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We pledge to support communities across Scotland

Social Security Scotland has signed up to the Scottish Government’s Social Impact Pledge. This initiative asks public sector organisations to do three new things that make a positive difference to their local communities. So far, over 50 organisations have signed up.

Ally Macphail, Social Security Scotland’s Deputy Director for Organisational Strategy and Performance, said:

“I am very pleased we are able to commit to our first ever Social Impact Pledge. This opportunity aligns directly with our values of dignity, fairness and respect. I am excited to get involved in the initiatives we have planned to make our pledge a success.”

Our three pledges are:

1. We pledge to host an annual fundraising event to support our corporate charity

Earlier this year, Social Security Scotland colleagues voted for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) to become the organisation’s official corporate charity.

Next month, we’ll be holding our first fundraiser for SAMH. The money we raise will help them provide mental health social care support, addiction and employment services in communities across Scotland.

SAMH's Senior Manager for Workplace Engagement, Fiona Lewis, said “Thank you to everyone at Social Security Scotland for choosing to support SAMH and the mental health cause.

“Our mental health and wellbeing are so important. Poor mental health can have the most profound impact on our relationships, our work, our wellbeing and quality of life.

“We are really looking forward to working together to make a difference. Here’s to a fantastic partnership!”

2. We pledge to encourage Social Security Scotland colleagues to volunteer with local organisations and charities.

As Scottish Government civil servants, we are entitled to up to six days paid volunteering leave every year, but we have now developed a new volunteering framework to make it even easier for our colleagues to get involved with good causes.

Colleagues can use their volunteering leave for many different purposes; for fundraising, participating in a charity board, or helping to organise events.

This will have a positive impact on local communities and benefit the people of Scotland. It will also give our colleagues the opportunity to develop new skills and interests while giving their time to support people who need it.

3. We pledge to use our procurement process to make sure that our suppliers include support for community organisations

We will ask suppliers who are awarded contracts for goods and services from us to pledge support for local charities and community groups wherever possible.

Working with our stakeholder organisations, we’ve identified a list of good causes that reflect the benefits we administer, either supporting families on low incomes, young people or disabled people. Suppliers can decide whether to support one of the community groups from this list, or they can choose their own.

Examples of community benefits could be providing equipment for a playgroup or contributing to the cost of excursions for children in low-income families or disabled people.

More information about the Social Impact Pledge can be found on the Communities Channel Scotland website.

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