Policy blog

Like many I keep hearing or reading about how the pandemic we’ve all lived with for the past 18 months has fostered different and sometimes even better partnerships within and across sectors. As we recover from the covid-19 crisis we must spend time to learn from the impact of... Read more

Introduction As my colleague Sheghley posted at the end of June, SCVO wanted to learn more about the sector's use of the furlough scheme. In order to do so, we asked organisations to complete a short survey about their use of the scheme and any potential implications for their... Read more

The historic arrival of the UN climate negotiations to Glasgow in November 2021 is an opportunity to raise awareness in Scotland and beyond of how climate crises are affecting people across the world. That’s why as part of the runup to COP26, Scotland’s International Development... Read more

As we look to restrictions lifting this summer, much talk has rightly been on rebuilding the economy. Yet a quick look at Scottish Government’s new Council for Economic Transformation shows the Scottish voluntary sector is often being overlooked in these conversations. Our policy... Read more

A few years ago I had never heard of furlough. 18 months into the coronavirus pandemic, furlough is so familiar it is used as shorthand for the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme; the scheme which guaranteed employees at least 80% of their wages (up to £2,500 each month) while... Read more

The start of a new parliamentary session can often feel quite daunting. Many of the MSPs that we have built relationships with over the last term, and in some cases over many decades, have moved on. As discussed in my last blog, a third of MSPs (42 of 129) are new to the Scottish... Read more

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of having accurate and up to date data and evidence to support decision making. For that reason, SCVO has decided to partner with a range of stakeholders[1] to build a Scotland-focused voluntary sector research... Read more

In the first of a series of blogs on our policy work, Head of Policy Kirsten Hogg reflects on our work and achievements over the last year. It’s that time of year again, when pulling together your annual review gives you a moment to draw breath and consider the year just past. In... Read more

Waiting for the announcement of the new Scottish Cabinet and ministers is final throes of the excitement of an election. I spend weeks combing through manifesto commitments, over-analysing what’s said in speeches and debates – seeing glimmers of hope and harbingers of doom. I... Read more

In response to today's announcement of the new Scottish Cabinet, SCVO Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said: “On behalf of all of us at SCVO, I would like to welcome Shona Robison to her new role as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government which includes... Read more