From September 2026, carer representatives on Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) will have voting rights.

This is an important recognition of carers’ lived experiences in decision making on how health and social care services are delivered across Scotland.

We recently responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the statutory guidance. In our response, the underlying principle that we highlighted was that lived experience representatives should have the same practical ability to fulfil their role as every other voting member of an IJB.

Achieving this requires equivalent support, clear governance arrangements, appropriate infrastructure, and a culture that recognises lived experience as an equal contribution to collective decision-making.

Read our full response here.

The Scottish Government’s guidance has now been published and you can read this here.