SCDC’s policy advocacy work - 2024/25

The main policy work we have been involved in during 24/25 is highlighted below: 

Democracy Matters 2: Following completion of the joint delivery contract with DTAS to engage local communities in detailed conversations, SCDC submitted a bespoke report as a formal response to the consultation which outlines our aspirations for a future Local Democracy Bill. We remain in contact with the SG team leading DM2 and are involved in discussions about the next stage of the DM2 process. Scottish Government (SG) have established a Steering Group to carry forward the next phase of the process which will focus on developing a framework of ambition, including the development of models to transfer more powers and control to communities and community bodies in Scotland. SCDC regularly meets with SG leads and key partners which will continue in-between the meetings schedule of the Steering Group to conduct some of the more detailed work. We are also providing some facilitation support to the steering group to assist with its work.

National Outcomes Review 2023 (NPF4) Expert Advisory Group: We have continued to attend this group which has an ongoing role to support SG in producing a revised National Performance Framework (NPF4). Publication of the new framework was expected at the end of the 2024 but this has been put on hold, and we are awaiting information on next steps with the process.

Place and Wellbeing Programme Board (PAW): SCDC continues to chair the core group for the community workstream of this programme and is a member of the Programme Board which sits under the wider Care and Wellbeing Portfolio of Scottish Government. We have continued to make an active input to communities core group meetings, workshops and the programme board over the course of the year. This includes: hosting a core group meeting in April to hear about the Common Health Assets research being led by Caledonian University and SG’s planned Population Health Framework (PHF) over the next 10 years; involvement in a workshop on the PHF held in June and a discussion on current challenges in local funding and how community-led health projects are able to influence local health decision making structures and processes. These topics relate directly to the objectives of the workstream.   

Place-Based Exchange: SCDC feeds into this group which meets regularly to discuss issues and opportunities around place-based working.

Climate Policy Engagement Network: We have continued involvement in this network which is facilitated by Scottish Government.

Voluntary and Community Sector Resilience Advisory Group: Since May 2020, SCDC has been part of this advisory group which supports British Red Cross to input to the Scottish Resilience Partnership.  Work was initially COVID-focused but has now broadened to include responses on other issues, e.g., winter storms, flooding and other emergency events. Our representation has changed to reflect a better connection with our other work on supporting community-led resilience. This has included a significant input to the SG Community Resilience Conference held in November 2024.  

Rural Policy: We continue to be involved in the Rural Economy and Community Stakeholder Group (RSG) which meets quarterly. The main work of the RSG is taking a slight change of focus to: input into the development and implementation of the Rural Delivery Plan (RDP); ensure a wide range of views and voices are included around policy development, including specific delivery issues so that the SG can monitor and continuously improve the policies they have created; increase awareness and build understanding about work being conducted by member organisations (of the RSG); and  understand and hear first-hand issues that are being raised that affect the rural economy and communities. There are significant ties for us in terms of the role for locality, place and community led plans within the RDP, and how that maintains the lens of community development approaches within the overall plan with a focus on equity and inclusion. We have also been asked to join the research advisory group for the Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review following on from the passing of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill 2024. Its purpose is to inform rural Scotland policy delivery, in Scotland: Community Led Local Development, Scottish Rural Action and the Scottish Rural Network. 

The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: We are members of the Community and Social connections thematic group and have supported refugee and asylum seeker involvement on the Development of the New Scots Three Strategy. This has involved helping the Scottish Refugee Council involve approximately 2000 refugees and asylum seekers in commenting on the content of the strategy. We are presently seeking clarification on plans for ongoing governance for New Scots which has been very limited since the pandemic, and we expect to play a fuller role in the Community and Social Connections themed working group once the revised governance process has been agreed.

Policy consultation responses: 

During 2024/25 we have submitted responses to the following policy consultations: 

  • Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Consultation

  • Democracy Matters 2 – a submission on a series of interlocking proposals on new powers for communities, building anchor organisations, strengthening community action planning and providing community development support. These will hopefully be considered for inclusion in the forthcoming Local Democracy Bill.

  • Pre-Budget 2025/26 Scrutiny – Third Sector Funding Principles.  Following on from a dedicated engagement exercise which identified key issues in relation to funding for the community sector, SCDC (through our CHEX project) led a submission to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee of the Scottish Parliament.  This was informed by a bespoke survey completed by 35 respondents from our networks and ongoing policy work.     

  • We produced a response to the Scottish Government Local Government and Housing Committee for their tracking report on progress of improvements in Community Planning under Part Two of the Community Empowerment Act

  • We also met with key civil servants and submitted a major consultation report to the Government Review of the Part Two of the Community Empowerment Act on Community Planning.