FAVOR UKs Response, as you know we cant work for free anymore.
“A human rights-based approach places people and their human dignity and rights at the centre of all policy and decision-making.” (Corra Foundation, 1st July 2022)
We entirely agreed with the Corra Foundation’s position in relation to a human rights-based approach. That is why we are perplexed at the Scottish Government’s apparent position of viewing “Lived Experience” as subservient to the experience of professionals. This is an erosion of their human dignity rather than a recognition of its importance.
We believe that Lived Experience is neither of lesser nor greater importance than professional training and experience, but is of a completely different order, and should be viewed as such. It is, however, at least as important in attempting to find our way out of the problems that have been created by listening to professionals alone; the most pressing of which is the on-going crisis around drug-related deaths.
Lived Experience organisations must be given parity of esteem with other organisations, including the NHS, and recompensed for their efforts and insights in exactly the way. To achieve that position, the Scottish Government should commit ring-fenced funding specifically to lived experience organisations. The Scottish Government should also take the lead in changing cultural perceptions that lived experience organisations or individuals can be used to carry out work for free or for less than would be provided to others.
Most importantly, FAVOR UK believes that if the Scottish Government truly wants to improve the situation, rights need to be legally enforceable. Action plans, road maps, recommendations, reports, complaints procedures or PowerPoint presentations do not cut it. There needs to be an unequivocal acceptance that radical changes are required.
We’ve told them that we’re happy for this to be done through #OorBill or through the proposed Human Rights Bill.
From what we can see this looks like a replication from the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s works on “human rights based policies” which might be all good and well but has no teeth and does not deal with situations when public bodies pay lip service to their duties.It seems to us that the ball is firmly in their court.
We will however definitely consider the finalised road map which is meant to be published later this summer to see if there is the likelihood of any meaningful change.
You can see Scot Gov plans here