It would be difficult to miss news of funding cuts affecting national and local services. Council budgets across the country are under severe strain, with consequences for health and social care, housing, education and basic local facilities. Scottish Government funding for third sector organisations has yet to be confirmed for the coming financial year.
While the Scottish Government has acknowledged that short-term, year-to-year funding creates problems for the planning and delivery of services, it is unlikely that this approach will change with this year’s allocation. Many local projects also rely on council funding, and a number of charities are under increasing pressure, including those providing vital care or mental health support.
If a service that you or others in your community depend on is reduced or closed, what can you do?
It is easy to feel powerless, but as citizens we have rights and democratic routes to raise concerns. It can be difficult to know how to do this effectively, or whether to do it at all. Each of us must make our own decision, and the barriers involved are often greater for disabled people and carers. However, from speaking to callers, we know that many of you do choose to speak out about issues affecting disabled people. The question is how to do this in the most effective way.
Who are my MSPs?
For issues such as health and social care, education, housing and justice, the key elected representatives in Scotland are Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). You may not realise that you have eight MSPs to choose from.
One MSP represents your local constituency — the MSP most people think of as “their” MSP. For example, Edinburgh North and Leith is the constituency where our office is based. In addition to this constituency MSP, there are seven regional MSPs who represent the wider Lothian region.
This means you can choose to contact any one of these eight MSPs. You can find out who they are and what they are responsible for on the Scottish Parliament website. The easiest way to identify all eight is to use the postcode search function.
https://www.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps
How do I choose one MSP from the eight?
It might feel instinctive to contact the MSP whose views most closely match your own. However, this does not always mean they will be the most effective person to help with a specific issue.
The Scottish Parliament website provides information about each MSP, including their interests, comments and campaigns. Reviewing this information can help you identify which MSP is most likely to engage with the issue you are raising, regardless of party affiliation. An MSP who has previously raised similar concerns may be more likely to pursue the matter, even if they would not be your first choice based on personal preference.
What can we do to help?
At Disability Information Scotland, our helpline supports disabled people and their allies by providing information and signposting. While we cannot advocate directly on your behalf, we can research issues, identify potential sources of support, and let you know who may be able to help.
You can contact our helpline by completing our contact form:
https://www.disabilityscot.org.uk/contact/
or by calling:
0300 323 9961
You can also text us on:
07984 367 599
Our helpline is open Monday to Friday, 10am–3pm.
Photo by Chris Flexen on Unsplash