We believe offering a work-life balance for our staff is the right thing to do. We support colleagues with wide ranging care responsibilities, and we have won industry awards in recognition of our work in this area.
We are an accredited living wage employer, and in 2023 signed up to the Leadership pledge of Support, a commitment to embed trauma informed principles and practice across our work – as an employer and as a funder and partner.
Inspiring Scotland is committed to the principles of Fair Work First.
We are bold:
We strive for a better Scotland.
We work with partners to identify and solve problems on a national scale. We develop new ideas and are fearless in pursuit of our aims. We are committed for as long as it takes, whatever it takes.
We are knowledgeable:
We work together and get results.
We place lived experience at the centre of our work and build networks and partnerships to achieve collective aims.
We work with expertise from people who experience challenges most directly, communities, and the voluntary, public, private, and academic sectors to design rigorous and innovative social solutions.
We study, research, evaluate, learn, and share our knowledge.
We are compassionate:
We believe in opportunity for everyone.
We recognise diversity in life experience. We take time to listen, understand perspectives and build relationships.
We are effective:
We change lives for the better.
We collaborate with government to shape social policy. We connect people across sectors to create real and lasting solutions. Together, we are building a better Scotland.
It matters to us that we make a difference. We are not complacent in our work practices and will constantly challenge ourselves to improve.
In delivering our mission it is impossible to ignore the impact of climate change.
We are in a climate emergency. If we do not individually and collectively respond with speed, and drastically reduce our contribution to global carbon levels and environmental degradation there will be devastating and potentially irreversible consequences.
We believe that we must challenge ourselves to rapidly change the way that we work.
We acknowledge how much we still have to learn. By learning from others, we will develop our work to help organisations to reduce their impact on the climate, and to move towards being climate resilient organisations and support services.
We have signed up to the Funder Committment on Climate Change.
Inspiring Scotland is committed to the principles of Fair Work First.
Fair Work is work that offers all individuals an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect. We believe Fair Work can boost creativity, realise untapped potential and increase productivity.
Since our launch Inspiring Scotland has adopted policies which support a positive working environment where the resources, talent and skills of all employees are maximised. These include:
Paying the living wage and guaranteeing a decent standard of income for all employees. Inspiring Scotland is a Living Wage Accredited Employer
Offering security of contract, including hours and other entitlements and benefits such as sick pay and pension. Inspiring Scotland does not have zero hours contracts or other forms of demand driven contracts. We offer a range of employee assistance schemes.
An award winning Flexible Working Policy and promotion of flexible working opportunities to ensure employees have good work-life balance
Equal Opportunities and reasonable adjustment policies
A wide range of staff development, training and wellbeing opportunities. Inspiring Scotland ensures a safe and healthy work environment where staff wellbeing is activity supported and provided.
A strong commitment to the development of Scotland’s young workforce through employment and paid intern opportunities.
We continue to develop best practice in support of the Fair Work First principles by:
Supporting and developing a range of channels for our employees to have an effective voice.
Continued investment in workforce development.
Ongoing development and action on policies relating to Equality and Diversity including action to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
Monitoring of pay and gender. Inspiring Scotland does not have a gender pay gap.
Supporting people to feel valued and respected and that they have a sense of purpose in work and wider society; and
Promoting innovation and productivity.
In January 2023 Inspiring Scotland joined 58 organisations across Scotland by pledging commitment to embed trauma informed principles and practice across our work – as an employer, funder and partner.
The Leadership Pledge of Support is an opportunity to join partners in raising awareness of the prevalence and impact of trauma, and committing to translating that knowledge into practical actions that prevent further harm.
Inspiring Scotland’s pledge:
We recognise the long-lasting physical and mental impact of adverse childhood experiences, and other forms of trauma and adversity which contribute to the disadvantage people face.
As a funder, we support organisations to develop knowledge and skills to best address the needs of people impacted by trauma and manage the impact of vicarious trauma on their workforce and volunteers. As an employer, we are also playing our part in creating a trauma-informed and responsive workforce.
To support our commitment to the Pledge we are working to a trauma informed plan which includes actions for us as an employer and funder. Through delivery of this plan, we will ensure our funding programmes are informed by people with experience of trauma, respond in ways that prevent further harm, and reduce barriers to services.
At the heart of this plan is a focus on how we incorporate the principles of choice, safety, empowerment, trust and collaboration in everything we do – both internally and externally. Like others, we are on a journey, but we are energised to challenge ourselves and look forward to learning from others and developing our trauma-informed practice.
Read more about the Leadership Pledge of Support.
To better serve those we exist to support, we recognise the need to examine the way we work both internally and externally and tackle questions of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) head-on.
What we are doing
One of our priority areas in our 2022-26 Strategy is to Challenge Ourselves. We are proud and confident in the organisation we have built since 2009. However, we are driven to be better, and to change and adapt our daily activities to achieve our long-term vision.
We acknowledge that there are many aspects to addressing EDI internally and externally, but we challenge ourselves to get started and make changes to the way we work. Our EDI strategy encompasses all that we are currently doing and the actions we wish to take and forms a route map for ongoing development of EDI best practice.
We work with experts from the voluntary, public, private and academic sectors. Get in touch if you want to help us build a better Scotland.
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