Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025

35 Report on independent advocacy services

(1) The Scottish Ministers must, before the end of each review period—

(a) undertake a review of the provision, in relation to public social care services, of independent advocacy services funded by them, and

(b) prepare a report on that review.

(2) A report under subsection (1)(b) must include—

(a) an assessment of the extent of provision of independent advocacy services made available—

(i) at the beginning of the review period,

(ii) at the end of the review period,

(b) an assessment of whether the availability of provision of independent advocacy services has increased during the review period,

(c) if that assessment is that the provision of independent advocacy services has not increased—

(i) why that is the case, and

(ii) what steps (if any) the Scottish Ministers intend to take to ensure the availability of independent advocacy services increases before the end of the next review period.

(3) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as reasonably practicable after preparing the report—

(a) publish the report, and

(b) lay a copy of it before the Scottish Parliament.

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) the “review period” means—

(i) the period of 2 years beginning with the day on which this section comes into force, and

(ii) each subsequent period of 4 years until a date specified in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers,

(b) expressions used in this section that are also used in section 28 are to be construed in accordance with subsection (5) of that section.