Question reference: S5W-10585
- Asked by: Bill Bowman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 3 August 2017
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 August 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that (a) small third sector organisations, (b) individual carers and (c) people affected by loneliness are represented in the consultation on its strategy to tackle social isolation.
Answer
The Scottish Government will launch a draft strategy to tackle social isolation and loneliness for consultation in the autumn. Prior to this, we hosted 120 representatives from stakeholder organisations at an event in April to explore what the Strategy should contain. Attendees included representatives from the third sector as well as individuals with lived experience. In consulting on the Strategy, we plan to host a series of roundtable events across the country and will ensure that details are disseminated to third sector organisations including those who support carers. We are also developing a toolkit to allow local groups to contribute to the consultation in a way that works for them. It is important that the Strategy is informed and shaped by people with lived experience and we are actively exploring with stakeholders how best to do this.