Ground-breaking governance initiative will place neurodivergent people at the centre of public funding decisions
A governance pilot has been launched in the Scottish Borders to explore a new model of community-led decision-making that aims to inform future approaches to local funding and civic participation across Scotland.
Funded by Scottish Ministers in conjunction with Scottish Borders Council’s Local Action Group, the project will establish a Neurodivergent Local Action Group (ND LAG): an innovative decision-making body designed to place neurodivergent people at the heart of funding governance.
The initiative seeks to address a longstanding challenge in public policy: how to ensure that those most affected by social and economic inequalities are empowered not only to contribute to discussions but to lead on decisions and funding allocations.
Drawing on the successful Youth Local Action Group (YLAG) model, the project will develop a structured framework through which neurodivergent people can participate in the design and decision-making of funding processes, undertake governance training, and ultimately direct future funding priorities.
Project Lead Rachel Parker said:
“For too long, decisions have been made about us, without us. This pilot will demonstrate the social and economic value of people from underrepresented groups making the decisions about how support is designed and implemented to create the most efficient and most meaningful impact.”
The pilot arrives at a time when Scottish policy is placing renewed emphasis on community decision-making, participatory budgeting, community wealth building and more inclusive local governance. Recent Scottish Government and COSLA work through the Local Governance Review and Democracy Matters has highlighted the need for communities to have greater influence over decisions that affect them. The project team believes the Neurodivergent Local Action Group pilot could offer useful learning for all future third and public-sector funding programmes.
The project will undertake ethical social research, engage stakeholders across the Scottish Borders, build local partnerships, and provide governance training to prospective panel members. Findings from the pilot will be used to design a decision-making structure for replication across the rest of Scotland.
Chair of the Scottish Borders Local Action Group Hans Waltl added:
“We’re delighted for this pilot to be taking place here in the Scottish Borders and shaping the future for targeted support whilst laying the foundations for a more integrated approach to local community decision making.”
The project team hopes that the pilot will amplify the national conversation about how under-represented groups and their experiences can inform local governance and the funding landscape, that is intended to support them but currently not reaching its full potential.
We are particularly keen to hear from:
- Neurodivergent people
- Neurodivergent people who want to join a Board
- Organisations or individuals that are supporting or want to support neurodivergent people
- Funders who want to be more neuroinclusive
- Organisations that want to recruit neurodivergent people to their Boards
- Local Action Groups from across the country
To contact us for more information and to get involved, please go to our website
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