Scottish Welfare Fund
Connecting with Third Sector
23 January 2013
Who are we?
• Lynn Williams, Scottish Council for Voluntary
Organisations (SCVO)
• Beth Reid, Citizens Advice Scotland
Aim of session:
What do we mean by third sector?
Why is the sector critical to the Scottish Welfare Fund?
Connecting at local level
Desk resource – key third sector organisations
When you go back to your desk – what next?
What do we mean by the Third sector??
• An estimated 45,000 non-profit organisations currently work in Scotland
• Around half of them are recognised as charities
• It is called the ‘third’ sector because it is not part of the ‘public sector’ or
the ‘private sector’ – it is also referred to as the ‘voluntary sector’, ‘the
non-profit sector’ or the ‘charitable sector’
• Turnover in 2011: £4.5 billion
• Assets in 2011: £8.9 billion
• Number of staff employed: 138,000
• Volunteers and volunteer development
What do we mean by the
Third Sector?
• The bulk of the sector is made up of small, community-based
organisations, working in just one local area.
• At the other end of the scale - small number of large
‘household name’ charities, who often work nationally, and
account for most of the turnover and staffing in the third
sector.
• Many such as Marie Curie and Oxfam rely on public donations
• Others such as the Richmond Fellowship and Barnardo’s hold
service delivery contracts with a number of local authorities.
• Some have combination of local authority, health,
trust/lottery funding and private donations
What do we mean by the Third sector???
Examples:
Unpaid carers (650,000) - Network of 28 Carers Centres
Family Support – Contact a Family, Barnardo’s, Family Support projects; informal
kinship care groups
Condition specific – Downs Syndrome, Stroke Association, National Autistic Society;
Enable; Capability Scotland; local disability support projects; Mental Health e.g. SAMH
Alcohol/Substance Misuse – Turning Point; Addaction; Scottish Families Against Drugs
Crisis – Samaritans, Food banks; mental health charity helplines,
Advice/Information – Citizens Advice Bureaux, organisations above, rights projects;
Law Centres.
Advocacy/indepth support – Advocacy Projects; welfare rights support, appeals,
tribunals (CAB and others)
Finance/money advice – Financial inclusion projects, Credit Unions
Housing / homelessness – Shelter, Bethany Christian Trust
What do we mean by Third
Sector?
Third sector interfaces:
Key points of contact for voluntary organisations in each local
authority.
• Should be linked to Community Planning
• Key players in Reshaping Care Change Fund – will have links to
local authorities, NHS and others in local area.
• Existing networks through TSI will involve local and national
voluntary organisations:
• with an interest in Scottish Welfare Fund,
• who make referrals to Fund,
• who may offer wider support for customers applying to SWF
– whether or not they are successful
What do we mean by Third Sector?
Citizens Advice Bureaux:
• Citizens Advice Scotland is the umbrella organisation for
Scotland’s network of 80 Citizens Advice Bureau offices
• CABs operate in 30 out of 32 LAs
www.cas.org.uk/bureaux
• Provide free, impartial, independent and confidential
advice in over 250 locations
• Benefits, debt, housing, budgeting, employment,
family and consumer advice
• Clients sought advice on nearly a million issues in 2009/10
• Citizens Advice Direct 0808 800 9060
• Self-help information - www.adviceguide.org.uk
Welfare Reform affects Third
Sector
• In a recent SCVO survey, 63% of respondents said that they would be
either directly or indirectly affected by welfare reform (Oct 2012).
• Key concerns for organisations included:
– Coping with increased demand
– Dealing with increasingly complex enquiries
– Lack of capacity means other work has to be dropped to meet demand
• Key concerns for clients included:
– Stress from changes leading to increased mental health problems
– Disabled people being badly affected by Work Capability Assessments
and the appeals process
– The poorest and most vulnerable people in society being at increased
risk of social isolation, homelessness and destitution
Scottish Welfare Fund and Third Sector:
Why is third sector important to implementing fund?
•
•
A range of community groups/charities already refer to existing DWP
programmes. Will make referrals to new Fund.
Meeting both immediate and wider needs of customers applying for new
Fund:
– Whether ‘yes’/’no’ – application process will pick up both crisis and other
needs for support.
– Making sure that people are not on their own and are accessing help –
onward referral to other support networks/organisations
– Meeting crisis needs e.g. suicide, food, debt etc.
– Working in partnership with a range of voluntary organisations critical to
successful implementation and planning your “customer journeys”.
Scottish Welfare Fund and Third
Sector
• Local authorities will already work in partnership with voluntary
organisations which provide key points of support for families,
people with disabilities, providers of advice and information, etc.
• Who are they? How will you connect with them?
• How can they help? e.g. targeting publicity, providing supporting
advice, providing ongoing support services?
• Remember there is space on the application form for people to
indicate what other support they may be receiving.
Scottish Welfare Fund and Third Sector:
Desk resource:
• Quick, desk based resource to help you know where to
start
• What charities are out there?
• How do you connect with them?
• Covering some helplines - Those organisations which
help with extremely difficult cases?
• Support in addition to what the local authority also offer
(eg homelessness; social work, children’s services etc.)
• Your views?
In small groups…
Part 1
Look at the (draft) third sector ‘desk’ guide:
– Is it useful? What do you think of the format? What would make it
better?
– Take some notes in your groups – can someone do this?
Part 2
How does your LA connect with 3rd sector organisations?
• Which departments would have relevant contacts?
• Who do you already work with?
• What other national and local organisations are you aware of?
• What different ways could the third sector help you?
• What’s the best way to guide your decision makers to the right resources
and organisations?
Next steps
Check out:
• Who else works with the third sector within your LA?
• Are there any guides to voluntary services for your area?
• Who is your third sector interface (e.g. local Council for
Voluntary Services)? Do you have a local CAB?
• What are the key organisations in your area to liaise with?
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How can you work together effectively?
What services / support do they provide?
Who is eligible?
What capacity do they have?
How can they support you?