Scottish Govt’s consultation period on a National Care Service (NCS) came to an end this week (Tues, 2nd Nov). The consultation was presented as an opportunity to change the way support and services are delivered. With so many SEN members actively exploring the development of local solutions to the delivery of health and social care, SENScot facilitated a couple of sessions in September, aimed at giving SEN members the opportunity to share their thoughts with one another in advance of submitting a joint response from a social enterprise perspective. In addition to these sessions, working with other partners and further consultations with SEN members, SENScot, this week, submitted this Response to the NCS Consultation. Some of the key points being addressed in the ‘Response’ are: that proper recognition be given to the valuable support and services provided by social enterprises and the wider third sector – and not restricting consideration to solely statutory or more formal provision; that it will be crucially important to explore and embrace a community-led approach – with a shift towards a social model and concept of social health and health inequalities approach; and the general lack of understanding about social enterprise and the wider third sector, including community anchor organisations; the absence of any meaningful reference to each of these, including the importance and value of ‘community’ – as well as the omission of any reference or acknowledgement of the sector’s contribution during the pandemic.

Autumn is well and truly here and COP26 is just around the corner, but as always there’s lots going on in the world of health & wellbeing and social enterprise. 

Give me a shout if there are discussions or sessions that you’d like to take place before the end of the year, and we’ll get them in the diary. 

All the best,  

Mary  
Development Manager
Social Enterprise Network Scotland 

On Sunday, COP26 gets underway in Glasgow. The importance of the conference cannot be overstated as we enter, what many commentators consider, the ‘decisive decade’ in seeking to get the world on a safer path. Over the last couple of months, we have tried to highlight some on the initiatives that have and are taking place in Scotland – both within and out with the sector – to try and bring attention to the seriousness of climate crisis. These have included the Third Sector Net Zero Strategy as well as the SCVO/SENScot Survey of the sector. More widely, amongst others, there is the Climate Assembly’s Civic Charter and Climate Scotland campaign. From a Scottish Govt perspective, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon addressed an audience at Strathclyde University this week where she shared her view on what the COP26 summit needs to achieve – in terms of hard commitments on reducing emissions and on climate finance, and also on promoting both international and intergenerational fairness. She also elaborated on Scotland’s role – both during COP26 and, in going forward, the importance of leading by example. Here’s the text of her speech – plus the video (circa 50 mins). Finally, something worth reading that gives an African perspective on the excluded voices that reflect the First Minister’s comments on ‘international fairness’.

Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) – a much valued and utilised programme by so many SEN members in providing meaningful employment for young people most disadvantaged in the labour market – is coming to end, with funding transferring to Local Authorities from April 2022 under No One Left Behind.  Whilst £5mn of the £20mn NOLB funding has been guaranteed to provide opportunities within third sector organisations, it is not yet known what this will look like across 32 local authorities and SEN members are likely to face an inconsistent approach – see SCVO Chief Executive, Anna Fowlie’s Blog. You can also share your thoughts on CJS and future employability programmes via this SCVO survey (deadline 25th October). Results will be shared with Govt to help local areas develop successor programmes. With 10,000 young people being successfully placed with third sector employers, the programme has been of great benefit to thousands of young people as well as the hundreds of organisations (including SEN members) who have been able to create and fill key roles over the years – with, in so many cases, the young people becoming valued members of staff.

Community Jobs Scotland employers – we know a good many members have really valued CJS.  SCVO are currently evaluating the programme, please take 15 minutes to complete the survey and let them know your thoughts on CJS – what worked and what could be improved – and your opinions on future employability programmes.  SCVO will supply the anonymised survey findings to the LEPs and Scottish Government to help local areas develop successor programmes.  Deadline 25th October.

On Tuesday, SENScot held a well attended AGM – our first since the merger of Social Firms Scotland and Senscot in July 2020. Aside from the formal business of the day, two issues dominated discussion. Firstly, SENScot Director, Pauline Gordon gave this presentation on the activities and work that SENScot has been involved in over the last 15 months. This has included connecting, supporting and representing both place-based and thematic SENs, working with others on a range of different policy initiatives, as well as, again with others, a number of ‘special projects’.

Welcome to the October newsletter. I hope you are all managing to take some time, in between the rain, to enjoy Scotland in the Autumn. Early morning walks with my pup are my most peaceful time of the day. 

This week, at Holyrood, Deputy First Minster, John Swinney announced the publication of  A Fairer Future, Scottish Govt’s Covid recovery strategy, aimed at helping those most affected by the pandemic. The strategy, when implemented, will see the Govt working with local government, the third sector, and businesses – with a commitment to ‘address the systemic inequalities made worse by Covid, improve people’s wellbeing, and remobilise public services to be more focused on people’s needs’.  We are pleased to see that this has been informed by the SRAB Report, published in January 2021. John Swinney’s speech to Parliament on Tuesday, acknowledged the contribution of the third sector and gave assurance that Govt would look to ‘build on that ability and strengthen the sector’s capacity in our recovery’. Also this week, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published its own annual report – Poverty in Scotland 2021. It’s a long read (50 pages) – but the link provides a useful ‘what you need to know’.

This month we are delighted to share a new Sport SEN member Case Study, Westquarter and Redding Cricket Club (WRCC), who were founded in 1908 and are a progressive and inclusive social enterprise who demonstrate a clear desire to make a difference within their community, using sport as a tool to create positive impact. This case study charts their journey from a sports club to a social enterprise and covers – financing their activities; becoming a CIC; developing community programmes using sport and physical activities and next steps in their journey. The community programmes are really impressive and include children and young people; people with mental health conditions; ethnic minority groups; 1st Steps; people with dementia and people with disabilities.  

SENScot will be holding its AGM on 12th October 2021 at 1pm – and, as well as covering ‘formal business’, will provide members and other attendees with a highlight presentation on our activities since the merger of Senscot and Social Firms Scotland back in July 2020. The meeting will also provide the latest information regarding Scottish Govt’s plans to fund a new ‘enhanced Single National Intermediary’ to support social enterprise in Scotland from June 2022. Over the last 12/15 months, SENScot and place-based SENs have been able to host over 70 online SEN sessions – giving frontline social enterprises the opportunity to connect, share information and support one another during the challenges that were being presented during the Covid pandemic. A couple of other initiatives that you can hear more about on the day, include: The Community Tourism Pilot ; the 2021 Pockets and Prospects Project  and the Third Sector Net Zero Strategy. If you’d like to attend the AGM, see Agenda and Registration Form.