Tag: Carnegie Trust UK

Digitally Kind: a new report from Carnegie UK Trust

Over the past decade and particularly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen increasing use of digital technology in service provision by third and public sector organisations.

But with this increasing use comes challenges. The development and use of these technologies often outpace the organisational structures put in place to improve delivery and protect both individuals and organisations.

Digitally Kind is devised to help bridge the gaps between digital policy, process and practice to improve outcomes, and introducing kindness as a value to underpin an organisational approach.

Based on workshops with over 40 practitioners and frontline staff, the report has been designed as a starting point to support organisations open up conversations around their use of digital in delivering services. 

Digitally Kind explores a range of technical, social and cultural considerations around the use of tech when working with individuals covering values and governance; access; safety and wellbeing; knowledge and skills; and participation.

While the project predominantly focused on the experiences of practitioners and organisations working with young people, many of the principles hold true for other sectors.

The research also highlights a short set of considerations for funders, policymakers (including regulators) and online platforms.

A plain text version of this report is also available here.

Carnegie UK Trust: What next for Fair Work in Scotland?

The Carnegie UK Trust has published a new report:What Next For Fair Work in Scotland? 

With the approach of Scottish Parliament elections in May, the country is at a critical juncture, having spent the last year confronting COVID.

The Scottish Government has a strong pre-existing commitment to the achievement of ‘Fair Work’ – defined as that which offers opportunity, security, fulfilment, respect and effective voice – and a dedicated Fair Work Convention acts as an independent source of advice and scrutiny on Scotland’s progress towards becoming a ‘Fair Work Nation.’

However, COVID-19 has significantly altered the context in which that Fair Work agenda is being moved forward. The pandemic has severely impacted lives and livelihoods – but has also seen labour market interventions and business innovations that were previously unimaginable, and given rise to calls to build back a better labour market.

Our report considers the progress of Scotland’s Fair Work agenda so far, and sets out our recommendations about how Fair Work can continue to be advanced in a way that is responsive to the significant challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic.

While many different actors -employers, public bodies, trade unions, and wider civil society –influence the achievement of Fair Work, our recommendations are focused on the government in Scotland, looking ahead to what actions can be advanced in the next parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government’s existing commitment to and programme of Fair Work activities provides a strong foundation for Scotland to adapt to the challenges and opportunities exacerbated by COVID-19.

Our report makes 18 recommendations about how progress can be sustained and Fair Work expanded to many more people, including that Scottish Government should:

  • Increase support to grow ‘Fair Flexibility’ in Scotland.
  • Continue to articulate the compelling business case for Fair Work, starting with a ‘Fair Work in the Recovery’ campaign targeted at employers.
  • Support the delivery of a ‘Living Hours’ programme in Scotland.
  • Dedicate resources towards a renewed focus on work-related health and safety.
  • Continue to improve how Fair Work is measured in Scotland.

We would be delighted to hear your views on the ideas in the report.

You can get in touch with us on Twitter @CarnegieUKTrust, using the hashtag #FairWork, or you can let us know your thoughts by emailing the report author, Gail Irvine, Senior Policy and Development Officer, on gail.irvine@carnegieuk.org

Learning from Lockdown: ‘The Moment We Noticed’

Carnegie Trust has been supporting The Relationships Project throughout 2020.

Their latest report, ‘The Moment We Noticed’, brings together observations from a network of collaborators to suggest practical ways forward so that we can look back on 2020 as the year when we not only helped one another in a crisis, but as a year when we changed for good.

See report (above)

The Practice of Kindness: new Carnegie Trust UK report

The Carnegie UK Trust is delighted to share with you its new report, The Practice of Kindness: Learning from the Kindness Innovation Network and North Ayrshire, which explores the practical implementation of kindness in both communities and organisations. Continue reading The Practice of Kindness: new Carnegie Trust UK report

Now’s the time to talk about Kindness

The Carnegie UK Trust has launched a new report, which explores how we can encourage kinder communities. The report, The Place of Kindness, finds that it can be hard to talk about kindness and that there are many things that get in the way of acting in a friendly, generous and considerate way. It identifies that, along with creating spaces and places to act in kindness, the simple fact of talking about it has a powerful effect on our behaviour. Continue reading Now’s the time to talk about Kindness