1. A model of innovation and good practice
BECAUSE SCOTLAND CARES: context & short history Using a collaborative approach to address complex issues around the recruitment of frontline workers in the voluntary sector
A model of innovation and good practice

2. What is the voluntary sector?
We are charities or SCIOs and make no profit on the business we do or services we deliver- any money goes back into the companies or is kept in reserve
Organisations work to a ‘constitution’ which creates the structure, rules, governance and sets out the activities and purpose of each organisation and the company executives report to a board of directors (trustees)
Although many voluntary sector organisations do have volunteers, almost all delivering social care support employ a workforce to deliver and manage the services
Social care services cover a wide range of service provision. Frontline workers normally knows as support workers provide direct care and support to people in community settings: from substance misuse to learning disability to elderly care to mental health to homelessness services….
The voluntary sector is sometimes called ‘the third sector’ with private and public (local government, NHS, council and statutory services) being the other two sectors
The sector is highly regulated and most the workforce requires to be qualified and registered

3. ECONOMIC POSITION OF SECTOR
Estimated direct value to the Scottish economy of over 2 billion pounds (GVA)
Directly employing 56,560 people
The total direct, indirect and induced value of the adult social care sector was estimated to be £3.4 billion and 198, 600 jobs.
Seeking robust estimates of the current economic value of the adult social care sector Skills for Care commissioned research, based on 2016 data, for the UK as a whole and the four nations individually.
The Scotland report clearly shows a growing sector, making a strong contribution to the Scottish economy and employing a professional, qualified and highly skilled workforce.
There is no figure to place on the social and human value

4. STATISTICS- CURRENT ISSUEs
Voluntary sector was 28% Scottish Social Services workforce 2017
58% sector employers increased their expenditure allocated to recruitment in the last year
89% found it very or quite difficult to recruit for frontline support staff
68% highlighted problems recruiting staff in specific local authority areas (Highlands, followed by Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow).
*SSSC workforce data 2017 (2018)/ CCPS Benchmarking Survey Report (2019)*

5. WHY DO THE recruitment issues MATTER?
Current provision is limited due to lack of staffing
Future provision to meet growing demographic need and complexity of real concern
More organic growth in areas is stunted
Hidden costs around absence, stress, rota management, senior staff covering shifts, retention is impacted, outcomes not met
People- the people being supported and the workers themselves

6. IN 2017 A GROUP OF 4 ORGANISATIONS took a decision to address THIS THROUGH
Macro thinking- root causes, connecting dots, longer term, disruptive trends
Getting rid of assumptions & ‘our usual way of doing it’
Seeing change as possible & us as owners of the issue
Common exploration- concepts- example ‘consumer focus’
Looking at possible solutions and ideas before the barriers
Genuine collaboration
Since then 36 organisations have participated in group meetings or activities- est. joint turnover of £4-500 million and c.24,000 employees
A series of early projects were undertaken, we are on phase 2
A joint recruitment marketing and branding brief was developed together but with no logo!

7. What we know now The world has changed… candidates want
Fast, informal and streamlined process
Simple information
Personal pathways
Digital informal options
To be valued in the process
To connect and belong to the sector or organisation

8. UNDERLYING Reasons for difficulties
Communication inconsistent and low influence
Knowledge of the sector- confusion
Job opportunities not understood or easy found
Career pathways and advice not clear enough
Personal challenge of work seems too much
Celebrating human qualities less than skills and experience
Gender and age segregation
Pride and belonging does not feature- not celebrated
Repetitive ineffective individual organisation action (level of continuous low level recruitment competition)
Cars sometimes needed
Shifts
Flexibility/family commitments hard to balance
Geography- specific area issues

9. actions for
Soft launch of social media to support members’ recruitment
Programme of events designed & delivered
Create collaborative joint website brief
Competition for group logo
Mixture of self funding and support from others (Scottish Government, OCSWA, SSSC, BCF, CCPS)
Sell a career in the third sector
Raise profile of sector for employability & careers advice services
Celebrate and promote collaborative and innovative ways of working and solving problems (Building Collaboration Fund)

10. LONG TERM Plans Governance & funding- maintain & develop
Stimulate change- learning, processes and approach
Working Groups to progress problem areas
Challenge barriers that do not add true value
Communicate and influence the image of the work and sector
More notice of children, young people and their parents/families
Identify career pathways, role models and examples
De-gender our communications and provide an active invitation to under represented groups
Create a mechanism for bringing young people in
Use digital solutions to enable collaborative strategic actions such as website and social media
Increase relationships/referral from employability services

11. #BecauseScotlandCares
#ScotlandCaresTogether
@Scotland_Cares
“Care changes lives”
“Be an inspiration and make a difference”