Protect and survive: how strategy can triumph over austerity

I have always believed that the true mark of a civilised society is how well it looks after its most vulnerable members. A desire to make a difference in the lives of the marginalised in our communities is what unites all of us on the Turning Point Scotland Board.

The current climate of austerity, cutbacks to services and the cost-of-living crisis has combined with a toxic culture-wars-inspired rise in victim-shaming of everyone from homeless, problematically use alcohol or other drugs to those seeking asylum. It’s against this economic and social background that I attended my first Board strategy session since becoming Turning Point Scotland Chair

The challenges we face in continuing to support our clients are daunting. But the incredible wealth of experience, knowledge and talent across our Board is truly inspiring. We will need to exploit that strategic resource fully in the face of the twin threats of financial squeeze and policy void.

This is not special pleading: the cutbacks are front of mind for every business sector and every community right now. I have sympathy for councils having to enforce cost-cutting across their entire range of services. These are not the actions of uncaring, ill-informed people. They know the harsh impact, in human terms, of every penny ‘saved’.

However, two aspects of this fraught situation frustrate me. The first is the disingenuous attempt to gaslight providers by trying to position the cutbacks as something other than they are – as efficiency initiatives, or job-done completion exercises. I would urge those acting in this way to meet their delivery partners in a place of honesty and transparency. It's how the best work is done in the world of business where I am from. We will make more progress starting from a position of trust and mutual respect.

My second frustration is the perception that the kind of social care TPS delivers is merely ‘nice to have’; a service that can easily be defunded when money is tight. Yet, from where I see it, organisations like ours are the best hope of delivering the kind of progressive, inclusive, and compassionate Scotland that we all want to see.?

In particular, our sector’s innovation, commitment, and ability to cope with change should be the envy of all other industries. I know, I’ve worked with most of them over the decades of my career. Far from being ‘nice to have’, we are essential. We should be celebrated as one of our country’s best-performing and vital sectors. Instead, we are expected to stand idly by as the sector founders. We will not do so. Such an approach is irresponsible and ultimately self-defeating.

In a more just world, our session a couple of weeks ago, would have developed a strategy with a different, more expansive backdrop; one where our innovational mindset could truly flourish. Instead, our focus was on how to survive whilst preparing to thrive.?

However, that is no counsel of despair. My lasting impression of that important session was of talented and dedicated colleagues united in pursuit of making life better for everyone who is struggling, everyone who is hard to reach. We must never lose sight of how vital that passion and determination is: for us and the people we support, the communities they come from, and the Scotland we believe in.

We undoubtedly live in difficult times. Our finances are stretched as the pressure grows on the very services we provide; services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Scotland.? How we collectively respond to this challenge will surely demonstrate how we as a nation view the importance of compassion and care in our society. If I know Turning Point Scotland, our response will be a roar rather than a whimper.