Connections and the Third Sector Pleased to be here Connection with third sector activity and interest My background – working to enable voices to be heard – those marginalised or under-represented a running thread through all the work I have been involved with. Gareth Allen Scottish Government Equality Unit, Third Sector Division

Third Sector Unit – Scottish Government Part of the Equality, Human Rights and Third Sector Division Within the Directorate for Local Government and Communities Director General Communities Working across Government and collaboration

Third Sector Unit Some of the work the unit supports Policy and engagement Supporting enterprising third sector organisations and social enterprise Volunteering Charity Law Social Investment Third sector infrastructure – local and national Communities, prevention, public service reform and third sector

Priorities – Programme for Government Economic competitiveness and fairness Social justice and tackling inequality Democratic renewal Community empowerment and engagement Key transformational role for the third sector and communities remains central

Strategic Conversation What future approaches might best ensure a buoyant and sustainable third sector into the longer term? Frame the big challenges Approaches to creating the conditions necessary for a buoyant and sustainable sector Ambitions for the sector Look up to 10 years ahead

Strategic Conversation Aims share understanding of current context surface significant issues for the sector discuss ambitions for the sector explore the conditions necessary for a buoyant and sustainable sector reflect on the roles of State, sector and communities in this environment consider what relationships are necessary; and the conversations that need to be had to take thinking forward

Third Sector Interfaces Each local authority area in Scotland has a Third Sector Interface (TSI) to support, promote, develop and represent the third sector: Community groups Voluntary organisations Social enterprises Volunteering Slides 7-11 draw on information from the website of Voluntary Action Scotland

Third Sector Interfaces The TSI is also the connection between the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and the third sector CPPs are made up of public, private and third sector bodies including the local authority, health board, fire, police, enterprise agency and others. They are tasked with ensuring “public services provided in the area of the local authority are provided and the planning of that provision takes place”

Third Sector Interfaces Background 20 TSIs are single agencies and 12 of them are formed of partnerships across bodies historically associated with supporting their local voluntary sector, social enterprises and volunteers. Some of these are ‘Volunteer Centres’, ‘Centres for Voluntary Service’ or ‘Social Enterprise Networks’. Your local TSI might be known by one of these titles, as a ‘TSI’ or a local ‘Voluntary Action’ agency. They are independent from Government but the Scottish Government invests in four key functions

Third Sector Interfaces A set of common standards, services and outcomes Helping communities help themselves through the power of volunteering Social enterprise development Supporting and developing a strong third sector – harnessing the passion of individuals to come together to improve their community Building the third sector relationship with community planning

Voluntary Action Scotland Voluntary Action Scotland is the network organisation for Scotland’s TSIs http://www.vascotland.org What a TSI is and does Find a TSI

Other third sector connections There are a range of national third sector intermediaries which form part of the third sector infrastructure They can cover, for example, particular parts of the sector, or a particular policy area, or provide a function