SallyAnn Kelly says we need a fundamental shift in the relationship between the state and the third sector
“If we are serious about changing lives, we must unleash the power of the third sector”. This was my call to the first minister and those who attended The Gathering recently.
It’s worth reflecting for a moment on what I meant. And what I didn’t mean.
I didn’t mean more of the same. I didn’t mean a bigger slice of a smaller cake. I didn’t mean tinkering with commissioning and procurement.
I meant a fundamental shift in the relationship between the state – at national and local level – and the third sector.
For too long we have been told the third sector is valued and respected - and yet we remain at the end of a supply chain
SallyAnn Kelly
A new relationship predicated not on contingency and dependency but on stability and reciprocity.
For too long now we have been told the third sector is valued and respected in Scotland. And yet we remain, for the most part, at the end of a supply chain.
The Gathering came hard on the heels of the launch of the Independent Care Review’s reports – welcomed across the political spectrum and by national and local agencies both public and voluntary.
But whole system change – which is what delivering on The Promise will demand – requires a whole system response. That response must be sustained over time – and across organisational boundaries.
Every report produced in the last decade – and more – has told us we need joined-up delivery, early intervention and better transitions planning. But we have not turned fine words into action.
There will always be a need to protect children. But we are still taking children into care when, all too often, they just need the right support at the right time.
The cost of not providing that support – to the state and, critically, to children and families – is far too high for a country with Scotland’s aspirations.
Nearly a decade ago, the Christie Commission called for public services to be built around people and communities. In practice, they have become more remote.
It also called for the prioritisation of prevention. Yet all too often the state’s response to families has become more punitive.
We can do things differently – and the third sector can be the agent of change Scotland needs to make a real and lasting difference in communities. But only if we have a seat at the table – not in the waiting room.
The real value of the third sector is its relationship with communities. Harnessing that relationship is the key to unleashing the power I spoke of at The Gathering.
The people we work with need to know they can trust us, that we will deliver on our promises and be there when they need us.
For too long many of us have focused on accountability to funders and to government. It’s time we all focused on accountability to the communities and people we exist to serve. Trust, rather than money, must be our core currency. Our purpose is to change lives not simply to win business.
If we are serious about making any of this happen, it will have profound implications for the way we work as third sector providers.
We cannot ask for the power of the third sector to be unleashed unless we practice what we preach. Power belongs ultimately not in our hands but in the hands of the communities we are here to serve.
SallyAnn Kelly is chief executive of Aberlour.
