Linda Tuthill
Chief Executive
As I write this in late April, the sun is shining, it is light earlier and for longer each day, and once again the world and nature are coming out of what was a hard winter in so many ways. The pandemic is now behind us and will (hopefully) stay that way, and it is easier for us to see a clearly to the future, with even more positive bright times ahead. The Action Group is here for everyone connected to us, through every season, every good time and every obstacle.
This Annual review is about looking back over 2022-2023 and giving you a snapshot of what we achieved, through your stories and other information giving you a sense of the year we have had.
Some of the challenges we faced continue this year, and we have clear plans in place to progress in all these key areas:
Making sure we are getting it right for you.
Improving our digital services, systems, and support
Improving how we recruit
Making the services we offer right for the context we are in and what you want
Ensuring you get the support you need and want, to live life in all the seasons, good times, and hard times.
For other obstacles, we still need the vision and commitment of the Scottish Government to give social care what has been given to other sectors, such as Health. Proper regard, Fair work funding to pay our colleagues a decent wage and decent terms and conditions, and proper investment in a sector that plays a huge part in the life and success of Scotland.
Sometimes someone says it better than you can, and The CEO of the Coalition of Care and Support Providers (CCPS) speaks on behalf of The Action Group and all other members of CCPS when she says:
“It should be a national scandal that government after government, whether in Holyrood or Westminster, has kicked decisions on investing in social care and support down the road, over and over again….£12 per hour aspired to, but only for those working with adults. A delivery timetable on pay promised, with no clear dates. No indication of how hoped-for investment in frontline staff will support career progression for good people doing good and essential work to support our neighbours, our families, our friends.”
The Action Group will keep doing what we can, even when it is not easy, by being creative, listening to you, and continuing to provide you with staff who will be there for you in all seasons. We are a compassionate and committed organisation that works hard, even in a social care staffing crisis, without proper funding to pay staff properly, still making sure we provide the very best person-centred services possible with you and for you. Just some of our positive achievements this year include providing play hubs to children, Try Something New Days for children and young people; groups for adults to decrease isolation; HearMe counselling; 1:1 Housing support, Hardship funds, and Day Opportunities. These, and everything else we do, are all part of ensuring we provide a menu of options for you to have fun, learn skills and live your life, in every season of your life. Another major positive was our successful Asset transfer of the Prentice Centre from West Granton Community Trust into our ownership. This will be our new Action Group Hub, which will allow us to expand our service offer even more in 2023 and beyond. I am grateful for WGCT Board and staff for choosing us to take on this wonderful resource.
Through our 7 strategic groups we will continue to make sure we keep making what we do better and adapt what we do to fit better with what people want, the context we are in and the world we are living in. The pandemic has made Digital even more of a necessity in everyone’s lives and we will continue to make sure we harness the power of Digital in as many ways as we can, while upskilling our staff, those we support and carers etc. We have also been looking at how we should be delivering support services in the future, to make sure they are well placed to get it right more. The pandemic delayed us making our teams more geographic etc , but work has been going on to agree a plan to ensure our services are fit for the future. This workstream is part of our TAG Futures strategic group and there is now a dedicated project team called TAG Evolve, who are working with Optimum, an external consultancy organisation on the plan as we go forward. Getting it Right, sometimes means doing things differently! You will hear about the impact of TAG Evolve in next years annual review!
As always, thank you to all of you: our colleagues, supported people and carers, for your ongoing commitment and for making 2022-2023 a successful year for The Action Group, regardless of the obstacles we faced, individually and organisationally.
Enjoy your annual review!