19 December 2014

Dear Councillors,

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) RESPONSE – CEC BUDGET 2015/16

EVOC has gathered intelligence and views through focus groups, discussions and a wider participatory event held in November. Two years on from first publishing ‘Courage to Collaborate’ it appears that we are still addressing the same issues two years on. Therefore, please find attached a re-issue of the 2012 Report ‘Courage to Collaborate’.

In addition, we would highlight the following as core themes and principles to be taken into the wider conversation about budget reductions:

·  City of Edinburgh Council Third Sector spend accounts for 8% of the city’s budget, while around 15% of the potential savings are against Third Sector investment. EVOC wishes to see a fairer proportionate distribution of the ‘pain’.

·  Concerns exist with the Third Sector that the Council’s no redundancy policy, whilst honourable, appears to many to be protectionist, placing the burden of redundancy and cuts on the Sector. Indeed, there are examples of Departments taking activity back in-house without full evaluation of the wider issues of value for money, community in-reach and skills and expertise of the Third Sector. You simply require more activity for spare hands?

·  As consistently acknowledged by the Council in many forums, the financial and social returns on investments in the Third Sector are significant. It is particularly concerning that the proposals for disproportionate cuts to the Third Sector appear not to recognise this commitment to the health and wellbeing of our city. Furthermore, the leverage of every pound spent by the Council in the Third Sector is well documented. If the city’s Festivals are protected because of their economic value – surely the consistent application of this argument would see similar protection for wider Third Sector investments.

·  As well as the economic benefit the Third Sector brings to the city – jobs, turnover, inward investment etc, the sheer range of voluntary activity in the city suggests something going on above and beyond an economic return.

·  It appears to many Third Sector organisations that difficult political decisions to potentially increase revenue appear to be off the table for discussion, e.g. small contributions such as charging for stair lighting to big ticket items such as a hotel bedroom levy.

·  With the best will in the world, it is the City’s vulnerable people who are most likely to be hit hard by cuts to Third Sector – everyone appears to agree in the abstract that more needs to be invested in prevention, early intervention and achieving better outcomes, yet many argue the proposals once again are salami-slicing budgets.

·  We would remind Council that decisions taken this year will affect everyone’s ability to think and deliver creatively next year and the year after.

Finally, we would remind Council that Edinburgh’s Third Sector is:

Essential to citizens’ Health and Well-Being

Driven by the desire to co-create a Just Society

Rooted in communities and Responsive to Need

Expert in Prevention, Early Intervention and Innovation

A Voice for people and communities which are least heard

Vital to the city’s Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability

We look forward to continuing to work with you in these difficult times,

Ella Simpson

Director