foreign court”, has been worrying. The ECtHR is an international court, charged with Europe-wide enforcement of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which the UK was instrumental in drafting. This is a highly effective model for advancing human rights, ensuring that national governments are not left as the ultimate authority on their own compliance. The UK’s membership of the ECtHR is a fundamental cornerstone of domestic human rights protections and must be maintained.

Strengthen the existing human rights framework

• Amend the Scotland Act to remove unintended restrictions on the Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate for human rights.
• Fully incorporate international human rights treaties into domestic law.
• Ensure respect for the right to inclusive communication, particularly for people with sensory impairments.

Whilst the HRA and ECHR provide a strong framework for human rights protections, there remain opportunities to embed human rights more firmly throughout all areas of law and government. The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Incorporation Act, and there are plans to incorporate more international human rights treaties into Scots law.

However, the UNCRC Act was delayed and significantly reduced in scope by a decision of the UK Supreme Court which ruled some provisions to be outwith the Scottish Parliament’s powers. This decision has been described as “wholly unexpected” and “incoherent” by Professor Aileen McHarg, who has raised concerns about the implications on the Scottish Parliament’s ability to fully incorporate other treaties.

The ALLIANCE does not believe this is an intended feature of devolution and urge parties to commit to amending the Scotland Act to remove it. We also believe international human rights treaties (UNCRC, ICESCR, UNCPRD, ICERD and CEDAW), and the right to a healthy environment, should be incorporated and applied across the UK, underpinned by adequate ability to access justice and redress in relation to rights across all public services, whether devolved or reserved.

More must be done to ensure equal access to services and information for people with sensory impairment or loss. Communication must be respected as a human right, including through the provision of accessible information and inclusive communications.

Deliver a fair immigration system that supports recruitment and upholds the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers

• Ensure there is a supportive immigration environment for people seeking to move to the UK to work in health and social care.
• Repeal the Rwanda Bill.
• Ensure human rights protections are not removed from any groups or individuals.

The health and social care sectors across both Scotland and the UK benefit enormously from people choosing to move to the UK for work. Brexit has already negatively impacted the ability of the sector to recruit internationally, and this has been further impacted by additional restrictions imposed by the UK Government.

To attract and maintain the skilled workforce needed in health and social care, there must be a supportive immigration environment for people seeking to move to the UK to work in those sectors. This should include exempting workers from minimum income requirements, if those requirements are to exist at all, and restrictions on bringing spouses and dependents with them, in breach of their right to family life.

The Rwanda Bill, which seeks to disapply human rights protections for refugees and asylum seekers, must be repealed as a matter of urgency. This and any attempts to disapply the HRA or ECHR from any specific group or individuals are in direct contravention of the basic principles of human rights, and in breach of international law.

Human rights are universal and inalienable. Everyone’s human rights must be upheld, and rights must apply equally to everyone. Removing human rights protections from some individuals or groups risks subjecting people to severe abuses of their human rights and dignity. This sets a dangerous precedent that rights could be removed from other groups in the future.

The 2024 UK general election comes at a pivotal point, following Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cost of living crisis, all of which have had serious but unevenly felt impacts. It presents an opportunity to restore the UK’s status as a global leader in human rights – not simply defending our existing framework but taking further action to progressively realise human rights.

It’s a moment where, learning from our experience of COVID-19, renewed investment in health, social care and reducing health inequalities can transform lives. It’s time to move on from an economic model rooted narrowly in GDP growth, towards a wellbeing economy and a rights based approach to public finances that values investments like care and social security.

Ahead of the 2024 UK general election, the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) and our members call for all political parties to make the following commitments:

Human Rights

Human rights are for everyone, and we all benefit from upholding and strengthening human rights protections.

• Uphold the Human Rights Act and European Convention on Human Rights.
• Strengthen the existing human rights framework.
• Deliver a fair immigration system that supports recruitment and upholds the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

Health, Care and Wellbeing

Health and wellbeing in every part of the UK depends on the UK Government investing in care, whilst acting on wider public health and tackling inequalities.

• Invest in health and social care.
• Reduce health inequalities.
• Address gambling harms.

Financial Fairness

Fairness must be at the heart of public finances and the economy, with investment in the services people rely on, recognition for the value of care, and a human rights based approach to social security.

• Reimagine investment and the economy.
• Ensure social security and work deliver dignity for disabled people.
• Repair the broken social security system.
• Deliver a fair, renewable deal on energy.

You can read our more detailed asks on the dedicated page for each chapter, or by downloading the full ALLIANCE 2024 General Election manifesto via the links below, including in Easy Read format. You can also find a BSL, voiceover and subtitle video summary of the manifesto on the ALLIANCE YouTube channel here.

The Scottish Sensory Hub has carried out a range of research projects and consultations, primarily focusing on lived experience. Details of some of our recent publications are listed below.

Accessible information on Self-directed Support – Lived Experience Research

The Scottish Sensory Hub completed a consultation on behalf of the Scottish Government to inform the implementation of the Self-directed Support (SDS) Improvement Plan 2023-27. One key activity in the SDS Improvement Plan is to ensure the provision of accessible information and communication around SDS. This includes communication and support planning and promotion and signposting of appropriate tools and language services. From December 2023 to February 2024, the Scottish Sensory Hub carried out a small-scale mixed methods research project into people’s experiences of accessible information around SDS and social care (a national online survey, focus groups, and one-to-one interviews).

There was widespread agreement among participants that SDS is not publicised enough for people who are Deaf, Deafblind, or who have Visual Impairments – and more needs to be done on introducing SDS in accessible formats. People who are Deaf, Deafblind or who have Visual Impairments highlighted a range of difficulties in receiving information that was accessible to them when they needed it. They outlined a lack of awareness of how to provide accessible information, particularly from professionals, such as social care workers, social workers, occupational therapists, as well as GPs, audiologists and opticians. While provision of BSL interpreters from local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) was welcome, people also highlighted a lack of resources, resulting in delays to assessments and support. Respondents recommended more sensory awareness training for healthcare professionals and social workers, including signposting to accessible information.

A BSL video of the report summary, with captions and voiceover, is available here.

The full report and accompanying summary are available here.

See Hear Strategy – National Lived Experience Consultation

The Scottish Sensory Hub completed a consultation on behalf of the Scottish Government to inform the new See Hear Strategy. The See Hear Strategy is the Scottish Government and COSLA strategy to support children and adults are Deaf, Deafblind, or who have Visual Impairments. The previous strategy was published in 2014. After 10 years, Scottish Government developed a new version.

From September to November 2023, the Scottish Sensory Hub carried out a mixed methods research project with adults (a national online survey and focus groups). The national online survey and focus groups covered what topics the new See Hear Strategy (SHS) should contain. Participants highlighted the need for the Strategy to prioritise human rights and to involve people with lived experience via a co-design approach. They also outlined examples of good practice in terms of support and services for people with sensory impairment, as well as a range of areas where improvement was needed.

The full report and accompanying summary are available here.

See Hear Strategy – Lived Experience Consultation with Ethnic Minority People

The Scottish Sensory Hub was also asked to carry out a consultation with ethnic minority people on behalf of the Scottish Government to inform the new See Hear Strategy.

Participants highlighted a lack of inclusive communication practices and provided examples of barriers experienced in accessing care and support. People discussed the varied impact of stigma and discrimination, particularly across the intersections of age, disability and ethnicity. Recommendations to reduce cultural stigma and discrimination included mandatory sensory and cultural awareness training for public sector staff, as well as interventions to inform people from ethnic minorities about their legal rights, such as the Equality Act 2010. Participants spoke in detail about the need for ethnic minority people to be meaningfully involved in co-production of solutions, with effective feedback loops and opportunities for ongoing influence on decision-making – not simply consultation.

The full report is available here.

Examining the Efficacy of Lipreading Classes in Scotland

In 2023 the Scottish Sensory Hub carried out a review for the Scottish Government of the efficacy of lipreading classes as an adult aural rehabilitation approach. Lipreading classes are a form of aural rehabilitation for adults living with deafness. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that healthcare systems should prioritise rehabilitation, and the Scottish Government aims to alleviate loneliness and isolation, which is particularly relevant for aural rehabilitation because unsupported deafness/poor access to inclusive communication is an established risk factor for both.

The main findings of the review are that lipreading classes are beneficial in terms of improving feelings of well-being and increasing communication confidence. The report highlights several considerations for future service planning

The full report is available here.

Response to the Consultation on the BSL National Plan (Scotland)

In September 2023 the ALLIANCE responded to the Scottish Government consultation on the British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2023-2029. Our response represented a range of BSL and tactile BSL users, findings from recent engagement exercises, and feedback from staff involved in these engagements. Key points of our response include:

• Data gathering is transformative when it is applied to progress human rights and social justice. For this reason, it is crucial BSL data includes disaggregated data to reveal inequalities which may be concealed within aggregated data.
• All workplaces need to be more sensory aware and consider the benefits of as well as a need to keep people with age-related experiences of sensory loss in employment longer.
• Skills development should include a more rounded understanding of communication and language barriers with a view towards developing a consistent set of national symbols to add richness of comprehension for all. Workplaces need to cater for all employees routinely, rather than relying on requests for reasonable adjustments.
• It is critical to work with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and other professional groups to ensure lived experience BSL users obtain qualified teacher and other relevant professional status.
• Equal opportunities for people whose first or preferred language is BSL is necessary to secure employment in the field of arts and media, improving representation. Plans need to support both the growth and support of BSL in a context of integration with others. To harness the culture and creativity of all BSL users, there should be concerted efforts to expose inequalities and identify power hierarchies wherever these exist, to ensure no one is discriminated against or prevented from participating.

The full response is available here.

Mapping Sensory Loss Awareness Training Across Scotland

Scotland’s national See Hear Strategy identifies sensory loss awareness training as a potential lever for change because it can help staff better support people with lived experience. To support the development of an informed national approach to sensory loss awareness training, the ALLIANCE Scottish Sensory Hub carried out research to identify the different elements of existing provision across the country. An online survey aimed at organisations that provide sensory loss awareness training was live from May to June 2023. 

In general, there was no single agreed definition of “sensory awareness training”, and therefore what constitutes such training is open to interpretation. Some training providers are accredited, others are not, and there is inconsistent involvement of people with lived experience in training design and delivery. Trainers themselves hold a range of skills, qualifications and experiences, and not all courses involve pre- and post-training evaluation. All providers who responded to the survey provide in-person training, and some offer hybrid options. One of the most common areas across survey respondents was in the core training components.

The research and considerations paper is available here.

Sensory Care in Care Homes: Understanding the Why

Sensory care can be defined as any type of care related to the senses which is necessary for a person’s communication, access to information and mobility. These themes are human rights as well as being critical enablers for accessing other rights.

In June 2023, the ALLIANCE Scottish Sensory Hub organised a roundtable to explore the “why” of sensory care in care homes – why does this type of care matter in care homes for older people? Understanding the why helps us better navigate the “how”, and provides the motivation for us to act. We called for the embedding of a human rights-based approach to sensory care, highlighting the need to respect people’s right to information, right to communication, and right to language.

Resources from the session, including a flash report, presentation notes, and video, are available here.

National Review of Audiology Services – Engagement Insights

In partnership with colleagues across the ALLIANCE, members of the Scottish Sensory Hub ran a series of engagement events to feed into the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland. This lived experience engagement informed the Review, and the ALLIANCE were subsequently invited to be part of the Audiology Implementation Delivery Group.

Findings from the ALLIANCE engagement activity are available in a report here, and a BSL video is available here.