Policy blog

In a role funded by the Scottish Government, public health practitioner Kate Burton is supporting NHS boards to mitigate the impact of welfare reform on health and the NHS. She is collecting data from advice services on: the number of people you have supported who opt to claim... Read more

SCVO media release 7 May 2014 For immediate release The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has published a new report, An Economy for All, which outlines how we can build a stronger economy by reducing inequality. The report calls for people’s well-being to... Read more

If we put people at the heart of the economy, growth will follow #economyforall Read more

The Commission on Local Democracy’s interim report aims to provide a starting point for the reform of local democracy, but will it end up gathering dust on a shelf or can it deliver real change? Read more

Can the third sector capitalise on a more time-rich society? Read more

Following the launch of the Help to Work scheme today, Martin Sime, chief executive, SCVO said: “SCVO has consistently opposed this kind of mandatory activity that forces people to do unpaid work or face unfair sanctions. It’s particularly harmful at a time when many people are... Read more

New arguments for rethinking our economy are emerging and they range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Read more

Thoughts on what an increasingly automated workforce will mean for Scotland's future. Read more

Applied Futurologist Tom Cheesewright spoke at February’s Gathering, and we now have the report on that session available for you to read. Tom highlighted what will affect our sector and those we work with – demographic change, technology change, changes in the way we work… And... Read more

This weekend’s party conference is a chance for the SNP to demystify what independent Scotland could do about poverty. Read more

One aspect that has been absent from the independence debate is the role that cooperative and mutual structures can play in shaping Scotland’s future. Read more

Ilse Mackinnon takes a look at why the latest round of third sector stats left us scratching our heads. Read more

About these statistics This page pulls together statistics for 2014/2015 from a range of sources, including SCVO, OSCR and the Scottish Housing Regulator. Financial data is based on charity accounts for 2013/14. Key facts The Scottish voluntary sector encompasses an estimated 4... Read more

Half of Scotland's private land in the hands of a small but powerful group. With changes on the horizon is radical reform finally a possibility? Read more

Only 13 Labour back benchers voted against plans to cap welfare. Can the party still claim to represent vulnerable people? Read more

The coalition might win the battle but we won’t let them win the war. Read more

Let’s not get complacent about equality and human rights. A new online resource can help keep us right. Read more

The outcomes of our economic and political system are too often misaligned with what we as people and communities want and need and what our planet requires to survive. Read more

Johann Lamont's big conference speech was rhetorically impressive but does local government really equal community empowerment? Read more

Whether someone is in work or unable to work, they should have access to a decent income that lets them live with dignity. Read more

Can the Tories make the case for the Union while fending off attacks on Westminster policy? Read more

Is Holyrood functioning well? Yesterday’s Procurement Reform Bill session would suggest not, but changes are afoot. Read more

Living on benefits can happen to anyone at any time and it should not be frowned upon by anyone. Read more

Following SCVO’s event on a new economic model at The Gathering, economist and author Stewart Lansley argues that economies built around poverty wages and huge corporate surpluses are unsustainable. Read more

In the race for economic growth we have forgotten about people and communities. Read more

The housing outlook for tens of thousands of people is bleak. That it need not be makes it doubly tragic. Read more

We need to stop shying away from knowledge of the circumstances in which our fellow Scots live, and begin making the changes needed to enable participation as equal, active and valued citizens. Read more

Being unable to heat your home, being unable to buy food, living with debt – this is the reality that thousands of people wake up to each morning. Read more

Sources 870 000 people in Scotland still live in poverty The Poverty Alliance Poverty and Income Inequality Scotland: 2011-12 Households below average income A fifth of children in Scotland are living below the breadline Poverty in Scotland Summary Briefing Sixth of people living... Read more

SCVO Media Release Embargoed until 00.01 on 4 March 2014 NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO TACKLE SCOTLAND’S “HUMANITARIAN CRISIS” More than 870,000 people in Scotland are living in poverty A fifth of children in Scotland are living below the breadline 23,000 people turned to food banks... Read more

Can the Scottish Government make better policy than its UK counterpart? Read more

SCVO media release New figures show vital role third sector plays in Scotland New figures released today (Wednesday 19 February) by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) show that the third sector’s turnover has grown to £4.9bn, having doubled over the last... Read more

Welfare, jobs, economy & health & social care to top agenda In key speaking appointments following last week’s currency union debate, the First Minister Alex Salmond MSP and Alistair Darling MP will set out the cases for and against remaining part of the UK for charities and the... Read more

Giving isn’t altruism, it’s science. Read more

Kate asks whether the Scottish Government needs to set a deadline for public service reform. Read more

A nation defines itself by its culture – it’s part of who we are. What will the cultural landscape of Scotland look like after 18 September? Read more

Lynn blogs about the need for more compassion and understanding in advance of tonight's Dispatches: Benefits Britain and Benefits Street. Read more

The odious stream of negativity targeted at third sector campaigning rumbles on. Read more

There is nothing permanent except change - Heraclitus Read more

It’s time to start thinking more fundamentally about what we want from those who will govern us after the referendum. Our human rights seem like a good starting point. Read more

SCVO has consistently called for part two of the Lobbying Bill to be scrapped entirely, as it is... Read more

Thanks for your interest in this survey. It is now closed. If you would like to get in touch with someone at SCVO about this please email john.ferguson2@scvo.scot Read more

A new pledge sees rivals SNP and Scottish Labour unite against the bedroom tax. Let’s make sure they get it right. Read more

Was anyone really surprised that the latest Scottish Attitudes Survey said that the economy will be the decisive issue for voters in the referendum? It was always going to be the case that people would base their decision on whether independence would be good for the economy. I... Read more

The last five years have been mercilessly hard for UK charities and NGOs. The financial crisis has seen budgets squeezed and axed, whole organisations shutting down, and all this with a withdrawal of service provision from government and rising poverty creating increased demand... Read more

If the proposals to introduce a lobbying register in Scotland go ahead the positive relationship the third sector has with the Parliament will be at risk. This would be a worrying development that runs counter to the participative principles the Scottish Parliament was founded... Read more

Benefits sanctions might provide a short term fix but they're bad for job seekers and bad for the economy. Read more

More options download full report as a PDF document download full report as a Word document Executive Summary Community Jobs Scotland Background 1. Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) is a Scottish Government funded job creation programme that performs a dual function as: An... Read more

Introduction I would first like to say thank you to Sally, who is here tonight with Jamie and Luke, and to Martin Sime for asking me to give this lecture. I am truly honoured. I deeply respected Stephen Maxwell. He had such integrity and a real and serious concern about... Read more

Channel 4's latest documentary adds to the dangerous anti-benefits rhetoric. Read more

In 2011, over 4000 charities in Scotland were focused on the prevention and relief of poverty and 17% of all charities included this in their list of charitable purposes. Read more

As we move into the festive period, many of us will be reflecting on what this year has meant for us. We may also be looking ahead, planning our resolutions, joining the local gym (again), digging out that diet plan (again) - you know the drill. For many of us in the third sector... Read more

Throughout the rushed passage of the UK Government’s Lobbying Bill (that wonderful piece of legislation that, if enacted in its current form, will stop nearly all campaigning of any kind by anyone within 12 months of any election – so basically all year, every year here in... Read more

In the newly released SCVO report into the future health and confidence of the sector, it’s clear that our sector is viewing 2014 with some pretty mixed feelings. Read more

Zero hours contracts are bad for workers and bad for customers Read more

41% of charities and third sector organisations grew in size in 2013 despite the difficult economic environment – an improvement on 2012 when just 31% of organisations increased in size Over three quarters (77%) of charities and third sector organisations expect demand to... Read more

Commentary The third sector is clearly making a real difference to the lives of people in Scotland and is heading in the right direction again despite a challenging economic environment. This isn’t just good news for the staff and volunteers who work within the sector, it also... Read more

These data tables accompany the State of the Sector 2013 report. Figure 1 The increase/decrease in organisation size reported by respondents between 2007 and 2013. Over the last 12 months has your organisation: 2007 2008 2009 (estimate) 2010 (estimate) 2011 2012 2013 Grown in... Read more

Progressing Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights will be no easy task, but if there was ever a sector that knows how to change lives for the better, it’s ours. Read more

Ironically passing on the night of the launch of his biopic, many more will now take the time and space to reflect on his life and unrivalled legacy. Read more

Aim of the fund The Community Transport Vehicle Fund is a one-off Scottish Government initiative with £1m available for 2013/14. It aims to help community transport operators buy new vehicles either to replace older vehicles or to expand services. This initiative has arisen... Read more

John Downie blogs on the failings of the Procurement Bill to include the Living Wage and to help people and communities. Read more

Carole Patrick writes in a personal capacity on why our conduct within the referendum debate matters, as it reflects how we express our humanity and respect for others. Read more

Following the launch of the Scottish Government’s White Paper on independence today, Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO said: “More than one million people are living in poverty in Scotland and 30% of our population don’t vote and will never set eyes on this weighty document. How... Read more

If Scotland’s future is based on a done deal made behind closed doors away from people and communities, then what’s the point? Read more

SCVO has published the first in a series of papers which lay out the third sector’s vision and ambitions for a Scotland of the future in the run-up to next year’s referendum. The report brings together thinking and ideas from across the third sector and will help to spark more... Read more

The bigger picture A new economy – less dependency Examining the future of welfare in Scotland without understanding why people are dependent on a myriad of benefits and allowances is a mistake. Within the third sector, and more widely, there is a growing call for our economy to... Read more

The survey This survey was undertaken to discover what the third sector currently feels about the debate; whether it is having any impact on organisations; and what they hope to see come out of the debate in the coming year. As SCVO will be holding an event on referendum issues... Read more

Economic strategy shouldn’t be an experiment just about growing the economy. We need a solution that considers people, their happiness and their jobs. Read more

The need for change in public service delivery is obvious Read more

The latest consultation on the Community Empowerment Bill reveals the chasm that exists between good policy rhetoric and poor implementation, says Felix. Read more

Jo Armstrong argues that the third and public sectors should be doing things differently to ensure a living wage for all low-paid staff. Read more

Do most people really know how their salary compares to the rest of the UK workforce? Probably not, says Jenny Bloomfield. Read more

It needs to focus on the big issues that matter to people More than half of charities think the debate is uninspiring and predictable. It’s missing the big issues that matter to them and people in Scotland – poverty, welfare, jobs, health and social care 40% of charities and... Read more

James Maxwell discusses what’s plaguing the referendum debate and shows that more clarity could help. Read more

Challenge Poverty Week is a great opportunity to put poverty in the spotlight, banish stigma and share ideas taking on welfare reform challenges, says Lynn. Read more

The House of Lords is our last chance to avoid the disastrous implications of the gagging bill, says Felix. Read more

In the third sector it can be difficult to take time away from the coalface to sit down with others and debate, but we should make the effort when it comes to the referendum, says SCVO board member Carole Patrick. Read more

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is launching a new project which will invest in charities and third sector organisations in several localities across Scotland to help prepare them for the shift of health and social care services to local community level... Read more

Rising to Scotland’s health challenge means a fundamental shift in the way we approach the business of staying well, says Lucy. Read more

Following George Osborne’s speech proposing that long-term unemployed people will be forced into community service, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, SCVO said: “The UK Government must stop this ritual humiliation of unemployed people “The so-called “Help to Work... Read more

Political decisions shape the lives of everyone, from how we are educated to where we live and how much support we get when things go wrong. And yet we have declining interest in party politics and the political system here in Scotland. We have neither a range of candidates... Read more

I wasn’t surprised by the findings of SCVO’s Scotland’s Future survey undertaken this summer – they echo my experience of the lack of inspirational debate and poor engagement with the changes our decision next year could open up. I’ve remained very much on the periphery of these... Read more

Only one in three third sector organisations is engaged with the constitutional debate? More than half are uninspired? And the dominant view is that it has been mundane, alienating, confusing, unilluminating? Can there be any surprise? To get to the bottom of why things have been... Read more

One of our policy officers mistakenly wrote down that the Finance Secretary had allocated £32.5m extra funds in his Budget announcement this week to the third sector. It was actually £2.5m, but it really got us all going for a while. What could the sector do with a cash injection... Read more

Introduction Scotland is in a privileged position as we debate our future as a nation. We have a unique opportunity to debate the kind of society we want to see, and the ways in which we might achieve this vision. The future of welfare and the possibility that Scotland could do... Read more

Could several generations sharing a home make for happier, more supportive and better connected communities? Read more

Overview The impact of welfare reform has been felt across Scotland, and, as research commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee shows, the most deprived areas in Scotland will take the biggest financial hit. With the reforms taking more than £1.6bn a year... Read more

Overview This paper is written by one of Scotland’s leading social policy experts Jim McCormick. It examines the impacts of the UK Government’s welfare cuts and reforms. SCVO’s starting point is that the UK coalition Government’s welfare cuts are unmerited and unjust. They are... Read more

I thought that the chat over lunch with a friend before the Scotland/Serbia game on Saturday would be more about Craig Levin's team selection rather than a run through the latest but significant happenings in Scottish politics. But, strangely, conversation was dominated by the... Read more