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ANNEX F
WHAT THE SECTOR CURRENTLY DOES - THE EVIDENCE
Service Delivery
The sector has grown rapidly in recent years. This has been driven by service delivery facilitated by both public sector commissioning but also through self-generated funding such as increased trading activity (social enterprise).
- The sector's total annual income has grown from £1.8bn in 1998 to £2.1bn in 2001 to £2.6bn in 2004 (see Figure 4)
- The sector's employment has grown by an average 4000 more employees each year from 1996 to 2004 (Figure 5)
- The sector has a substantial share in public service delivery, in particular for social housing, social care and home care provision. Data for shares in other services are not readily available (see Table 1)
- Although not all are involved specifically in service delivery, the voluntary sector levers in around 1.2m adult volunteers.
- Analysis of the Scottish Household Survey data for 2002 suggests that volunteers contribute an average of 6 hours per month ( VDS Scotland). This works out to be equivalent to around 54,000 FTE employees. 10
Table 2: Sector's market share in public service delivery (Scottish Executive reports)
Service | Places/People | % Market share | Year |
|---|
Supporting People (housing support) | 23,800 | 17% | 2003/4 |
Provision of residential accommodation for children | 57 | 3% | 2004/5 |
Centres providing preschool education or childcare | 1247 (centres) | 31.5% | 2003/4 |
Taught adult learning | | 10% of all adult learning provision 11 | 2002/3 |
Care homes for older people | 152 | 15.5 | 2004/5 |
Care homes for physically disabled people | 434 | 81.7% | 2004/5 |
Care homes for Adults with Mental Health Problems | 821 | 66% | 2004/5 |
Care Homes for Adults with Learning Disabilities | 1498 | 52.7% | 2004/5 |
Care Homes for Adults in Other Client Groups | 595 | 77.8% | 2004/5 |
Home care provision solely by voluntary sector/private sector | 9458 | 13.5 | 2003/4 |
Home care provision by voluntary sector/private sector in combination with local authority | 3894 | 5.6% | 2003/4 |
All data sources from Scottish Executive reports for the year indicated, unless otherwise indicated.
Figure 4: Growth in sector's annual income 1998 to 2004 ( SCVO)
Figure 5: Growth in sector's employment 1996 to 2004 ( SCVO)
Advocacy and policy making
- The Scottish Household Survey 2002 shows that a quarter of adults gave up their time in 2002/3 to help with a charity/club/campaign, but less than a half of adults voted in both the last national and local elections. (Civil Society Index 2005)
- The Scottish voluntary sector almanac ( SCVO) shows that there is a very diverse range of voluntary organisation types in Scotland, set up to meet the interests and needs of a diverse range of social groups. Almost half of the public petitions received come from various civil society organisations. (Civil Society Index 2005)
- There is a long list of civil society organisation led campaigns in recent years, and a long list of outcomes matching these campaigns, ranging from Community Care and Health Act 2002, repeal of section 3 Mental Health Act, POCSA Child Protection Act, to increased public service delivery by civil society organisations around community care, environment, children and families services, housing and homelessness. The difficulty is disentangling the influence of these campaigns from other factors such as other pressures on policy makers. (Civil Society Index 2005)
- The UK Sustainable Development Commission (2001) found that major environmental voluntary organisations in the UK have always provided strong leadership in the policy debate at national and international level on key environmental themes. (Civil Society Index 2005).
Building Strong Communities
- A research study into housing associations by Communities Scotland (2001) found a high degree of motivation for getting involved in wider roles to develop social capital in local communities. Much of this motivation came from the management committees themselves rather than external bodies, such as the public sector. (Civil Society Index 2005)
- The Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (2004) points to locally initiated community action as a key driver in rural areas for developing local services and business opportunities in partnership with public and private sectors. Supporting this, SCVO's database of voluntary organisations shows greater per-capita numbers of voluntary organisations in predominantly rural areas compared to urban areas. (Civil Society Index 2005)
- Evidence from consultations with disenfranchised groups as part of the Civil Society Index, suggested that the most valued aspect of civil society was when it provided a safe non-judgemental space for people to link with peers. This was evident in focus groups with drop-in centres with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups), rural Black and Ethnic Minority Groups ( BEM), urban regeneration, rural isolated, homeless and young people and older people. (Civil Society Index 2005)
Agent of change
- The European Social Survey reports that 47% of the UK have actively participated some form of collective community action over 2002. Although providing Scotland-specific evidence, the Scottish Household Survey looks at a much narrower range of community action but within this, finds that playgroup and children's activities involve many more people (7%) than resident's groups, community safety or community council involvement (1-2%). (Civil Society Index 2005)
- The UK Sustainable Development Commission (2001) found that at a local level, Non-Governmental Organisations have been successfully creating links between social, environmental and economic issues. More recently, in Scotland, a number of civil society organisations have been involved in community asset development, with high-profile success stories in the Island communities of Gigha and Eigg. (Civil Society Index 2005).
- Evidence from consultations with disenfranchised groups suggest that voluntary organisations are taking a role in issue areas that are not seen as priority social concerns in the government and media, such as working with travellers and working with ethnic minorities in rural areas. Their work with empowering older people suggests that they are filling in gaps that may become priority social concerns in the near future as demography changes. (Civil Society Index 2005)
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