The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
Society
Societal issues including changing volunteering patterns, changing workforce expectations, and public perceptions of charities will have a direct impact on how organisations need to operate
At the same time, society as a whole is changing around us, and voluntary organisations will also need to consider any impacts of broader societal changes, from an increasing focus on structural inequalities to a rise in societal unrest.
- Studies like the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, Understanding Scotland and Life in the UK (Scotland) suggest that the public is losing faith in government, becoming more dissatisfied with public services, and is increasingly worried about finances (of the country and their own).
- Respondents to the Scottish Third Sector Tracker consistently report growing levels of need in their communities, in particular in relation to mental health, financial support and physical health
- Health and income inequalities remain a significant aspect of Scottish society, underpinned by structural inequalities along lines of gender, race or ethnicity, disability and nationality or migration status
- While social unrest has been less prevalent in Scotland than other parts of the UK, it is still present in many communities
- After a fall in public trust around 2014-16, trust in charities increased in recent years. Trust in charities now ranks very high compared to other organisations, with only trust in doctors ranking higher.
- The sector is also recognised by the public as having an important role in raising awareness and lobbying on issues, as well as service delivery
- The Scottish Government has consulted on its intention to hold a wider review of charity regulation, which may include charity definitions and the public benefit test. It is not yet clear how much progress this review will make in 2025/26
- According to the Scottish Household Survey, volunteering rates have dropped significantly, from over 1million to around 800,000
- In Autum 2024, more than three quarters of voluntary organisations reported issues with volunteer recruitment or retention. This impacts service volunteers and trustees.
- Concerns about volunteer wellbeing are becoming more prevalent.
- 25% of Scottish charities reported that recruitment of trustees was one of their top 3 challenges in 2022 .
- 85% of respondents to a recent NCVO survey said they found it somewhat difficult or very difficult to fill vacancies on their board - 4 out 5 respondents had a least one vacant board position, and over half of respondents (62%) had two or more vacancies. Trustee recruitment is a particularly challenging for smaller charities.
- As organisations start to recruit workers from Gen Z, it is possible that some workplaces will contain workers from four different generations.
- Gen Z workers place a high value in a workplace that matches their values. Voluntary organisations should be well-placed to attract candidates on a values basis. However Gen Z workers also have relatively high expectations around salary, which may be more challenging to meet in this financial climate for the sector.
- Recruitment data suggests that workers really value flexible working and a hybrid workplace, although many organisations are still working through what this looks like for them.
- There is a growing focus on wellbeing and mental health within the workplace, and a growing recognition of the risk of burnout in the voluntary sector workforce.
- Equality and diversity of trustees and within the workplace is an area of focus for many organisations.
Prompts for planning
How are the communities you work with impacted by social change?
How reliant is your organisation on volunteers? Is that model sustainable?
How diverse is your (paid and unpaid) workforce? What plans do you have in place to change this if necessary?
What is your organisational approach to the wellbeing and mental health of your staff, volunteers and trustees?
Sources of support
- SCVO’s HR Service provides resources on employee engagement and culture and inclusive recruitment
- Flexibility Works provides a range of free resources to support flexible working
- For support around volunteering, contact Volunteer Scotland or your local volunteer centre
- Goodmoves can support with recruitment of trustees and paid staff
- William Grant Foundation have collated sources of support and information on wellbeing in the voluntary sector workforce
Join us at The Gathering
Our completely free national conference for the voluntary sector, The Gathering, is happening on 4th and 5th February 2025 in Edinburgh.
The following sessions are particularly relevant to this area:
- Advancing anti-racism: civil society’s role
- A national approach to employer supported volunteering
- Young women work: investing in young women in the workplace
- Inclusive leadership – getting on board
- Inclusive volunteer recruitment
- Equally valued: lived experience and volunteering
- Implementing Fair Work – next steps
- Creating mentally health workplaces
