Policy blog

The policy cycle, like everything else, has been somewhat uncertain over the last couple of years. First Brexit and then the coronavirus pandemic have delayed the UK Budget, having a knock-on effect here in Scotland. Before the Christmas break, however, the Scottish policy-cycle... Read more

Ian Marr explains how Social Impact Investment brings together the skills, experience and strengths of the public, private and social sectors to work together for the common good. Read more

Susan McGhee explains how social enterprise Flexible Childcare Scotland is disrupting the childcare industry from within. Read more

We need a Wellbeing Economy so that we can focus on delivering the things that make life worthwhile rather than just the things that make life possible. Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Shona Robison MSP to highlight concerns over the recent announcement of the Scottish Budget for 2022-23 - you can view SCVO’s Chief... Read more

Rami Okasha explains why Children’s Hospices Across Scotland decided to measure the economic impact of its work in 2021. Read more

The voluntary sector – which empowers citizens, sustains wellbeing and advocates for change – is undoubtedly a super sector: striving for progress towards social, economic, environmental and democratic outcomes  Read more

Findings from a third sector research project are providing crucial insights into how Scotland’s charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Run by independent research company DJS Research on behalf of the Scottish Council for... Read more

Wave one - Summer 2021 The Scottish Third Sector Tracker is a community of third sector organisations based in Scotland. This large and inclusive community of organisations share their experiences and challenges in a quarterly survey. The information gathered from the community... Read more

Anoushka Kenley, research and policy director at Pro Bono Economics explores the true value of the voluntary sector Read more

Julia Unwin outlines five ways that civil society plays an essential role in the economy Read more

Each Autumn, Committees at the Scottish Parliament prepare pre-budget reports to share with Scottish Government Ministers ahead of the December Budget. Each one is packed with recommended commitments. Like colleagues across the sector, over the last few months the policy team at... Read more

Are you involved in procurement already or looking to learn more about it? Then register now and come along to our procurement webinar on 24 November, 3-4pm. Featuring an expert panel, this is a great chance to learn more and ask important questions on what’s working well and... Read more

We know that charities, social enterprises and community groups make Scotland a better place, and that’s why SCVO’s mission is to develop a confident voluntary sector in Scotland. But our mission is also about promoting this vibrant sector to engage at UK level when opportunities... Read more

Susan Smith explains the link between COP26 and Trustees Week Read more

The past 18 months have seen SCVO's policy team move our policy focus to issues impacting the voluntary sector's operating environment. This means that much of what we do now and well into the future will be relevant to most Scottish organisations. It also means that we need to... Read more

Issues around human rights are always key, but the focus in the news on incorporation of the UNCRC, Westminster’s plans to overhaul the Human Rights Act, and SCVO’s appearance in front of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee brought them to the front of my... Read more

The creation of a National Care Service is potentially one of the biggest changes to public services for decades. In the course of its development, the critical roles played by voluntary organisations in both delivering and complementing public services must be recognised... Read more

My first community development job was in Drumchapel so seeing the devastation wrought by the recent flooding to people living there was deeply saddening. With a spate of wildfires across the world forming the backdrop to the pandemic it sometimes felt over the last year that the... Read more

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

After an unpredictable year, the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary election concluded with a predictable result, a historic fourth term in Government for the SNP. That the SNP would once again be the largest party at Holyrood was never in doubt. What kept two days of news coverage... Read more

Earlier this week it was my pleasure to host a webinar to launch our Never More Needed short film, and bring together a panel to discuss what we can learn from the pandemic about the sector’s role. The film reflects the vital role voluntary organisations play throughout our lives... Read more

Eleven-year-old Edward had pitched a tent in the far corner of his garden, surrounded by a sleeping bag, walking poles and camping chair. Then, when the shot was ready, Edward held up the most prized prop – a photograph of all the vegetables he had grown during lockdown to earn... Read more

Last night’s #SCVOHustings was my first at SCVO. I was excited. Having all the main party leaders taking part felt like a bit of a coup, and when our inimitable host Brian Taylor reflected on this as a mark of respect to the sector I felt optimistic about what the night would... Read more

The 2021 Scottish Parliament elections are now less than a month away. For a politics enthusiast like myself, this is an exciting time. I realise, however, that wading through political news coverage isn’t for everyone. Often just a handful of policy areas are of interest and... Read more

The next Scottish Government must make the issue of dying, death and bereavement a much higher priority. The next Scottish Government must look beyond a five-year term if it is to make the progress needed to ensure everyone affected by dying, death and bereavement gets the... Read more

A review of the literature - September - December 2020 Coronavirus Literature Review Q4 2020Download Introduction This paper, the third in the series, presents a summary of the existing literature on the impact coronavirus is having on voluntary sector organisations in Scotland... Read more

A new strategic partnership has been launched to boost collaboration between the voluntary sector and national and local government. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government have... Read more

The Fair Work Convention has recently published its ‘Fair Work Manifesto for Scotland’ urging all political parties as well as employers, unions, public agencies and civil society organisations to commit to delivering a Fair Work Nation by 2025. Scotland’s Fair Work Convention... Read more

Per year, around £12.6bn is spent in Scotland, £290bn across the UK, and approximately £1.3tn across the 48 countries the UK recently signed an agreement with. What am I talking about? Procurement of course! Everyone’s favourite after (online) dinner topic. Well maybe not quite... Read more

It might feel as though we are coming to the end of the budget process. However, the new-ish parliamentary process calls for scrutiny and engagement all year round. That's what we plan to do. This long-read article outlines how SCVO will continue engagement on the budget, how you... Read more

Post-legislative scrutiny of the Lobbying Act remains underway and the committee has written its draft report and key recommendations. The sector has a real chance to make this legislation more effective and easier to work with. Back in 2016 when the Lobbying (Scotland) Act was... Read more

Since the launch of the 2016 Fair Work Framework and the challenge set down by the Fair Work Convention for Scotland to be a world leading Fair Work nation by 2025, there has been much support, new government departments established, a Fair Work Implementation Plan and high level... Read more

This is it, this time it is for real. When I come back to the (home) office after the Christmas break, Brexit will be the new reality for me… and you. As I write, many questions remain unanswered, including as to whether or not there will be a deal. Also, let’s face it, in the... Read more

The framing of a government budget is to identify the priorities and ensure funds reach where they're needed the most. That delicate process has become fraught with difficulty and trade-offs for local and devolved governments since the financial crash. Each autumn, our policy and... Read more

It has now been eight months since The Gathering 2020, where SCVO launched its Manifesto for the Future and it is fair to say that the world looks very different now. By way of a short reminder, the Manifesto was developed by SCVO’s Policy Forum, a group comprised of a diverse... Read more

June - August 2020 Download a PDF version of this research paperDownload Introduction This paper presents a summary of the existing literature on the impact coronavirus is having on voluntary sector organisations in Scotland. It includes research published primarily by Scottish... Read more

In June, I spotted a colleague who works in the sector in England issue an open invitation on Twitter for a virtual cup of tea. After six weeks in lockdown I was already starting to miss the office cooler chit chat and the chance encounters over coffee at meetings, so I put out a... Read more

The First Minister sets out the Scottish Government’s policy stall for the year ahead At the beginning of each September, the Scottish Government delivers its Programme for Government; a sort of mini manifesto for the year ahead, which sets out new legislation, spending... Read more

Scotland and the SDGs: a national review to drive action, has been a big part of my working life for the past two years. The feelings of joy and relief were expected when it was finally published. There was a big gap in Scotland’s commitment to the 17 UN Sustainable Development... Read more

This week, the Scottish Government published its landmark review of the progress Scotland has made in delivering the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. The review was developed in partnership... Read more

Scotland’s Advisory Group for Economic Recovery for Scotland published a report last month which paid tribute to the country’s voluntary sector and noted that action was required to protect the capacity and financial sustainability of the sector. Voluntary organisations have... Read more

As some of you with long memories might remember, the UK once voted to leave the European Union. Yes, way back in June 2016 Britain took back control, cut the cord from Brussels and stepped out into a world of unimaginable free trade riches. Except, that’s not exactly what... Read more

Early in the pandemic a colleague sent me a fascinating webinar from experts in crisis response. It talked about the importance of keeping yourself and your organisation “in lane” – making sure that you’re contributing to the discussions in which you’ve got expertise and insight... Read more

Our analysis of the voluntary sector’s pre-COVID finances, published today, highlights a complex patchwork funding landscape of fundraising, trading, contracts, grants and reserves, all of which have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in different ways. The complexity of... Read more

SCVO has come together with the Third Sector Employability Forum (TSEF) to combine the knowledge within TSEF and its network on employability, and the capacity of SCVO to reach the whole of the voluntary sector and to liaise with government. TSEF provides an effective, collective... Read more

As the sun shone this weekend, many of us were pleased that lockdown restrictions were eased slightly as we entered Phase 1 in Scotland’s route map through and out of the coronavirus crisis. As we move into the next phase, it is important to understand the impacts of the initial... Read more

A week may be a long time in politics, as the saying goes, but a week during a global pandemic is even longer. Like many, I’ve found the pace of change, and the pace of work that accompanied it, difficult to keep up with. As a sector we have done a phenomenal job to respond at... Read more

The voluntary sector's contribution during the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland has been extraordinary, as to has the shock, uncertainty and pain felt by so many. Thousands of our colleagues continue to play a vital role in the national response to the virus, and they have all... Read more

What is ‘sustainable development’? Not as simple a question as it may seem – the emphasis on what needs to develop and what needs to be sustainable often shifts depending on who or where you ask... Rarely do you get an answer which doesn’t give precedence to one economic, social... Read more

Scotland’s third sector can play a huge role in working towards trans equality, and now is the time to act. We’ve come a long way towards LGBT equality in the last few decades. But now more than ever, we need to unite for trans rights. Trans people are facing huge levels of abuse... Read more

The Manifesto for the Future, produced by the SCVO Policy Forum, outlines a number of future-focused recommendations which aim to address some of the most profound social, economic, political and environmental changes in living memory. Scotland’s voluntary sector is already... Read more

Last August, SCVO's Chief Executive Anna Fowlie called on the voluntary sector to embrace Scotland's National Performance Framework (NPF). Referring to it as a 'beacon of hope', she explained that the framework must be more than an aspirational rallying call. We must measure our... Read more

Many organisations across the charity and wider voluntary sector are gearing up for Scotland’s largest voluntary sector event - The Gathering -organised by SCVO. This year Scottish Government, OSCR and SCVO are holding a joint event to consider how each can strengthen charities... Read more

You're never standing still in a policy role at SCVO. One minute, you're getting to grips with charity law or the voluntary sector's contribution to Scotland's National Outcomes. Then you're asked to get your head around state investment banks. SCVO and Social Enterprise Scotland... Read more

Well, well, well! While there was a feeling in the air that Boris Johnson would be returned as Prime Minister, few expected the result would be quite so stonking. Despite appearing to be personally unpopular in opinion polls, Mr Johnson delivered the most successful Conservative... Read more

Yesterday, SCVO joined over 100 other bodies on Human Rights Day calling for political leaders to ensure hard won rights are protected. People of good conscience from across the political spectrum would find it difficult to challenge the view that we should all live with equal... Read more

Next month will mark three years since I joined the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. That itself is a record for me, the longest time spent at any organisation. This has, though, been my first full year in my current role as a policy and campaigns officer. In that... Read more

Commenting on the Equalities and Human Rights Committee’s report, ‘Looking ahead to the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2020-21: Valuing the Third Sector’, Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “SCVO strongly supports the... Read more

We have created a web resource to highlight real-life examples of positive working relationships between the voluntary and public sectors – where the relationships are mature, the funding arrangements sensible, and the outcomes beneficial to communities. In this short blog, Jenny... Read more

We've known that tackling the climate emergency would be the prime agenda item for this year's Programme for Government, and rightly so. The First Minister announced several 'Green Deal' policy commitments. These included decarbonising the transport system, the transition away... Read more

Prime Minister Johnson (I think we can ditch ‘Boris’ now?) prorogues Parliament... Prorogues? Isn’t that the Irish band with that Christmas number one? After careful research, it seems not. What he has, in fact, done is to ask The Queen to suspend Parliament from 9th September to... Read more

Well, after almost a fifth of a century, I'll be leaving SCVO - and what a ride it's been! Welfare rights activists defending the most vulnerable in Parliament. 200,000 people circling around Edinburgh to march against poverty. Work colleagues arriving, making their mark, then... Read more

Challenge Poverty Week has been coordinated by the Poverty Alliance for the last seven years, and it is an opportunity for third sector organisations to highlight what they are doing address poverty, showcase the solutions we can all get behind to solve it and commit to more... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has issued an open letter to all UK Parliament party leaders demanding action to stop a no-deal exit from the European Union. The letter – sent on 19 August 2019 - highlights the hugely negative impact no-deal Brexit could... Read more

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. Created 30 years ago in 1989, it continues to be of vital importance to children and young people around the world. It was the... Read more

In response to today’s publication of the Charity Tax Commission’s ‘Reforming charity taxation’ report, Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “SCVO welcomes the Commission’s attempt to undertake a fundamental review of... Read more

Last month I blogged on the need for Scotland’s third sector to step up its role in Scotland’s publicly owned investment bank. Now, with the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee’s Stage One Report published, I consider how work to set up Scotland’s National Investment Bank... Read more

Last week, the Scottish Government announced its next steps in the review of Scottish charity law following a consultation period on its proposals to update charity legislation for the first time since 2005. Many in the sector – including SCVO – were hoping for reform but were... Read more

Without the right culture, it’s easy to talk ourselves out of collaboration and simpler to avoid challenging the dynamics that come with partnership working. However when it comes to addressing society’s greatest challenges – reflected by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and... Read more

Following the publication of a report on the Scottish Government’s charity law consultation issued this afternoon (Wednesday 3 July 2019), David McNeill, Director of Development for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said: “SCVO welcomes the broad support... Read more

"Child poverty in twenty-first century Britain is not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster." These are the words of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, in his final report on extreme poverty and human rights in... Read more

Scotland’s third sector is no stranger to encouraging forward-looking ideas that protect and enhance our society, economy and environment. But, are we all strangers to the Scottish National Investment Bank (the ‘Bank’ or SNIB), billed by the First Minister as a cornerstone of the... Read more

The UK Government’s response to the final report by Professor Philip Alston - the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights – following his visit to the UK last year has been an all too predictable one. Rejecting the report as “barely believable” and “completely... Read more

Third Sector Manifesto In these interesting times, trying to develop ideas for a fixed purpose might feel a little like trying to hit a dartboard hitched to the back of a rollercoaster. The next Scottish Parliamentary elections will take place in May 2021 – that much we know... Read more

As the Scottish Parliament is marking its 20th anniversary this month, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have chosen to mark this milestone by working with representatives from across the voluntary sector to produce a limited-edition book. Entitled Charities... Read more

I have been working on the Volunteering in NHSScotland Programme, hosted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, for almost three years now. Our programme is staffed by myself and my manager, Alan Bigham. We support NHS Boards to ensure their volunteer programmes are safe, effective... Read more

In these days of busy, stressful lives, where one in four people suffer from mental health issues like depression and anxiety, it’s heartening to know that there are alternative solutions that don’t involve medication or therapy. Volunteering to help others can reduce stress... Read more

#IWill ambassador Mhairi McCann, aged 19, writes on how she became an #IWill Ambassador, the barriers she faced and why it’s important to celebrate young volunteers. Mhairi became an #IWill Ambassador in 2018 for her volunteering commitment to Scottish SPCA, Eco-Schools... Read more

The following blog is by Sally, who has been supported by Home-Start Glasgow South, as part of our #VolunteersWeekScot series: I’ve been blind all my life but never needed to ask for support before. I truly believed that I could embark on the journey of motherhood without any... Read more

Last year my life completely changed. Out of nowhere I suffered a stroke. I was completely taken by surprise, there were no warning signs. I woke up during the night and I just knew something was wrong. My husband, Joe thought I had just fallen out of the bed and hit my head. My... Read more

At Macmillan In Scotland we have over 1000 volunteers who dedicate their time and give so selflessly. So surely the impact is easy to quantify? Not in a traditional sense, where organisations are still focussed on counting things - number of volunteers, number of service users... Read more

This year’s Volunteers’ Week slogan is a Time to Celebrate. A huge big thank you to all the people involved in bringing volunteering to life. From the 1st to 7th June there will be parties and promotions in every corner of the UK. It’s heart-warming to see that Twitter is already... Read more

1-7 June is Volunteers’ Week – a chance to celebrate and say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It’s also an opportunity to promote the diversity, value and power of volunteering in all its forms – from front line operational work... Read more

Through the early hours of this morning, results from the European Parliament elections started to pour in from across Europe. Unlike most European Elections, which normally only warm the cockles of the most ardent political anorak, the 2019 election has captured the headlines... Read more

Responding to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that the Scottish Government will work to establish a Citizens' Assembly in Scotland, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Anna Fowlie said: “The First Minister’s commitment to... Read more

When the invitation to attend a Town Hall with President Barack Obama landed as junk mail, I presumed it was just that. I palmed it off as another phishing scam; the thought of recognition from the Obama Foundation seemed a little far-fetched. When it emerged that the invite was... Read more

The Scottish Government’s review of Scottish charity law is currently taking place, and the recent call for responses to the consultation has now closed - you can view SCVO's response on our policy page. While SCVO welcomes the opportunity to review charity law, the organisation... Read more

As some of you will already know, SCVO are taking a look at how to improve grant funding. We’re well aware that others in the sector have worked in this space over the years, so here’s a wee roundup of some of those approaches which will be informing our own work in the coming... Read more

Organisations across the third sector invest significantly in developing solutions to the challenges that face people and communities in Scotland. Highlighting these policy solutions to political parties is central to making many of these ideas a reality and improving the lives... Read more

What does the future hold for Scotland’s third sector? This was a question SCVO asked delegates at the Gathering 2019 and which the Policy Forum has been tasked to answer. With the current uncertainty caused by the ongoing Brexit saga and looking ahead to the Scottish Parliament... Read more