Voluntary Sector unites to demand Fair Funding
A broad coalition of voluntary organisations and unions have launched a petition calling for fair funding where Scottish public service contracts are undertaken by the voluntary sector.
The petition - jointly submitted by the STUC, SCVO, Unite, UNISON and Community Care Providers Scotland urges the Scottish Government to demonstrate commitment to the third sector by agreeing a National Framework for Public Service Contracts between the Scottish Government, purchasers and providers. This is the first time voluntary sector employers and trade unions have joined together to campaign, demonstrating the danger posed to the contribution of the increasingly professional voluntary sector to high quality public services by current funding challenges.
Some voluntary organisations are being contracted to perform public services for less than those services cost to deliver - putting at risk the quality of services for the most vulnerable in society.
The petition urges the Scottish Government to agree a National Framework for Public Service Contracts between the Scottish Government, purchasers and providers, based on the principles in a 2007 pact agreed between the submitting organisations. It covers the key areas of concern:
A commitment by public sector purchasers to fund wages and conditions of employment for front line workers in third sector providers at the same level as front line workers in the public sector
Five year contracts for third sector service providers to replace current short term funding arrangements
Agreement on the appropriate use of competitive tendering to minimise disruption to the users of services, reduce transaction costs and increase the stability of jobs and services
A government initiative to improve the standard of public sector commissioning to achieve the government's aim of high quality personalised services
Fresh Best Value Guidance to strengthen the importance of quality and effectiveness proportionate to cost; defining quality, how to measure it, and the role of service users, families, trade unions and the wider community in monitoring and assessment.
The full text of the pact is available here
This petition will be submitted to the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee in Dec 2008. An online e-petition version is available via the Committee website, but please do not sign both. Return by 26 Nov to principal petitioner:
Simon Macfarlane, UNISON Scotland, 14, West Campbell Street, Glasgow, G2 6RX. 0845 355 0845 www.unison-scotland.org.uk
A doc format copy of the petition is available for download here
Please raise as much awareness about the petition as possible and to maximise the signatures we collect.