Latest Fair Work briefings & policy papers

Voluntary sector costs are climbing, funding is falling, and demand for services continues to increase. Similarly, years of underfunding and poor funding practices, and crises such as the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis have put the voluntary sector under increasing... Read more

Summary Scotland’s voluntary sector plays an essential role in supporting people and communities across Scotland and is central to the Scottish Government’s ambitions to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy​, tackle the climate emergency, and improve public services. Without... Read more

Voluntary sector costs are climbing, funding is falling, and demand for services continues to increase. Similarly, years of underfunding and poor funding practices, and crises such as the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis have put the voluntary sector under increasing... Read more

Summary Across the UK, the voluntary sector is a significant employer, employing over 1 million people, including 136,000 people in Scotland - 5% of Scotland’s workforce. This workforce makes a huge contribution to people and communities across Scotland, providing a diverse range... Read more

Summary Scotland’s voluntary sector plays an essential role in supporting people and communities across Scotland experiencing poverty and inequality and is central to the Scottish Government’s plans to eradicate child poverty and inequality. To support this work and build a... Read more

Summary The voluntary sector continues to face unprecedented challenges. Voluntary sector costs are climbing, funding is falling, and demand for services continues to increase. Plans to increase employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will compound these pressures. The... Read more

Summary SCVO and colleagues across the voluntary sector welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver Fairer Funding for the sector by 2026, including exploring options to implement multi-year funding deals. Despite this renewed focus, 18 months on from the policy... Read more

Summary The voluntary sector continues to face unprecedented challenges. Voluntary sector costs are climbing, funding falling, and demand for services continuing to increase, as a result, eight out of ten organisations report that financial difficulties rank among their most... Read more

Summary SCVO welcomed the Scottish Government commitment to deliver ‘Fairer Funding’ by 2026 in the Policy Prospectus, New leadership - A fresh start, but there was little action on that in the Budget. Our sector continues to face unprecedented pressures. Delivering Fair Funding... Read more

The problem Action is urgently needed in the 2024/2025 Scottish Budget to secure the voluntary sector’s essential services. The cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze voluntary organisations – with demand for services increasing, costs rising, and financial uncertainty... Read more