Policy blog

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

By standing up for themselves and others, Scotland’s children and young people defend human rights every day. Most people don’t realise younger citizens can act as human rights defenders— or that they’re protected by international law when they do. At the Children and Young... Read more

A campaign calling for an independent review of the impact of Brexit on health and social care is set to continue. The Assess and Address campaign was created in response to concerns raised by those in the third sector over the implications that Brexit will have for health and... Read more

Third sector organisations ‘have got a different way into communities and a different way into talking to people', one council chief executive reported recently. There is no doubt the third sector is the voice of the people but by investing in local communities third sector... Read more

Women are not a homogenous group and face different and various barriers to the labour market based upon their multiple and intersecting identities. For example, Black and minority ethnic (BME) women face an intertwined set of gendered and racial barriers that affect their... Read more

Public urged to support local causes through turbulent times Charity workers in Scotland are struggling amidst ongoing economic, social and political uncertainty, according to findings published today. A survey conducted by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO... Read more

I’ve been an activist and human rights defender from the age of 15, working on issues relating to gender equality youth voice. In that time, two things have become clear. Firstly, the idea of youth participation and consultation is beginning to move into the minds of decision... Read more

Today, (Thursday 14 February) the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) held a webinar with UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston. The live event provided an opportunity for civil society representatives in Scotland to... Read more

In 2015, the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government would be one of the first anywhere in the world to commit to meeting the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development, both at home and overseas. Since then, all 193 UN member states have signed up to the 17 goals... Read more

There can be no underestimating the importance of trust in charities, which is already at a high level in Scotland. Public trust in the charity ‘brand’ is one of the most powerful assets our sector holds, but gaining and retaining this is not easy in 2019. The environment that... Read more

Council finance officers are today analysing what effect the Scottish Government’s budget will have on local finances. One area likely to be welcomed by authorities is a commitment to move to three-year council budgets. This will result in less uncertainty across Scottish... Read more

So, you're facing a crisis? Matters of state? Constitutional chaos? International economic catastrophe? Your place in the world? Have you tried Gordon Brown? In all his tarnished armour, Scotland's answer to Don Quixote rides once more to front lines - proffering his solution to... Read more

The Scottish Government and COSLA’s Public Health Reform aims to create “a Scotland where everybody thrives”. As part of this reform, the Improving Health Commission is looking into prioritising health as a human right, taking a Health in All Policies approach and prioritise... Read more

The recent visit to Scotland of Professor Philip Alston, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, shone a light on what organisations working on poverty-related issues already know to be true; that the increasing levels of poverty that we have... Read more

As colleagues across the sector will know, getting an amendment into the Bill is one of the strongest ways to make change, as the amendment becomes law. So how can the sector effectively engage with the Scottish Parliament’s Bill process to progress their policy proposals? Last... Read more

Amongst the hubbub of Brexit dealings and confidence votes, you could have been forgiven for forgetting about the humble old Scottish Budget, which was delivered by Finance Secretary, Derek Mackay, yesterday afternoon. As I mentioned in a previous piece on the Programme for... Read more

Scotland is “mopping up the mess” of UK welfare policy, this was the key assertion from Aileen Campbell MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, during last month’s Ministerial Statement on the interim findings from the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme... Read more

I’m no Carol Vorderman, but the numbers don’t look good for Theresa May pushing her Brexit deal through the House of Commons. A combination of opposition parties and Tory rebels make it appear a mathematical impossibility. After two long years, the PM signed off on an agreement... Read more

Following the release of the Scottish Government's 'Fair Start Scotland', 'Work First Scotland' & 'Work Able Scotland' statistics publication, the fifth publication in a series about the devolved Scottish employability services, SCVO's Chief Executive Anna Fowlie responded today... Read more

The number of new charities set up in 2017 was higher than ever, but financially it’s a mixed picture of winners and losers. Growth has been in the right direction, but for many it’s been pretty anaemic. Our new interactive data hub has pulled together the latest financial data... Read more

Poverty is a political choice, this was the key message from the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, after he visited the UK this month. In a scathing denunciation of austerity Britain, the Special Rapporteur condemned the UK Government for... Read more

Our new interactive data hub pulls together all the basic data on the third sector such as how many organisations there are, how many employees, what they do, and where they are. What’s new is that you can now filter data yourself to find out things like – how many people work in... Read more

How are you feeling about 2019? Once again we're giving third sector colleagues and organisations the chance to tell us what you think next year's biggest challenges and opportunities will be. What you tell us will help us get a better idea of the issues that matter the most to... Read more

Politicians are set to consider plans for an independent review of Brexit’s impact on health and social care. Brendan O’Hara MP introduced a Private Member’s Bill at the House of Commons last week (14 November 2018) in response to concerns raised by those in the third sector... Read more

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), today responded to Audit Scotland & the Accounts Commission's report ‘Health and social care integration: update on progress’: “The Auditor General has rightly reminded us that the purpose of... Read more

In the last fortnight alone, Glasgow has seen its fair share of collective action from workers. From the equal pay marchers and strikers, to the teachers marching for a decent pay rise and most recently Tuesday seeing precarious workers and campaigners taking to George Square for... Read more

Red box in hand, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, posed outside 11 Downing Street in front of journalists who had been informed only a few weeks previously by the Prime Minister that "austerity was over". Delivering his last Budget before Brexit, 'Spreadsheet Phil' (as the... Read more

Charities and philanthropy are at the heart of our business. Each year Gillespie Macandrew donates 1% of their pre-tax profits to charitable causes, which over the past three years has topped £80,000. Our own charities and not for profit legal team is skilled and experienced and... Read more

It’s Pro Bono Week! - a global celebration of professional services for the public good #PBW18 And it’s also a cause for celebration here at SCVO because our very own Free Legal Advice Service is 10 years old. Since we started the Service in 2008, we’ve dealt with over 60... Read more

SCVO, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, ahead of today’s Opposition day debate on Universal Credit in the House of Commons. The piloting of... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has today re-iterated its strong support for the UK to remain in the Single Market and Customs Union, following recommendations made in the Scottish Government’s paper ‘Scotland’s Place in Europe: Our Way Forward.’ In... Read more

SCVO has repsonded to the First Minister's speech regarding Fair Work at the SNP Conference this afternoon. SCVO Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said: “We welcome the First Minister’s expanded commitment to Fair Work – it’s essential that the Scottish Government uses all the drivers... Read more

I couldn’t have been the only one who found it a little toe-curling to see SNP conference emblazoned with (SNP-branded) Obama-era ‘Yes We Can’ posters and banners this week. At least Donald Trump had the good grace (a concept usually alien to him) to wait 36 years and add the... Read more

Commenting on the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) report Charity Street Scotland, which shows more than three quarters of Scottish households have used a charity service in the last 12 months, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Anna Fowlie said... Read more

Scotland’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Network began with fifteen people in a room. They strongly felt that the SDGs in Scotland needed a push; momentum had been lost and those at the heart of working with the SDGs were determined to step up the pace with government and... Read more

For a healthy and vibrant democracy it is essential that the voluntary sector feels able to participate in democratic debate. At the Electoral Commission we are currently undertaking a review of the guidance we produce for non-party campaigners and we are looking for help from... Read more

As part of Challenge Poverty Week 2018 John Watson of ASH Scotland wants to throw out the old stereotypes about poverty and smoking, so that we can start a new dialogue between health and anti-poverty groups. Working in public health I’m very conscious that we do what we do... Read more

No one can be in any doubt that the third sector in Scotland is overwhelmingly pro-European. SCVO’s engagement with the sector on Brexit over the past 18 months, found that over 80% of organisations felt that leaving the EU would negatively impact the Scottish economy, poverty... Read more

Minority government is an opportunity to be seized. This was the key message from our most recent Meet the Researchers event at which SCVO’s Policy Officers Network met researchers from the Scottish Labour Party. The seven strong research team, led by Head of Policy, Michael... Read more

It’s said that ‘defence of the realm is the first duty of government’. And, despite apparent agreement that this is the primary duty, there never seems to follow a list ranking the other ‘lesser’ duties of government – a sort of political Ten Commandments. Of course, with hammer... Read more

Charities from across Scotland have been granted additional funding to continue the delivery of projects which aim to reduce the impact of welfare cuts and poverty. SCVO, through the Community Capacity and Resilience Fund, has awarded £135,000 to 14 organisations to build on the... Read more

Straight back from the summer recess, MSPs had little chance to water their office plants and catch up with colleagues. No, no. Not when the Programme for Government is the main item of the day – with two subsequent days of debate and a series of Ministerial elaborations to... Read more

SCVO response to Programme for Scotland 2018/19 Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) responded today to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland 2018-19: “There’s plenty in the Programme for Government that will make a... Read more

Universal Credit (UC) is the UK Government’s new benefit system for working age claimants, replacing six ‘legacy’ benefits - JSA, IS, HB, ESA, Work and Child Tax Credits - with a single monthly payment. UC Full Service, which is predicated on claimants managing their account... Read more

With our children and grandchildren now returning to the classroom, many of us will be thinking about how they are getting to school and back in a way that is healthy and safe. Is it easy for them to walk, scoot or cycle to school? If not, what might make it easier and what would... Read more

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has joined forces with other leading third sector organisations to highlight concerns over the effect of Brexit on volunteering numbers. Alongside Volunteer Scotland, SCVO has prepared a letter to the Home Secretary Sajid... Read more

Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Home Secretary Home Office 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF 15 August 2018 Dear Home Secretary, The Contribution of Non-UK Citizen Volunteers The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is the national membership organisation for Scotland’s... Read more

How can the sector most effectively engage with Scotland’s political parties to progress their policy proposals? SCVO decided to ask the experts by hosting a series of, ‘Meet the Researcher’, events for members of SCVO’s Policy Officers Network. At the events, members have the... Read more

The Scottish Government has recently published their updated plan to tackle smoking in Scotland – “Raising a Tobacco-free Generation: Our Tobacco-Control Action Plan 2018.” The Plan centres on the Scottish Government’s priority that, by 2034, an entire generation of Scottish... Read more

Gender pay gap of Scottish voluntary sector May 2018 Download the PDF - Gender pay gap briefing May2018 All organisations with 250+ staff were due to report on their gender pay gap by 4 April 2018. The UK Government has published the full data set of organisations submitting... Read more

Recent OSCR research found that good governance is one of the top things that promotes trust in charities. People want to see charities are being ‘run well’. They want to know that the money or time they choose to put into an organisation is well looked after. In fact they expect... Read more

A landmark report on the UK’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been published. ‘Measuring Up’, produced by UKSSD, paints a gloomy picture of the UK’s performance, whilst highlighting successes across the 17 SDGs that tackle issues from improving health... Read more