The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
Crime & justice
The voluntary sector’s role in the justice system is wide-ranging and vital. Organisations provide advocacy, mentoring, throughcare, housing support, employability services, family support, trauma-informed care, and so much more. This work is often delivered by people with lived experience of the justice system themselves, bringing a level of trust, understanding, and credibility that is invaluable in supporting people to move away from offending and towards more positive futures.
Yet the organisations delivering this essential work do so within a funding landscape that is short-term, uncertain, and frequently fails to reflect the true cost and complexity of the services being provided. Much of the funding available is tied to specific projects or commissioned services, with little support for the core costs that underpin every aspect of an organisation’s work. Funding decisions are often made late, and multi-year commitments remain rare.
This instability has a profound impact. It undermines the relationship-based work that is so central to supporting desistance, as staff are lost to more secure employment and services are disrupted or discontinued. It prevents organisations from planning ahead and investing in the long-term approaches that evidence tells us are most effective. And it places enormous strain on the people who deliver these services, many of whom are working with some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in our communities.
Fair Funding would provide the stability and security that justice sector organisations need to deliver the relationship-based, trauma-informed work that makes such a difference to people’s lives – work that not only supports individuals to move away from offending but also reduces reoffending, protects communities, and eases the pressure on our overstretched justice system.
CJVSF is a hosted unit of the Coalition of Care & Support Providers in Scotland.
Everything feels like it’s balanced on a knife edge
Reducing reoffending, supporting rehabilitation, and keeping our communities safe are objectives shared right across Scottish society, and ones in which the Scottish Government has invested significant policy attention. From efforts to reduce the prison population and shift towards community-based alternatives to custody, to the ongoing implementation of a trauma-informed and person-centred approach to justice, the voluntary sector is an essential partner in delivering the Scottish Government’s justice priorities.
The organisations working in this space provide the kind of relationship-based, trauma-informed support that evidence consistently shows to be most effective in supporting desistance and reducing reoffending. But this work depends on continuity, trust, and the ability to build and maintain long-term relationships – all of which are placed at risk by a funding landscape defined by short-term, uncertain funding.
“The short-term nature of our funding makes it almost impossible to do the long-term, relationship-based work that we know is most effective,” explains an organisation supporting people leaving prison. “Just as we build trust with someone, the funding ends, and that relationship is lost.”
“We lose experienced, skilled staff because we simply can’t offer them the security they need,” admits a charity working with young people in conflict with the law. “Everything feels like it’s balanced on a knife edge, and it’s the people we support who ultimately suffer the consequences.”
“So much of our time is spent chasing funding rather than delivering services,” adds an organisation providing support to families affected by imprisonment. “It’s exhausting, and it takes us away from the work we’re actually here to do.”
The introduction of Fair Funding would allow justice sector organisations to move away from this constant instability, providing the security and stability needed to retain skilled staff, plan for the long-term, and deliver the relationship-based work that is so essential to supporting desistance and reducing reoffending. In turn, this would deliver significant benefits not only for the individuals being supported but for communities and the wider justice system across Scotland.
“Fair Funding would allow us to focus on what we do best – supporting people to change their lives,” says the organisation supporting people leaving prison. “It would give us the stability to build the long-term relationships that make all the difference.”
Forces Employment Charity – NOVA Scotland
NOVA Scotland, delivered by the Forces Employment Charity, provides dedicated support to veterans in Scotland who find themselves in contact with the justice system. Recognising the particular challenges faced by ex-service personnel, including the impact of trauma, mental health difficulties, and the transition from military to civilian life, the programme offers tailored, one-to-one support to help veterans address the underlying issues that have contributed to their offending and to move towards more positive, stable futures.
The support provided by NOVA Scotland is intensive and relationship-based, with dedicated caseworkers building trusted relationships with the veterans they support, often over an extended period. This approach reflects the evidence around what works in supporting desistance, recognising that meaningful, lasting change takes time and depends on consistent, trusting relationships. The programme works with veterans at all stages of the justice system, from those in custody to those being supported in the community.
Like so many organisations delivering this kind of essential work, however, the programme operates within a funding landscape that presents significant challenges. The short-term and uncertain nature of much of the funding available makes it difficult to plan ahead with confidence, while also creating challenges around the retention of the skilled, experienced staff on whom the relationship-based approach so heavily depends. When funding is uncertain, the continuity that is so central to effective support is placed at risk.
This uncertainty is particularly damaging in the context of justice sector work, where the loss of a trusted relationship at a critical moment can have serious consequences, both for the individual being supported and for the wider goal of reducing reoffending. The constant need to search for and secure funding also diverts valuable time and resources away from the frontline delivery of services, placing additional strain on an already stretched organisation.
For NOVA Scotland, the implementation of Fair Funding would provide the stability and security needed to continue delivering its vital work. Multi-year funding, in particular, would allow the programme to plan ahead, retain experienced staff, and maintain the long-term, relationship-based support that is so essential to helping veterans move away from offending and rebuild their lives, while also delivering significant benefits for communities and the wider justice system.