Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry Virtual Roundtable Discussions
The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry would like to invite members of ACOSVO to a virtual roundtable discussion, to discuss key issues and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, on both member organisations and the groups or individuals they support or represent.
The purpose of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is to investigate and establish the facts of (and learn lessons from) the strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. The investigations cover the period between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022.
The Inquiry is keen to hear from ACOSVO members about their experiences during the pandemic, as part of these investigations.
The roundtable discussions will last up to 2 hours, by way of Microsoft Teams.
Consent will be requested to create a transcript of the discussion, which may then be used (with consent) in a report for the Inquiry, or as the basis for further engagement with participants (for example, the Inquiry may ask whether participants are willing to provide further information by way of a witness statement).
There are two offerings for roundtable discussions, each covering different themes being investigated by the Inquiry – please see below. We would encourage members to attend either or both of the discussions, if they are applicable to the work of your organisation during the period being investigated by the Inquiry. Instructions for how to sign up to these roundtable discussions are also below.
If you are not able to attend either of these roundtable discussions but would still like to share your experiences with the Inquiry, you can do so via the Inquiry’s national listening project, Let’s Be Heard. Please see the following link for instructions on how to make a submission via Let’s Be Heard.
Share your experiences with us
1. Welfare assistance
Wednesday 5 June 2024 – 10:00-12:00
Roundtable discussion of the key issues and impacts experienced by ACOSVO members, and the groups or individuals they support or represent, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland and the response by the Scottish Government and other public agencies, in relation to the following:
o Welfare benefits and other forms of financial welfare assistance;
o Food support;
o Housing, tenancies and homelessness (including protections from eviction);
o Emergency essentials (clothes, prescriptions, essentials for children etc.);
o Fuel poverty;
o Digital inclusion;
o Debt enforcement suspension;
o Availability and accessibility of pandemic information;
o Help and advice;
o Support for social or community inclusion, or isolation; and
o Disproportionate or unequal impacts on particular groups or communities.
To sign up, or for further information, please email Emily Wood, Assistant Solicitor: emily.wood@covid19inquiry.scot
2. Financial support and guidance
Thursday 6 June 2024 – 10:00-12:00
Roundtable discussion of the key issues and impacts experienced by ACOSVO members as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland and the response by the Scottish Government and other public agencies, in relation to the following:
o Financial support available for voluntary sector organisations
o Was financial support available?
o Was it sufficient?
o How accessible was the support?
o Guidance offered to voluntary sector organisations
o Was guidance offered?
o Could the sector continue to operate under the guidance?
o Was the guidance of sufficient quality?
o Was the sector able to input into guidance before it was issued?
o Key worker status
o Were voluntary sector organisation staff given key worker status?
o What was the process to obtain key worker status?
o Were there any issues resulting from key worker status (or a lack thereof), such as access to childcare?
o Should staff have been given key worker status, if they were not?
To sign up, or for further information, please email Stuart Dickie, Assistant Solicitor: stuart.dickie@covid19inquiry.scot
