“The resilience of our sector is under extreme pressure. There is time to turn things around – but only with immediate action taken in partnership”

I was up very early this morning to read the Sunday Herald.

Over the past few weeks, writer-at-large Neil Mackay had interviewed a number of Chief Executives of health and social care organisations who are members of CCPS and the ALLIANCE – as well as myself and ALLIANCE Chief Officer, Sara Redmond. He wanted to understand the absolute tipping point faced by charities trying to deliver public services on contracts that just haven’t kept up with costs or demands. In addition, nearly 250 organisations have signed a joint letter to the FM from the ALLIANCE and ourselves calling on the government to increase investment at pace, and work with us, to stabilise our sector.

It’s a big and very hard-hitting piece – reflecting the gravity of the position – and the body of Neil’s article really conveys the dilemma facing so many not-for-profits providing social care and support: do they keep providing vital services through public sector contracts that are too often too poorly funded to preserve quality and dignity; or do they hand these contracts back and see people’s critical support reduced and jobs lost? Both come with real consequences for real people. It’s a story that has been too long under the radar and needed told.

At CCPS a survey of 50 major social care providers earlier this year set out that around two-thirds were planning to eat into their charitable reserves this year to deliver public services and of, these, around 90% would not be a going concern in 4 years if that situation continued.  That’s a wake up call for us all.

There is still – just – time to turn this around, but it’s running out. Hammered by long-term underinvestment, wages set too low by the Scottish Government and now huge increases to national insurance bills from Westminster, there is no longer the time to just look on and ask us to wait.

I speak to our outstanding CEO community regularly. They, and their organisations, are resilient and creative – they’ve had to be for so very long to make things work. But that isn’t sustainable for ever and they can’t be taken for granted.

With a spending review and budget coming up it is absolutely THE time to make some key decisions for the future of crucial support for individuals, families and communities across Scotland. That is the basis of our joint call to the First Minister.  Organisations like those I represent can provide so many of the answers to the policy aspirations for the people of Scotland which this government – and indeed all the political parties – have set out.  But we can only do that if we are here as a sector that is surviving and thriving.

We want to work with politicians and officials to build a better social contract with the people of Scotland, where people’s rights and dignity are honoured and valued, even when times are tough. Our door is open.  It’s time to act.

Read the open letter to the FM and our news story