Social Justice and Social Security Committee 11 December 2025
Absolutely. It is about being practical. Looking at where the advocates live, I can see big gaps, particularly on the west coast of Scotland, although not in Ayrshire. I can see gaps in the Borders and on some of the islands. We will work to resolve those gaps and make sure that there is a level of equity in access to the service.
Scotland’s geography is challenging in many ways, and this programme is not the only one that is affected by that. We will commit to using technology to an extent and to finding the advocate who is nearest to the person who needs support. Let us not make assumptions. Let us make it clear that, if we have someone in Thurso, we will make sure that we reach out to any other advocacy groups that operate in the Thurso area and say that we will be there on Thursday, for example, should they have someone who might require our service.
A lot of it will be about ensuring that our partners are on board and that they understand that we are advocates for a specific part of people’s needs. If an advocacy organisation is already involved, it is not our job to replace it. It is our job to deliver the Social Security Scotland element, and the organisation can continue with its good work. We need to fit round the work of other organisations. For example, in Argyll and Bute, where there is a gap, we have already spoken with the local advocacy organisation. We will work closely together rather than duplicating work.