The watchdog in Scotland for the rights of children and young people said that services for disabled young people and their families had declined significantly as the impact of public sector cuts was felt. There was evidence of cuts in local authority budgets leading to tighter eligibility criteria, support being removed without review or reassessment, and a lack of consultation.
Source: Kirsten Stalker, Charlotte MacDonald, Caroline King, Francis McFaul, Colin Young, Moyra Hawthorn, and Louis Patrizio, 'It Always Comes Down to Money': Recent changes in service provision to disabled children, young people and their families in Scotland, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People
Links: Report | SCCYP press release
Date: 2013-Sep
A study examined how outcome models and approaches were being developed for disabled children and young people in Scotland.
Source: Developing an Outcomes Model for Disabled Children and Young People in Scotland, Scottish Government
Date: 2013-Sep
A study examined the circumstances and outcomes of young children living with a disability in Scotland, drawing on data from the Growing Up in Scotland study. Children with a disability were significantly more likely than non-disabled children to be in lower-income households, live in areas with higher deprivation, and have parents who were not working. The authors concluded that many of the differences observed between disabled and non-disabled children were therefore driven by these key socio-economic distinctions rather than the presence of a disability.
Source: Paul Bradshaw and Julia Hall, The Impact of Disability on the Lives of Young Children: Analysis of data from the Growing up in Scotland study, Scottish Government
Date: 2013-Sep
The Scottish Government published an analysis of the gender impact of 'reforms' to the benefits system introduced by the United Kingdom coalition government since 2010. It said that the changes had a significantly gendered impact with women being negatively affected by a large number of them. Many of the benefits typically paid to women had been frozen, cut, or restricted.
Source: The Gender Impact of Welfare Reform, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Scottish Government press release | SNP press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2013-Aug
A study in Scotland found that women were foregoing their share of pension schemes under separation arrangements in order to secure the family home. A recurrent theme in settlement agreements was women's determination to stay in the family home: for men, the key asset they wanted to keep was pensions. As a result 25 per cent of women reported being worse off financially, whereas almost all the men surveyed reported that their financial situation was either the same or better than when they had been married.
Source: Jane Mair, Fran Wasoff, and Kirsteen Mackay, All Settled? A study of legally binding separation agreements and private ordering in Scotland, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (University of Edinburgh)
Links: Report | Summary | Glasgow University press release | Herald Scotland report
Date: 2013-Aug
A report by a committee of MSPs called on the Scottish Government to set a timetable for the introduction of a statutory right to childcare that included children up to the age of 15 and disabled children. It said that such a move, along with more flexible working patterns, could transform women's access to work.
Source: Women and Work, 4th Report 2013, SP Paper 348, Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release | SCMA press release | Working Families press release | BBC report | Public Finance report
Date: 2013-Jun
The Scottish Government published a series of reports examining evidence relating to the equality of different key groups. The reports reviewed the policy areas of education, employment, poverty, housing, transport, hate crime, justice, public appointments, health, social care, sport, and culture.
Source: Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Gender Evidence Review, Scottish Government | Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Religion and Belief Evidence Review, Scottish Government | Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Evidence Review, Scottish Government | Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Disability Evidence Review, Scottish Government | Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Pregnancy and Maternity Evidence Review, Scottish Government | Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Age Evidence Review, Scottish Government
Links: Report (Gender) | Report (Religion and belief) | Report (LGBT) | Report (Disability) | Report (Pregnancy/maternity) | Report (Age)
Date: 2013-Apr
An article examined the social exclusion of people with intellectual disabilities living in rural areas of Scotland. Those living in rural areas had better opportunities and lived in less deprived areas than those living in urban areas: but they might not have such positive or close relationships, and this might be important when considering the subjective experience of social exclusion.
Source: Laura Nicholson and Sally-Ann Cooper, 'Social exclusion and people with intellectual disabilities: a rural urban comparison', Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, Volume 57 Issue 4 publication
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Mar
A report outlined the options for Scottish policy on refugee issues under each of the potential outcomes of the 2014 referendum on independence for Scotland.
Source: Mariya Shisheva, Gary Christie, and Gareth Mulvey, Improving the Lives of Refugees in Scotland after the Referendum: An appraisal of the options, Scottish Refugee Council
Links: Report | Summary | SRC press release
Date: 2013-Jan
