third sector organisations – The NEN

More progress is needed a decade on from procurement reform

Despite improved transparency, a Parliament committee has found that inconsistency, bureaucracy, and inflexibility are still creating challenges for small businesses and third sector organisations looking to participate in public procurement.

A decade on from the introduction of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act), Holyrood’s Economy and Fair Work Committee has explored how the Act is operating.

Intended to support economic growth with procurement systems which were transparent, fair and business friendly, the Act put in place regulation for public procurement contracts above certain financial thresholds.

During its inquiry, the Committee heard from businesses and the third sector, as well as local authorities and the Scottish Government.

The Committee found that while the Act’s improvements to transparency were welcomed, there were still challenges which made navigating public procurement difficult, with one witness giving the Act a “C+ for its performance.”

Challenges experienced by witnesses included inconsistency across contracting authorities and heavy bureaucratic load.

The Committee’s report makes a number of recommendations to improve the system including:

Ensuring that the Public Contracts Scotland website is updated to make it once again “best in class”.
The Scottish Government should work with contracting authorities to drive consistency and reduce administrative burden.
A uniform process for the provision of feedback should be developed.

Speaking as the report launched last week, Committee Convener Claire Baker MSP said: “Public procurement plays a vital role in the Scottish economy, involving small business, the third sector and public bodies.

“But with more than ten years now passed since the Act came into force, it is time to reflect on whether the ambitious aims are being met.

“There is no doubt that the Act has had a positive impact on increasing transparency of procurement processes which of course is to be welcomed. But for too many businesses, especially new or small businesses, there is still confusion and inconsistency. all of which is causing a barrier to those who may want to engage.

“Our report calls for a number of changes which would have a real impact to ensure that the bureaucracy and inflexibility can be addressed.”

During its inquiry, the Committee also found that the Act had contributed to an increase in Scottish procurement. However, the report makes clear that the Committee believes more can be done to increase local procurement.

The Committee noted the results from the community wealth building pilot areas and called for the principles and lessons learned to be fully embedded in procurement processes.

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Charity fears over PVG proposals

“These changes will inevitably force a decline in the number of volunteering opportunities organisations are able to support in the future” – LifeCare CEO Sarah van Putten

Foysol Choudhury MSP, Co-Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Volunteering, has today raised alarm bells over Scottish Government proposals to replace the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership fee waiver, for volunteers in Qualifying Voluntary Organisations (QVOs), with a fee discount.

MSP Choudhury, who visited LifeCare Edinburgh last month, raised alarm bells over this proposal, which he said would hugely impact organisations such as LifeCare Edinburgh who carry out vital work and rely on volunteers to be able to deliver their services.

Following his visit to LifeCare Edinburgh, Mr Choudhury lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament on Recognising LifeCare Edinburgh’s Contributions to Community Wellbeing. For these essential contributions to continue, however, Mr Choudhury says the Scottish Government must listen to the pleas of integral third sector organisations.

Mr Choudhury said: “LifeCare Edinburgh has worked tirelessly for 80 years providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people, such as through day clubs, support with household tasks and home care, which allow older service users to thrive in their own homes and community.

“LifeCare Edinburgh and many other organisations foster community wellbeing, both by providing volunteering opportunities and by running essential services using volunteers.

“They therefore rely on the goodwill of volunteers being easily accepted by the system, such as via the PVG fee waiver system which allows volunteers to be easily and freely accredited for volunteering opportunities with vulnerable groups.

“The proposal to remove this fee waiver and replace it with a fee discount will, therefore, mean more barriers to volunteering, especially for those from economically deprived backgrounds, which will have a knock-on effect in terms of decreased wellbeing for volunteers and decreased services available to be run for the community.”

Sarah van Putten, LifeCare Edinburgh CEO, said: “LifeCare strongly opposes the Scottish Government’s proposals to remove the current fee waiver for volunteers and replace this with a fee discount.

“The price of a PVG application, even at the subsidised rate, is not inconsiderable, particularly for those from economically deprived backgrounds.

“The proposed changes would create a further barrier at a time where the cost-of-living crisis is already limiting access to volunteering. Adopting the proposed changes would worsen this problem and further exclude marginalised and disadvantaged communities throughout Scotland.

“The only way volunteer-involving organisations could conceivably help to mitigate this barrier would be to reimburse the cost of the PVG application back to volunteers. However, the cost of even subsidised membership applications is a substantial burden for charities to bear – particularly for organisations like LifeCare who have been significantly impacted by funding cuts, increasing demand rising costs.

“These changes will inevitably force a decline in the number of volunteering opportunities organisations are able to support in the future.

“This will ultimately have an adverse impact on all those who benefit from volunteer-supported services across Scotland, and of course the volunteers themselves whose health and wellbeing benefits through the hugely rewarding experience volunteering can bring.”

Mr Choudhury, following his visit to LifeCare Edinburgh and the submission of his motion recognising their work, is joining LifeCare Edinburgh in highlighting concern over these PVG proposals.

Mr Choudhury says he will, as Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Volunteering, continue to pursue this matter with the responsible Minister.

Enhancing social care services

£9.2 million to support independent living

More than £9 million is being made available over the next three years to give people who access social care more choice and control over decisions relating to their care.

This funding builds on an additional £2 billion investment in social care and integration, as part of the Scottish Budget for 2024-25, and delivers on the Scottish Government’s commitment to increase spending by 25% over this Parliament – two years ahead of the original target.

The funding for the national ‘Support in the Right Direction’ programme will enable organisations to deliver independent support and advocacy to help people live independently and participate in all aspects of life.

The grants are part of the Scottish Government’s Self-Directed Support Improvement Plan which empowers people to make informed choices about the support they need.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “Through this funding, people and carers will be supported to have more choice and involvement in how their social care is delivered.

“We want everyone accessing social care to feel confident participating in every stage of their social care journey and be equal partners in their care and support decisions, so that they can live a full and independent life.

“The ambition is to have the right independent support available at the right time and place to meet the specific needs of each individual.”

Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living Chief Executive Gaby Nolan said: “We are delighted to be awarded the Scottish Government funding.

“By offering peer support, as well as individualised casework, this funding will enable us over the next three years, to raise more awareness of Self-Directed Support to disabled people and carers, improve access and support people at all stages of their social care journey.

“This fund is also supporting us to work with carers from Black and Minority Ethnic communities increasing awareness and access and offering accessible, person-led support.”

Inspiring Scotland Chief Executive Celia Tennant said: “We are pleased to be working with the Scottish Government on Support in the Right Direction. This vital funding commitment will help bring stability to organisations over the next three years and strengthen the network across Scotland of providers of independent advice and advocacy with self-directed support.

“We know that locally based organisations are vital in enabling people and their carers to understand and navigate the social care systems in their areas.

“Each of these organisations bring expertise in social care, self-directed support and a good knowledge of local resources meaning they are best placed to work with people at every stage of their journey.”

33 third sector organisations across Scotland are to be funded through Support in the Right Direction (SiRD), to provide independent support, information, advice and advocacy to people using social care and their carers.

Creating a National Care Service

Community engagement funding to ensure groups are heard

Third sector organisations are being awarded new funding to help ensure as many voices as possible are contributing to the design of the National Care Service.

The funding will facilitate contributions from minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system.

Organisations will each receive £5,000 to encourage the communities they work with to have their say on how future community healthcare and social work services should look.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “As we build a National Care Service that best fits the needs of everyone in Scotland, we need to hear from people directly.

“The new National Care Service will set the standards and guidance to support the design and delivery of community healthcare and social work services locally.

“The complexities of getting this right should not be underestimated. People with experience of the current system, whether receiving health and care support or delivering it, are the experts. We need to hear those voices – and those of groups who are often overlooked.

“We know that minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system are under-represented in our co-design work to date. We also know that people affected by dementia are a key group we want to hear more from and we will benefit from partnering with an organisation with expertise in this area.

“I am confident the funding to support co-design activity with seldom heard communities will help us shape a system we can all benefit from and be proud of.”

The partner organisations are:

LGBT Health and Wellbeing
Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
The Simon Community
Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of offenders (SACRO)
Alzheimer Scotland

Forth Neighbourhood Network meets online tomorrow evening

6pm via MICROSOFT TEAMS

FORTH Neighbourhood Network will meet online tomorrow evening at 6pm.

AGENDA

Welcome & Apologies
Notes of Meeting of 19^th January 2022 and matters arising (circulated)
Forth NN Neighbourhood Environmental Programme (NEP) HRA update – George Norval / David Delargy
Forth NN current Priority: Poverty, including food poverty update – Biddy Kelly, Response and Recovery Group
Community Grants Fund – review of the past year plus funding panel decisions
Any other Business
Dates of Next Meetings: 22^nd June 2022, 14^th Sept 2022, 14^th Dec 2022.

For further information please contact Elaine Lennon, North West Lifelong Learning Development Officer, telephone 529 5270, email Elaine.Lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk

Poverty organisations call for 6% increase to benefits

Prices are rising at the fastest rate in 30 years, and energy bills alone are expected to rise by 50% in April. We are all feeling the pinch but the soaring costs of essentials will hurt low income families, whose budgets are already at breaking point, most.

There has long been a profound mismatch between what those with a low income have, and what they need to get by. Policies such as the benefit cap and benefit freeze have left many struggling. Families are still reeling from the £20 cut to Universal Credit last October. And, though benefits will increase by 3.1% in April, inflation is projected to be 6% by then. This means yet another real terms cut to incomes.

The government must respond to the scale of the challenge. Immediate targeted protection to prevent serious hardship is essential, but short-term support will not be enough in the face of ongoing inflation.

The government should increase benefits by 6% in April and ensure support for housing costs increases in line with rents. All those struggling, including families affected by the benefit cap, must feel the impact.

Much more is needed for levels of support to reflect what people need to get by. But, in taking these first steps, the government will prevent the gap from getting wider and lay the foundation to further strengthen our social security system that protects us from poverty.

Signed by:

Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group

Graeme Cooke, Director of Evidence and Policy, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Emma Revie, Chief Executive, The Trussell Trust

Imran Hussain, Director of Policy & Campaigns, Action for Children

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director, Age UK

Sarb Bajwa, Chief Executive, British Psychological Society

Joseph Howes, CEO, Buttle UK

Leigh Elliott, CEO, Children North East

Laurence Guinness, Chief Executive, The Childhood Trust

Paula Stringer, CEO, Christians Against Poverty (CAP)

Niall Cooper, Director, Church Action on Poverty

James Plunkett, Executive Director of Advice & Advocacy, Citizens Advice

Derek Mitchell, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice Scotland

Dr Ruth Patrick, Principal Investigator, Covid Realities research programme

The Disability Benefits Consortium

Anna Feuchtwang, Chair, End Child Poverty Coalition

Victoria Benson, CEO, Gingerbread

Graham Whitham, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Manchester Poverty Action

Sabine Goodwin, Coordinator, Independent Food Aid Network

Jess McQuail, Director, Just Fair

Sophie Corlett, Director of External Relations, Mind

Nick Moberly, CEO, MS Society

Jane Streather, Chair, North East Child Poverty Commission

Satwat Rehman, CEO, One Parent Families Scotland

Dr Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, Oxfam GB

Peter Kelly, Director, The Poverty Alliance

Dan Paskins, Director of UK Impact, Save the Children UK

James Taylor, Executive Director of Strategy, Impact & Social Change, Scope

Thomas Lawson, Chief Executive, Turn2us

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, The Women’s Budget Group

Katherine Hill, Strategic Project Manager, 4in10 London’s Child Poverty Network

Edinburgh Community Lottery launch this Thursday

EVOC is inviting Edinburgh-based charities and local good causes of all sizes, to attend the Good Cause Launch Event on Thursday 9th September at 2pm, where you will get a chance to find out more and sign up.

How the Lottery Works:

Tickets for the Edinburgh Community Lottery will cost £1. A whopping 60p (compared to just 25p from tickets by the National Lottery) from every ticket goes towards local good causes.

There will be a weekly draw with a jackpot of £25,000 for a matching sequence of six numbers. The other prizes on offer include: £2500, £250, £25, or three free tickets!

There are two parts to the Edinburgh Community Lottery scheme:

Good causes across Edinburgh will be able to set up their own lottery page, receiving 50p from every £1 spent by players. A further 10p from every £1 will go into an EVOC good causes fund, with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs, and VAT.

Players who do not wish to support a specific cause can still take part in the Edinburgh Community Lottery, with 60p from their ticket going into the general EVOC good causes fund, which will then be distributed by the organsation.

EVOC’s Deputy Chief Executive, Ian Brooke, said: “We’re really excited to be launching the Edinburgh Community Lottery, a new way to support communities and good causes in Edinburgh.

“While the past eighteen months have thrown a spotlight on the amazing work of community groups and voluntary organisations everywhere, it has also stretched staff, volunteers, and resources up to and beyond breaking point.

“That, combined with the loss of fundraising activities in light of Covid restrictions, means that the Lottery is a really important new opportunity for good causes to raise money, making sure they can continue to support citizens and communities across our city.”

If you would like to find out more, get in touch with the Edinburgh Community Lottery team at EVOC: communitylottery@evoc.org.uk

See EVOC’s Facebook page and Twitter account

£5 million more for services to address gender-based violence

Frontline services for women and girls affected by gender-based violence will receive £5 million to deal with additional pressures that have occurred during the pandemic.

The funding will go to rape crisis centres and domestic abuse services to cut waiting lists, helping to ensure those affected can access the support they need more quickly. The increased support fulfils one of the commitments for the first 100 days of this government.

It will comprise approximately £4.5 million to be split between Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland, and a total of £500,000 for 12 other specialist support services and organisations.

Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said: “Violence against women and girls is one of the most devastating and fundamental violations of human rights and is totally unacceptable.

“We recognise the vital work that local women’s aids and rape crisis centres do day in, day out to support women and girls, including throughout the pandemic, and I know demand for these services has increased. This in itself is appalling and I am determined to support rape crisis centres and domestic abuse services, which provide a lifeline for many women and girls.

“As the need for these services has grown in this most difficult of times, this funding will help survivors, and those at risk, to access specialist support when they need it most.

“We will continue to encourage survivors to report their experience and seek support they need.”

Dr Marsha Scott, Scottish Women’s Aid Chief Executive, said: “We have seen a huge increase in demand for support from survivors of domestic abuse and the impact from this is already being felt as our waiting lists are growing.

“This funding from the Scottish Government will help us manage this higher demand and reduce these waiting lists, allowing more accessible support for survivors.

“For us, this is an opportunity to bridge funding between Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency funding and a new funding system based on need, rather than historical arrangements.”

Sandy Brindley, Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Seeking support after sexual violence can be an incredibly difficult thing to do, and it’s so important that when people do feel able to reach out, that specialist services are resourced to be able to provide the support that is often described to us by survivors as life-saving.

“This funding – in conjunction with the new Delivering Equally Safe fund – is a very welcome and much-needed investment in local Rape Crisis services, but our approach must be sustainable. It is only through a strategic and co-ordinated approach that we will be able to make sure that survivors across Scotland are able to access the support they deserve, at the point of need.”

Full list of organisations receiving funding:

Aberdeen Cyrenians
Barnardos
Committed to Ending Abuse
Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Team – West Lothian
Dumfries and Stewartry Women’s Aid
Fife Women’s Aid
Grampian Women’s Aid
Kingdom Abuse Survivor’s Project
Moray Women’s Aid
Rape Crisis Scotland
Saheliya
Scottish Borders – Children First
Scottish Women’s Aid
West Dunbartonshire Council Support Service

This latest funding comes on top of £5.75 million allocated in 2020-21 to help redesign frontline services to ensure they are best equipped to handle the additional pressures of the pandemic.

The Scottish Government is also providing £18 million this year to third sector organisations and public bodies working to end violence against women and girls through our Delivering Equally Safe fund.

Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline is available on 0800 027 1234.

Rape Crisis Scotland Helpline is available on 08088 01 03 02. Calls to this number are free. Alternatively email support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk or text 07537 410027.

In an emergency please call the police on 999.

Further information on the law can be found at safer.scot

Challenge, change, churn: EVOC Annual General Meeting

Registration is now open for EVOC’s Annual AGM and Conference on Tuesday 5^th November. Continue reading Challenge, change, churn: EVOC Annual General Meeting

Meet the Funders event next Thursday

MEET the FUNDERS EVENT

Thursday 12 May – Public Drop in from 5 – 8pm

Waverley Court Courtyard Coffee Bar/Restaurant area

‘Meet the Funders’ is a free marketplace event providing access to funding information for community projects. It is an opportunity for groups to discuss their ideas with potential funders and collect a range of information about possible sources of grant aid. The event also offers the groups an opportunity to meet and work together.

The following exhibitors have confirmed attendance with more expected:

Big Lottery
Edinburgh4Community
Community Grants Fund
PassIT On
Royal Bank of Scotland Foundation
Sportscotland
The Robertson Trust
Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage
Princes Trust Youth Business Scotland
Registered Tenants Grants
MyParkScotland – Greenspace Scotland
First Port
Edinburgh Business Gateway
Scotland’s Employment Recruitment Incentive Fund
Art and Business Scotland
MOD Covenant Fund
The Melting Pot
Edinburgh Community Food