FACED with tough choices and the urgent need for action on Welfare Reform, what would you do? Caught between UK Welfare Reform explicitly driven by the imperative to save money on one hand, and the emerging impacts of the financial recession and low/slow growth which drive up demand on the other – what provisions will the Scottish Parliament put in place to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society?

When the Scottish Parliament withheld legislative consent (in part) to the UK Welfare Reform Bill it agreed to set up a Welfare Reform Committee recognising that Scottish legislation would be necessary. At the end of March the Committee invited written views on the general principles of its Welfare Reform (Further Provisions) (Scotland) Bill.

The circumstances are unique and the Bill itself is ‘enabling’ legislation.  This means that respondents have little substantive content on which to respond.

Despite the narrow focus, however, Welfare Reform was considered to be of significant import for us to gather views to inform a principled, strategic submission.

We published a mini-briefing on the process and invited representatives of the city’s Third Sector to a ThinkSpace discussion event to gather people’s views on the Bill and on Welfare Reform more generally.

The submission we sent to the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee sought to make a small number of high-level points we wished the committee to take into consideration.

We recognised that the Committee would be faced with difficult decisions and that it would need to find the right balance between the need to act urgently and the imperative not to act in haste. We invited the Committee to think carefully about the evidence that would inform its decisions, and we urged the Committee to adopt an enabling approach that built on the skills, experience and wisdom of Housing Associations, Local Authorities, and Scotland’s vibrant Third Sector.

Finally, we made the point that any discussion about the role of Welfare within contemporary Scotland was to be welcomed – in the hope that a recognisably Scottish ‘solution’ could be found which meaningfully included the Third Sector and wider Scottish Civil Society.

AT the last of EVOC’s series of #TwilightTalks, where the city’s Third Sector met Councillors and prospective Councillors, representatives of the SNP committed themselves to working with the Third Sector to find more sustainable ways of funding the vital services the Sector delivers.

On behalf of Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface, EVOC hosted a series of evening discussion events where a range of representatives from a spread of organisations met up with the main political parties – one at a time. The last of these, on Tuesday 03 April saw four prospective Councillors from the city’s SNP group, Frank Ross joined Councillors Ronnie Cairns, Stuart Roy McIvor and Rob Munn in a frank and honest exchange of views.

In welcome, EVOC Director Ella Simpson re-iterated the key challenges within the Edinburgh Third Sector Manifesto: the need for creative, effective Leadership; the need for Trusting relationships; a commitment to Fair Employment which sustainably improves quality of life; a clear recognition that Social and Environmental costs and benefits are as important as Economic outturns; and the challenge to Make Co-Production the Norm.

Cllr Ronnie Cairns was enthusiastic, ‘Your Manifesto’s Fantastic,’ he said, encouraging us to look out for the SNP’s manifesto which was due out soon.

Picking up on the theme of Partnership, Cllr Rob Munn committed the group to working with the city’s Third Sector – a valued resource (‘Without volunteers,’ Cllr Cairns added, ‘Edinburgh would grind to a halt!’) – to develop new ways of sustainable funding.

Frank Ross took the opportunity to express an interest in Social Impact Bonds as a ‘very strong potential source of finance,’ and laid down his group’s commitment to Fair Employment in the shape of a Living Wage for all Council-funded workers.

Much of the conversation centred around funding that evening. Third Sector colleagues challenged the candidates on Competitive Tendering, annual contracts, and the broader impacts of uncertain funding on Third Sector organisations, staff and often-vulnerable service users.

The candidates were united in their frustration with the Alternative Business Models approach, ‘unsure if the sums actually add up,’ and reliant ‘on officers’ advice.’

The floor expressed some frustration, too. The points were passionately put that the Sector did offer Value for Money, that it was flexible and responsive, and that the diversity of Third Sector activity in, with and for communities builds the rich social fabric which makes good places.

‘Third Sector organisations have felt as if we have had a gun to our heads,’ the floor spoke up against a too-narrow focus on driving down costs.

In turn the candidates recognised that lessons had been learned, that keeping dialogue open was essential to achieving our shared aims, and that engaging in the semi-formal #TwilightTalks event had been useful.

Ending on a positive note, Cllr Munn assured the audience that the candidates were listening to the Third Sector, and were committed to keeping that dialogue going.

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Looking back at this series of #TwilightTalks, EVOC will assess the benefits to the sector. If you found this series useful, please do let us know. As we plan for future events in the #TwilightTalks series, please send us your suggestions for topics or formats. At EVOC we are keen that ThinkSpace – whether by way of blogs or social media or events – is a useful and usable resource for the city’s Third Sector.

See you up the Front!

 

ON Tuesday 27^th March representatives of Edinburgh’s Third Sector met up with candidates from the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party Councillors Paul Edie and Robert Aldridge for a frank exchange of views covered in a wide-ranging discussion.

The fourth #TwilightTalks event at EVOC brought a core of committed Third Sector players together to build on the themes within the Edinburgh Third Sector Manifesto for Council Elections 2012, to share their thinking with candidates in the May elections, and to hear from candidates about their aspirations and expectations for the next five years.

Key themes to emerge included the unrealised potential for Edinburgh’s Neighbourhood Partnerships to strengthen local democracy and accountability, the urgent need to build and develop trust between sectors and between individuals, and the clear recognition on all sides that putting people, their needs and their assets front and centre makes for good policy.

Ella Simpson, EVOC Director, welcomed people and reminded everyone of the key themes and challenges within the Edinburgh Third Sector Manifesto: Leadership, Inequalities, Trust, Co-Production, Fair Employment, and the limits of Competitive Tendering. The Candidates were invited to make brief responses before questions and comments from the floor.

Cllr Paul Edie, responding, was keen to point out that the current Lib-Dem led Administration in Edinburgh has ‘provided strong leadership,’ and brought to the Council ‘careful stewardship of public finance.’ The group heard clearly that the party sees the Voluntary Sector as ‘integral to delivering Public Services.’ Cllr Edie assured the meeting that he was ‘very passionate’ about Neighbourhood Partnerships. With refreshing candour Cllr Edie told the group he ‘struggles to see what Co-Production means in practice.’

As you’d expect, the group was not short of helpful suggestions. The meeting heard the view that since ‘Co-Production was a rich and generative term,’ perhaps it was no surprise that different people had their own views on what Co-Production was and what it wasn’t. EVOC’s (and the Edinburgh Compact Partnership’s) accepted ‘definition’ was: ‘Co-Production is about equal and respectful, trusting and purposeful relationships – between policy-makers and those affected by the policy, service-providers and service-users, and between budget decision-makers and those affected by budget decisions.’

On the issue of more effective use of physical assets – schools, community centres and the like – the group heard that the newly-opened Drumbrae hub exemplified a new approach to community use of public facilities. We also heard a powerful case for a ‘community centre renaissance’ which could come simply from being open and accepting of new partners and new ideas.

Notably, Cllr Aldridge told the meeting of a growing interest in measuring the Social Impacts of their policy decisions. Underlying this theme is the recognition that public policy needs to take account of social and environmental impacts as well as economic impacts.

Returning to a consistent theme from the session, in closing Ella left us with the challenge to all of us to work together consistently to build a positive culture of Trust.

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Hosted by EVOC on behalf of Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface, next Tuesday sees the final event in this series of Twilight Talks taking place from 5.30 – 7.00pm on Tuesday 03 April where Third Sector representatives will meet Council candidates from the Scottish National Party.

Read more about this programme of events: https://www.evoc.org.uk/blog-archive/embrace-the-change/ and view the agenda and details: https://www.evoc.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/media/2012/02/Twilight_Talks_on_a_Tuesday2.pdf

 

And if you’re into Twitter, please use the hashtag #TwilightTalks

OVER two days last week I was privileged to join hundreds of people keen to tackle poverty at The Poverty Alliance’s third Poverty Assembly.  Details – and plenty of multimedia – via YouTube and at PovertyAlliance.org and via #PovertyAssembly for those of a twitterary bent.

I was heartened and encouraged by what I saw and heard through the interactions between civil society organisations, politicians, commentators and real live activists – with a slew of social media staff and volunteers active across the two days.

Heartened, yes. Encouraged, most certainly. But still, I left the two days hungry for more change, more urgently. The old Politics, the old Economics have served society poorly. Though there is a discernible desire to make positive change with people, for people, the alternatives have gained too little traction.

We hear talk of the new consensual politics – but we see the old, oppositional tribalism.

We hear talk of the new, person-centred economy – but we see Governments – at every level – hoping to return to Business-As-Usual (and struggling Third Sector organisations vying amongst themselves to be the most Business-like!)

On day two of the #PovertyAssembly we were invited to make a pledge for the next year. I promised to speak out more strongly to End Poverty, and to Tweet more to #EndPoverty. Expect more. I hope many who were there pledged to be greedy for good, to want more, to expect better.

The time is right for an Economy that serves People, rather than People being slaves to the Economy.

The time is right for a Politics that relocate Power with the Many not the Few.

The time is right for a Society that turns its back on the destructive and divisive values of hyper-consumerism, and rather values Human Assets and the Core Economy – caring and life-enhancing, creative and joyful.

 [A version of this blog will appear on the Poverty Alliance blogsite in due course.]

FindMe: @evoc_milind

AT the third of our #TwililghtTalks on Tuesday, with representatives of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, three candidates who are currently councillors put forward the Conservative approach to Edinburgh’s Third Sector and responded to a range of issues raised by Third Sector representatives present.

Looking forward to the Council Elections on Thursday 3rd May EVOC published last October the Edinburgh Third Sector Manifesto on behalf of the Edinburgh Third Sector Interface. The series of #TwilightTalks takes forward this work – offering an opportunity for candidates to respond to the challenges within the Manifesto and to ‘set out their stall’ with a Third Sector audience.

On Tuesday 20th March EVOC played host to a panel of three Conservative Councillors – Cameron Rose, Elaine Aitken and group leader Jeremy Balfour.

EVOC Director Ella Simpson welcomed the candidates and invited them to respond to the key challenges within the Third Sector Manifesto.

To recap: Challenges for Candidates from our Manifesto include the following.

• Be Bold – Provide the leadership we deserve. Design and commission services for community benefit;
• Put ‘addressing inequalities’ front and centre of all your policies and strategies;
• Trust the Third Sector’s knowledge, skills and ability;
• Be true to the spirit and reality of Co-Production;
• Focus on increasing fair employment for all;
• Consider the limits of competitive tendering.

Leader of the Conservative Group on the City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Jeremy Balfour responded on behalf of the panel. He began by reassuring us that what the candidates heard that evening would influence their thinking over the next five-year term. The Conservative manifesto was nearing completion, we heard, and we will be looking for evidence that an open airing of Third Sector issues will have influenced the party’s thinking.

Cllr Balfour went on to outline the three key points that would shape the party’s approach to Edinburgh’s Third Sector: Zero-based budgeting, Three-year funding, and a Senior Third Sector Champion.

This would mean that Local Authority spending would follow more clearly priorities shared across the whole Council, that Council-funded Third Sector organisations could depend on three-year funding agreements, and that a senior politician (possibly the Deputy Leader or the Deputy Provost) would become a ‘champion’ for the city’s Third Sector and – we were told – a ‘gatekeeper.’ [N.B. the word ‘Czar’ was Not mentioned even once!]

The first questions from the audience centred around the contentious question of Competitive Tendering. It was put to the panel that the Competitive Tendering approach to funding forced service-delivering organisations to cut costs and that services suffered as a result.

Cllr Cameron Rose said that the Conservatives were committed to Competitive Tendering in principle, but recognised that the practice had gone ‘off the rails.’ Cllr Balfour was keen to put his view that competitive tendering helped to deliver Value for Money and that the approach encouraged Third Sector organisations to work cooperatively together.

Although it was clear that there were differences, Cllr Balfour suggested that the party and the Third Sector could disagree ‘as friends.’

The last word from the Conservative Group leader was positive and encouraging. ‘Let’s meet more often,’ he suggested – ‘not just once every five years!’

If you’d like to see what’s in the party’s Edinburgh Manifesto, visit the Local Government pages of the Scottish Conservatives’ website.

Now past the half-way mark in our series of Twilight Talks, we look forward to welcoming the Liberal Democrats next Tuesday, and the Scottish National Party at the final Twilight Talks event on Tuesday 3rd April. For details of the programme and of how to book places, visit EVOC’s Events pages.

If you are not able to attend, or would like to follow the discussion from afar, we will continue to tweet live using the hashtag #TwilightTalks. You can also use that hashtag to tweet us your questions or comments to put to party representatives on the following two Tuesdays.

It must be time for #TwilightTalks!

Indeed, it was. Yesterday evening, EVOC welcomed the Edinburgh Labour group – in the form of Forth Councillor Cammy Day and Craigentinny/Duddingston Councillor Ewan Aitken – for a wide-ranging and stimulating discussion about the Third Sector’s aspirations and Edinburgh Labour’s ambitions for the Council Elections 2012.

The Edinburgh Labour group had just that morning launched its own Manifesto for the Council Elections – providing an ideal opportunity for the group to explore linkages and synergies between the Edinburgh Labour Manifesto and the Third Sector Manifesto published last Autumn.

Partnership

Welcoming the guests EVOC Board Member David Griffiths emphasised the Third Sector’s keenness to engage in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council.

In their opening remarks both Labour Councillors restated their commitment to the Edinburgh Compact Partnership. Cllr Ewan Aitken returned through the evening to the core theme of ‘building relationships,’ praising the Third Sector for being ‘great at relationships.’ A City, he reminded us, is built upon relationships. Not shying away from recognising that the Council had to take its share of the responsibility, Cllr Aitken told the group that the Council must rebuild Trust with the Third Sector and with communities. Refreshing candour from a retiring (not shy) Councillor.

Tale of Two Manifestos

Responding to the challenges posed within the Third Sector Manifesto, the two Councillors made the following points.

1)   Be Bold. Provide leadership.

Leader of the Edinburgh Labour group Cllr Andrew Burns promises to bring the values of public service and co-operation to his leadership of the city. Labour also promises to ‘enhance leadership in schools.’

2)   Put addressing inequalities front and centre of all your policies and strategies.

Perhaps the element of their manifesto which has gathered the most interest has been Labour’s commitment to institute a Living Wage for all Council employees and all those from whom it purchases services. The party also promises to cap the ‘lowest-to-highest paid’ ratio at 1:12 – an ambitious aspiration.

3)   Be true to the spirit and reality of Co-Production

The Edinburgh Labour manifesto doesn’t use the language of Co-Production, but the core theme of the party’s hopes for the City of Edinburgh Council is to build ‘a Co-operative Council’ founded on trusting and honest relationships.

4)   Consider the limits of Competitive Tendering

As part of the Co-operative Council theme, the Labour group promises NOT to privatise services or sell them off to the highest bidder. A Labour administration would ‘tip the balance’ against unfair competition from ‘big outsiders,’ to support local businesses.

As before, issues and questions from the floor covered a range of themes. A lively discussion was held. And we look forward to next Tuesday’s event when the Third Sector meets the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Do join us – either at EVOC or online via this blog or on Twitter using the hashtag #TwilightTalks.

Hosted by EVOC on behalf of Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface, this series of Twilight Talks take place from 5.30 – 7.00pm on successive Tuesdays as below.

Tuesday 20 March – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Tuesday 27 March – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Tuesday 03 April – Scottish National Party

Read more about this programme of events: https://www.evoc.org.uk/blog-archive/embrace-the-change/ and view the agenda and details: https://www.evoc.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/media/2012/02/Twilight_Talks_on_a_Tuesday2.pdf

And if you’re into Twitter, please use the hashtag #TwilightTalks

Quick Quiz, folks! Which political party – first up at EVOC’s Twilight Talks – outlined the following ambitions for Edinburgh?

 

“Economic Growth on its own is NOT what the Council should be for – What do we really value?”

 

“We want to shift the balance away from profit-making activity.”

 

“We want to create a £10m Endowment Fund built over ten years from sale of unneeded assets and Philanthropic donations – to be used for Voluntary and Community activity.”

 

Well done – you got it in one! That was the Edinburgh Greens at the first in a series of discussion events with political parties called ‘Twilight Talks on a Tuesday,’ where a Third Sector audience got to quiz candidates from the Scottish Green Party about their ambitions and intentions for Edinburgh.

 

During a lively and engaging discussion, Third Sector voices raised issues from the scope for Co-Production in Partnership Working to the needs of vulnerable Kinship Carers.

 

The Edinburgh Greens, represented by Cllr Maggie Chapman, Chas Booth, Melanie Main and Phyl Meyer, brought an openness and honesty to the discussion – describing their ambitions for community-owned assets, a city that works for its people, for equality and sustainability.

 

I’d call it a super Tuesday.

 

Hosted by EVOC on behalf of Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface, this series of Twilight Talks take place from 5.30 – 7.00pm on successive Tuesdays as below.

 

Tuesday 13 March – Scottish Labour Party

Tuesday 20 March – Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Tuesday 27 March – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Tuesday 03 April – Scottish National Party

 

Read more about this programme of events: https://www.evoc.org.uk/blog-archive/embrace-the-change/ and view the agenda and details: https://www.evoc.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/media/2012/02/Twilight_Talks_on_a_Tuesday2.pdf

 

And if you’re into Twitter, please use the hashtag #TwilightTalks

Change is in the air. The relationships between different levels of Government – the City Council, the Scottish Government, Westminster and Europe – are developing fast. The Scottish Government clearly has ambitions for Community Planning to engage more meaningfully with its constituent parts, driving Public Service Reform built upon the principles of Prevention and Integration.

 

In this complex – sometimes confusing – web of relationships, where does the Third Sector (at a neighbourhood, city and national level) fit? Staunchly apolitical and non-aligned (and quite rightly so!) how does the Third Sector engage effectively with politicians and political parties? Surely ‘apolitical’ doesn’t mean ‘disengaged,’ just as it doesn’t mean ‘amoral.’ Equality, Social Justice, Community Empowerment, Social Value – the work of the Third Sector is often an ethical enterprise, and we can hardly afford not to engage with politicians, parties and the political process to further the Sector’s aims.

 

Here’s an opportunity for just such effective engagement. On behalf of Edinburgh’s Third Sector Interface EVOC is hosting a series of Twilight Talks on a Tuesday from 5.30-7.00pm from Tuesday 6th March through to Tuesday 3rd April. Spaces are limited, and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please book your places by emailing Dianne Morrison.

 

A first step was the publication of the Edinburgh Third Sector Manifesto for Council Elections 2012. This set of Talks builds on that – creating a space for you to have your say.

 

Change is certainly in the air – will the Third Sector be passive bystanders? Or will we engage actively to shape the change we want to see?

 

I know which one I’d prefer.

I’ve always been rubbish at endings, and so the last few weeks has been challenging – with the end of the Charity Law for Advisors Project.

Since May 2010 we have trained over 160 advisors of charities across Scotland in the intricacies of charity law, funded by the Big Lottery Fund through SCVO’s Supporting Voluntary Action intiative.  From Stornoway to Musselburgh the four day course was delivered 13 times – and that was the fun part.  The hard part has been tieing up loose ends, producing statistics and reports and wrapping up the project.  But there has been good news too – Voluntary Action Scotland has agreed to fund the expenses of the thirteen trainers who are committed to continue to deliver the course over the coming months and years, so we can instill knowledge and expertise in both advisors who missed the core project delivery, and new members of staff looking to prepare for all that they will face when dealing with local charities’ issues and problems.

Along with endings come new opportunities and challenges.  I’m now working with older people’s service providers in the city delivering on the Change Fund agenda, developing the Network of voluntary organisations delivering services to children, young people’s and families – and you’d only have to ask any of the city’s community transport operators about my work with them in recent months to get an impression of what a challenge means in the volunary sector in Edinburgh in 2012!  (More to come on that next time…)

 

 

 

 

AT a time of considerable change – economic, social, political – how does the city’s Third Sector need to change and grow?

This is the core question facing the newly-formed Third Sector Strategy Group (TSSG) when it meets on Friday 24th February.

For the first hour or so members will embark on a process of scenario planning, modelling desirable futures.

Members have been invited to pick two of the following four themes for discussion:

Manifesto Themes – Co-Production, Marginalised Communities, Future Funding

Commissioning – City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian (item 12 on the linked Policy & Strategy committee agenda.)

Future Shape of Edinburgh’s Third Sector

Engaging with Public Sector Reform – Christie Commission, Regeneration Strategy.

Following a short break, the group will then consider a few key decisions – along the following lines.

Community Planning issues and themes of current concern:

Single Outcome Agreement 3 and Scottish Government’s Community Planning Review.

Commissioning for Community Benefit – the Third Sector helping to shape City Outcomes.

And looking inwards:

Draft Refreshed Volunteering Strategy – which will be circulated later, once the Volunteering Strategy Implementation Group has considered it.

Forward Planning for the TSSG (Third Sector Strategy Group) – along the lines suggested in the report which proposed setting up the group.

In a time of austerity, the demands on Edinburgh’s Third Sector are growing, just as the resources available to us are reducing. How can the city’s Third Sector – using its innovation, creativity and guile – bridge that gulf? Do we need new ways of working? What will it look like – this Third Sector that is fit for the future?

I can’t wait to find out!

 

Please also see linked Noticeboard item for documents on SOA3 and on Forum (aka TSSG)

 

 

 

 

https://www.evoc.org.uk/noticeboard/notices/a-third-sector-fit-for-the-future/