ILF Scotland

07/09/2026

This week is Scottish Learning Disability Week, and we're proud to celebrate this year's theme, "I Am Here... To Be Seen."

The theme highlights the importance of inclusion and visibility for people with learning disabilities, values we champion at ILF Scotland.

Everyone has the right to live independently, be part of their community, and be seen and valued for who they are.

Read our CEO, Peter Scott’s thoughts on the week and find out more about ILF Scotland’s new Coming Home Fund on our website: https://ilf.scot/news-post/scottish-learning-disability-week-2026/

04/09/2026

🏴 FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANTS IN SCOTLAND 🏴

Are you a Personal Assistant working in Scotland?

Personal Assistants Network Scotland (PANS) has lots happening this September, including opportunities to have your voice heard, meet the team and find out more about the support available to PAs.

📣 PA Voices Forum
PANS is looking for PAs to join its PA Voices Forum and share their experiences of working as a PA. Your views can help highlight the issues that matter to PAs and feed into wider discussions.

💬 Meet PANS – Facebook Open Forums
📅 11 September 2026
🕙 10am and 2pm

Visit the main PANS page or your local group to access the link.

🛡️ Support and protection
The September update also includes useful reminders around recognising concerns, respecting boundaries and where to go for confidential advice.

ℹ️ PVG update
PVGs and scheme updates are now free for new applicants from 1 August 2026. If you’re unsure about the new process, PANS can help talk you through it.

📞 01563 594217
🌐 www.panetworkscotland.org.uk

Please feel free to share with any Personal Assistants in Scotland who may find this useful.

03/09/2026

Not long now until we'll be at the Local Area Co-ordination (LAC) Team Learning Disability Week Event at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh.

It'll be a showcase of free and low-cost community opportunities, activities, services and support - and it will be lots of fun.

It's taking place on Tuesday 8 September from 11 am to 2 pm and is completely free so please do come along.

02/09/2026

Providing supporting information when you apply for disability benefits can help Social Security Scotland make a quicker decision.

You only need to include one example of supporting information, which can be:

▪️care plans or care assessments
▪️treatment plans
▪️social work reports or assessments
▪️medical reports, letters, records or summaries such as occupational therapy reports, physiotherapy reports, discharge letters from hospitals
▪️test results or medical certificates
▪️a formal medication or prescription list showing us the medication that you take

You can also send additional supporting information from your wider support network including family, friends and unpaid carers.

This extra information can help Social Security Scotland fully understand your needs and make a faster decision.

Find out more at: https://www.mygov.scot/support-information-disability-benefits

01/09/2026

Have you grabbed your free ticket to this years Scottish Kidz to Adultz Exhibitions?

We'll be there and we're really looking forward to meeting you all.

https://www.kidzexhibitions.co.uk/kidz-to-adultz-scotland-1

Planning your visit to Kidz to Adultz Scotland?🗺️

Get ahead of the day by checking out our exhibitor list and discovering the organisations, products and services that will be joining us.

📅 Tuesday, 15 September 2026, 9.30am - 4pm
📍Scottish Event Campus
Visit the exhibitor list & register here: https://bit.ly/Scot2026

31/08/2026

The team at In Control Scotland are excited to announce the launch of their new toolkit for Unpaid Carers.

This resource has been co-produced with unpaid carers and those working in roles that support carers, so it covers areas that are most important to know.

You can download the toolkit at:https://www.in-controlscotland.org/_files/ugd/fd9368_81686ebb9311450c930b13f100a20dfc.pdf

26/08/2026

⚠️ Due to the bank holiday on Monday 31 August 2026, Recipients who usually receive their payment on this day will instead receive it on Friday 28 August 2026.

A news story regarding the updated payment dates for ILF Scotland recipients due to the summer bank holiday in August 2026.

25/08/2026

Everyone at ILF Scotland was deeply saddened to hear the news that David McDonald, the Chair of the ILF Scotland Northern Ireland Advisory Group, passed away peacefully in hospital on the evening of Friday 21 August 2026. He will be greatly missed.

David was a leader in the Northern Ireland independent living movement, whose voice, insight and determination helped to shape and strengthen that movement over many years. He made an enormous contribution to the advancement of human rights and disability equality in Northern Ireland and beyond. He championed the principle that disabled people should have the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunities as everyone else.

As David himself said, “Life is not about being stuck in a room, life is not about being stuck in a bed, life is not about being stuck in a house pointing in one direction for 2 or 3 hours at a time. Life is about living, like everybody else lives, and that’s all I’m asking for. I’m not asking for the world here, I’m just looking to live a life like anybody else might live it. That’s my raison d'être.”

24/08/2026

Free online workshop for young people, parents, carers, teachers and practitioners in Scotland.

Are you aged 14 to 25, live in Scotland, and have additional support needs? Or do you support a young person who does?

Planning Live for All is a fun, interactive online workshop designed to help young people think about their future, build confidence and explore their goals. Parents, carers and professionals are welcome too.

Join on Wednesday 7 September 2026 at 3.30 pm for 1.5 hours.

Find out more and sign up: https://www.ndti.org.uk/resource/planning-live-for-all/

National Development Team for Inclusion - NDTi

20/08/2026

We’re pleased to launch our Business Plan which sets out how we will hit our Strategic Priorities in the next 2 years.

Our main ambition over the next two years is to gain at least 2,000 more Independent Living Fund Recipients. We also want to look at our highly successful Transition Fund to see just how much impact it has made to the young, disabled people it has supported. And we aim to develop our new Coming Home Fund to help as many people as possible with learning disabilities return to their communities from inappropriate placements.

Read the plan or watch our videos: https://ilf.scot/news-post/new-business-plan-launched/